What joy fills the atmosphere at the first cry of a new born baby, what joy awaits them in the arms of sweet grandmothers like mine.
Grandmother Oreolorun Awawu Omofoyeke
Sunmonu Aleri, is an unmistakable rare jewel and a beaming light in the
Adesoye family. A mother, grandmother and great grandmother and if God wills,
great great grandmother. Long may you live my dear grandma. The wife of my
great and industrious grandfather, Late Pa Kasumu Adesoye from the royal
lineage town of Iresi in Osun State, Nigeria.
A
popular culture celebrates loved ones when they pass on but its only wise for
me to celebrate and honour a matriarch who has rightfully etched her name in
the grandma’s all time hall of fame (lols). A true queen that never wore a
crown neither coveted one, contented with all she has received of the hands of
God, a case of “Oluwatosin......this Jesus that I know is enough for me” a popular
song by Stevehills and Tkeyz.
Her life journeys has not been without briers
and thorns but through it all God has been gracious and faithful to her. She survived
and is thriving by relaxing and enjoying the blessings of God through her
children and grandchildren at over a century year old and still counting. My
dear grandma is one of a kind, loves everyone, especially me out of all her
grandchildren. (I see eyes rolling. lols)
The grandkids fondly call her “Mama Ilesa” a
name derived from her settled abode of many years, a town where my late grandpa
made a respectable name and fame for himself as a highly successful automobile
entrepreneur. A name that sounds far and wide across Imo, in Ilesa, Osun State,
Nigeria. A fortress for every child born to that family, a rallying point for all
her grandkids and where our unbreakable bond was knitted.
A standing character of Mama Ilesa is her good heart, hardly have I ever heard anyone speak ill of her. Her effortless ability to make strangers feel at home, open mindedness and depth of her innate wisdom to life challenges makes her a go to. Always having a word of prayer on her mouth. I grew up seeing her do business as she is fondly called "Iya Alate". Diligent with her atรจ (business kiosk) on the far left of the front of the Adesoye compound from early hours of the day till late at night under the bustle night of Imo light.
Mama Ilesa is a nurturer, her love for her
grandkids is second to none. Children though, quite energetic and everywhere,
she never for once tired out looking after us. I remember vividly well how she
will sit us all down to make tea and bread in the morning and gather us
together again for lunch as we uniformly tell her we want pounded yam wrapped
in banana leaf, serving her signature “efo riro” soup. You don’t want to miss it
for anything during the Ileya celebrations at grandpa’s house. Many fun
activities words fail me to write but this would not have been possible without our parents,
they worked hard to make us one family. Great kudos to them
My siblings and I always longed for her visit to Ibadan like lovebirds separated across the oceans. Every opportunity we conversed with her on the phone is “Grandma, when are you coming to Ibadan to visit us?” She never arrives empty handed, always with goodies for her grandchildren: kuli kuli Ilesa, robo robo, sweets and many more, not for us only but my other cousins in Ibadan. One thing I can assure you is, she will not stay too long no matter how we plead with her to stay a little more, always missing her husband at Ilesa. (lols).
What makes a grandma without story telling,
mama Ilesa prowess in carving and narrating stories is unmatchable, with your
ears tingling and mind glued to narrations that do nothing but power our
imagination as we listen intently like watching our favourite cartoon: Voltron
or Danger Mouse. She is a master story teller, even more than one.
I have many things to write about my
grandma but space will not permit me. I love her too much! What experiences do
you have with your own grandma? Leave a few lines below in the comment section.
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