He Intervened and You're Alive - The Story My Mother Told Me- Rasaki Ojo Bakare
 |
| Bisi Egbeyemi |
As his body lies in wait, waiting to go the way of all mortals, my thoughts have refused to stray away from him, from his good works and the good life he lived. Then came the little still voice: "You owe him a debt.....this is the time to pay ...this is the time to tell the World about his goodness...about the little secret between the two of you.
Baba Bisi Egbeyemi was a cousin to my mother, Oja Adetolabo Adetokunbo( now Alhaja Adetolabo Risikatu Bakare) His mother, Mama Tinubu was a cousin to my maternal grandfather, Akitipa Adetokunbo Adeleye, the war hero whose grandfather, Ewi Akulojuorun was the 19th Ewi of Ado-Ekiti. Therefore, Baba Bisi Egbeyemi and my mother virtually grew up in the same environment at Ogbon Oba in Ado-Ekiti.
According to my mother, I was two years old in 1966 when I suddenly went into coma after an encounter with a cyclonic wind while playing on a heap of sand. This happened while on a visit to my father's town of Aramoko Ekiti. A referral from the local health facility to Ido General Hospital took some time to occur and as such, the doctors had closed for the day by the time my mother and a relative arrived Ido with my unconscious self. The nurses on duty would not take any risk. They merely offered my desperate mother and me a bed with the instruction that my treatment will commence the following day when the doctors will be on duty to confirm what is wrong with me. Meanwhile, I was there still and immobile, hardly breathing but steadily 'crawling' towards heaven's gate! Yet, no treatment will commence until the following day. My mother screamed in horror. Her voice attracted a young administrative officer who was walking on the lawns. He muttered to himself: this sounds like Aunty 'Detolabo's voice. He raced into the Ward. Baba Bisi Egbeyemi was that young administrative officer. He insisted I must be treated immediately. He convinced Mama Gbesi, an Ado-Ekiti indigene who was the most senior nurse on duty. He preached logic to them, that it was better to take risk with their treatment than allow me die before the arrival of doctors the following day.
The risk paid off as the medication applied sent me back to life after 30 hours with Onibode( heaven's gatekeeper)! This unforgettable act formed the basis of the strong relationship between my parents and Baba Bisi Egbeyemi. This made my father, Alhaji Sule Bakare to follow him politically and even work for him as his Party Ward Chairman at Ward 8, Ado-Ekiti for many years. When I relocated to Ekiti in 2011, my mother led me to Baba Bisi Egbeyemi and said "Iyomo re ijee koo je ku, o ti di Professor"( See that your son that you saved from the jaws of death, he has become a Professor). Baba personally attended all the events I invited him to. Right from my inaugural lecture to family thanksgiving Ceremonies. He had time for me and anything I needed him for. It is instructive to note that the little boy Baba brought back to life later became a Commissioner, and sat in the same Executive Council with Baba! He prayed for me every where he met me, and would always encourage me to do more for Ekiti State Culture sector.
Thank you, Baba Bisi Egbeyemi. You watered so many of us. Your own seeds will never wither. Your offsprings will never know pain. Everything you left behind, both living and non- living will prosper. Journey well, good man, great patriarch. May your kind reincarnate.
Prof Bakare is a lecturer at the Federal University of Oye Ekiti (FUOYE) and former Commissioner for Culture & Tourism in Ekiti State
Comments
Post a Comment