ERELU MENA JOSEPH EDGAR – 1968–2020
Today, July 18, is one year since she passed on in one hospital in Ikoyi. That day was sunny, as I still remember very well. I had gotten a call from the doctors, “Where are you?” they asked? I said on my way. They said, “OK. She just had a cardiac arrest but don’t worry. By the time you get here, we would have resuscitated her.” Sadly, I met her corpse by the time I got there. As you read, Alvin and I would be at the Catholic Church at 1004 in a mass for her remembrance. She was beautiful, and she stayed with me for over 22 years. I met her at Habib Bank, where we were both junior staff and used to follow the staff bus home. We would sit together and will be gisting. People didn’t understand the connection because she was beautiful and was from the very popular Mowete family of Ibadan. But there was a connection that came from her love for fish and my love for curvy, full-bodied women. I sold my bike for N13,000 to woo her. I bought N500 fish for her every day, believing that before the money finish, she would agree. My people, this Ebu woman chop all the money finish and still no gree. So I confess to her, “Mena, I sold my bike to get money to be buying you fish o. The money don finish, and you never gree.” She laughed her laughter. She had a unique way of laughing. That was her. She lost two children before Alvin and always celebrated their birthdays, and I will be looking at this one and be saying something is wrong with you. She will ignore me and go ahead and celebrate their birthdays. She was a kind soul. She was beautiful and could sing. She was everything to all of us and the pillar that held families together. Sadly, she is missed by all of us on both side soft he divide–The Edgar and Mo we te families. Next Sunday, we will be having a beautiful session with Yinka Davies singing some of her favourite songs and Segun Adefila reprising a scene from my Play ‘Our Duke Has Gone Mad Again’ where I serenaded her. Yemi Shodimu will anchor, and my sister Bolanl eA us ten peters has graciously given usher famous T era K ult ureas venue. Erelu sleeps.