This bandit called death continues to traumatise humans. It comes with no milk of kindness or pity, snatching people you cherish, man, woman, old and young. Unfortunately, life continues while the dead journey to an unknown Planet.
The year 2024 has taken some of my tiny crowd. Wonderful people in their own rights who made out time to always connect with me. I am a poor telephone communicator, there is no doubt about that. Anyone who checks on me despite my shortcoming, deserves commendation.
Dr. Ngozi Anyaegbunam was known to me at Champion House, Ilasamaja, as from 1988. She owned a snow white Volkswagen Santana at a time some of her colleagues were either car less or rode in rickety and antiquated vehicles.
Anyaegbunam was easy going and faced her job squarely. Our communication did not go beyond the hello level. She had left her lecturing job at the University of Calabar to join the Lagos train. My concern was that by the time she drove to work and back everyday, Eko danfo and molue drivers would redesign her sweet Santana.
She left Champion House, anyway, and moved on. We never met again until 2016. And that was somewhere in Ikeja. We sat down on different rows. I noticed she fixed her gaze on me, wondering where her path had crossed with this man in Niger Delta traditional wear.
When I mentioned my name, she screamed excitedly. I could have been mistaken for a politician because the occasion attracted former governors Peter Obi, Emmanuel Uduaghan and ex – Lagos State Deputy Governor, Idiat Adebule.
From that day, we remained in touch. She worked very hard for her money. Her degree did not restrict her from struggling to always give her family the best. Relocation from Mainland Lagos to the Island was not achieved because money came from the blues. She saved for it through shares.
This was a woman whose father was one of the wealthiest Igbo men in Northern Nigeria before the Civil War. Chief George Anyaegbunam, from Ogbunike, owned Historic Hotel, Damaturu. At the time, some of the renowned hotels up North, were owned by businessmen from the Eastern Region.
Jubilee Hotel, Zaria belonged to Col. Emeka Ojukwu’s mother, Mama Eunice. In Sokoto, there was Ogbunuga Afor’s Universal Hotel. Premier Hotel, Kano belonged to CD Jones Okpala. I marveled as Chief Joe Ifedobi, Okosisi, now late, regaled me with these stories in 2017.
Anyaegbunam’s mother ran a bakery. Their house was home to any Igbo who wished to transit. People flocked from Biu and Potiskum, many rested before journeying further to Maiduguri. Yet, little Ngozi was sent back to the East to live with an aunt and learn Igbo culture and tradition. The Big Man’s daughter was not treated with kid gloves.
We were in touch regularly until late October when I noticed she was no more active on WhatsApp. Normally, she would read my column and either comment or call. My thought was that she had been busy or was on vacation. Once, I called but there was no response.
On November 6, I decided to call again. It took her time to pick. The moment I heard her voice, I screamed. She lacked strength. ”Brother Emeka, I have been sick for months. Aru adiromu” (I am ill), she managed to say. It struck me that her pain was deep.
I assured her that all would be well and prayed for quick recovery. After that call, I went down on my knees. Something told me that I had heard the last from her. I was right. The next message that came from her phone was terrible news. Death had stolen another beautiful soul.
Dr. Makarios Iwuagwu was my secondary school class and House mate. We shared the same corner at Government Secondary School, Owerri in our first term as from September 1973. Two little boys, some of our seniors were Biafran combatants. It looked like we were in a military school.
What struck me was the name Makarios. I knew that the President of Cyprus was Archbishop Makarios. This one near me was not a Cypriot. He told me the story. His father named him after the Archbishop, when he was born in 1962.
Names mean a lot. The senior Iwuagwu later became not only a Professor, he ended up as the Bishop of Aba Diocese, Church of Nigeria Anglican Communion. And in 1966, Archbishop Makarios flew to Enugu from Lagos at the end of the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting.
While Dr. Okpara hosted the President of Cyprus, the military struck on January 15, 1966. Lt. Jerome Oguchi could not arrest the Eastern Region Premier because of his guest. Chukwuma Nzeogwu had taken over Kaduna. Emma Nwobosi controlled Ibadan.
Makarios reconnected with me through Facebook, in 2021. When he called, we relived our pranks as kids. I always taunted him that his family was full of funny names, like Fortune and Progress. Prof. Iwuagwu was buried in 2021. His wife had died earlier. Makarios left us this year.
Ahamefula and I could talk about the Civil War. As kids, we were running about in the bush when I fell into a well. It was covered with palm fronds. I managed to hang on with one hand. He pulled me out. A few weeks later, a slab fell on him. I rescued him, all alone. I wonder how we got the Hercules power. Unbelievable but true.
Aham was into many things. He did business in Bauchi. From him I heard of Tangale Waja. The guy was also a diver, working with Geo Source Oil Services. Sickness demobilised this strong guy, my cousin. Perhaps, he stayed a little longer so that his mother would not bury a son. She died in the United States and was buried in Nigeria during Yuletide 2023. Ahamefula has left and we are without him, Yuletide 2024.
