Tribute to the World's Most Amazing and Best Daddy

By Chimamanada 'Mandy' Eze

My heart still aches in sadness and my silent tears still flow. I thought it was an expensive joke when mummy told me that you have passed into glory until I saw you with my eyes lying in the mortuary. Who would ever understand what it means to lose a daddy like you! I miss you daddy and really wonder why you had to leave us now!

You have been my hero from when I was young, those my early years that we spent together; when you would bath me and dress me up for school, feed me and drop me off in school, pick me up after school on your way back from work and we will spend the rest of the day together working on my homework. You and mummy taught me values in life and you carefully taught me the difference between ‘needs’ and ‘wants’ which you will jokingly ask, “is it a need or a want?” whenever I asked for something. You called me ‘Princess’ and taught me how a princess and a good godly child should behave, the important things I must know about life and my Catholic faith and the things I should say or not say.

How can I forget how you printed and laminated the first prayers that I learnt so that it will be easy for me to learn them as we said our prayers – ‘Our Lord’s Prayer’, ‘Hail Mary’, ‘Glory be’, ‘Our Family Prayer’, ‘Morning Prayers’, ‘My Night Prayers’. Whenever we are going home after mass, you would seize the opportunity to teach me more about God and the Catholic faith. You would always ask me what the Priest said during homily, whether I noticed the colour of the Priest’s vestment and why so, why there are four candles during Advent and why one of them is pink and different from the rest of the other three that are purple, etc.

I felt so privileged and actually shared between you and mummy, how I will learn from both of you to be the best I can be; mummy to teach me things I need to know about home keeping and growing up as a girl child while you will discuss and guide me in my academic pursuit and things about the Catholic Faith. You have always been my source of inspiration and having heard of your track record in school, I have aspired to emulate you since it was looking almost impossible to beat your record. Now, mummy and I will have to work alone to ensure my dreams come true.

I always felt the admirable eyes of my classmates and friends, each time we were together, having fun. I remember wearing with pride and joy, my blouse with the inscription, ‘my heart belongs to my daddy’ till it could no longer enter my head! And then mummy bought me a polo with the inscription, ‘Daddy’s girl’, just last year when we travelled to the US for aunty Phyllis wedding, a trip I’ll cherish forever, being the last I will ever make with you physically here on earth! But I know that you will always walk with mummy and I, and will constantly watch over us from heaven, where you have taken the form of an angel.

It is difficult to live without you daddy and I miss you so much, but I thank God for the memorable and quality times we spent together in the short time you lived on earth with me. You taught me to be content with my things and independent, I pray that these qualities will see me through this period. You will always be my role model and I will continue to try my best to make you and mummy proud by the grace of God. You will forever be in my heart and I will always love you.

Rest in perfect peace daddy.

Mandy