Food For Thought: REMEMBERING THE HOLE IN MY LATE FATHER'S SINGLET. - TrendyNewsReporters Food For Thought: REMEMBERING THE HOLE IN MY LATE FATHER'S SINGLET. - TrendyNewsReporters
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Food For Thought: REMEMBERING THE HOLE IN MY LATE FATHER’S SINGLET.

 

Growing up, I saw my late father wear torn singlets; I thought he was unfashionable or being miserly, as a teacher he was. I mean, how could he be wearing torn singlets when he buys me and my other male siblings new singlets for school and dresses in old ones instead? “Well, it’s possible he didn’t know” I concluded.

One faithful day, I made up my mind to point it out to him. “Papa there’s a hole in your singlet” I started, unsure of the response my inquiry was going to elicit from him. He turned around slowly, obviously rummaging his head for an appropriate answer, knowing my age at the time was an impressionable one. Nna, he muted pensively; bent to my height now, he clutched me by the shoulders gently as he peered into my eyes and cleared his throat. “I know there’s a hole in my singlet” he answered to my utmost surprise: is there a hole in yours?” He queried with a gleamer of deep fatherly concern in his eyes and I said no.

“I would have been worried if you had holes in yours” he continued. “The hole is in the right place; I was a trendy man in my early years before you and your siblings came into my life and changed my priorities. Now, you all are my number one priority. It’s no longer about me and your mother, it’s all about you and the best is what I sacrifice to ensure you all turn out dicently dressed.

Don’t worry, I know you’ll buy me dozens of Singlets without holes when you grow up,” he concluded, smiling reassuringly at me as he sat and fiddled with his transistor radio in search of the Short Wave station that treated him to old Congo Brazzaville musical tunes; his favourite.

With near-teary eyes, I left his presence in a cacophony of thoughts in attempts to come to terms with the bitter reality of the outcome of my inquiry. His commitment to our welfare confined him to a spartan existence.

Fortunately, I was privileged to take care of him beyond buying him dozens of brand new singlets without holes (before he joined his ancestors).

Fast forward to the present. What goes around comes around they say. Just last night, while my wife served me dinner, my second daughter, Mmesomachi, showed me a hole on the Singlet I was wearing. That erupted an avalanche of nostalgic memories. Of course, my late father’s story resurrected.

As a modern (American) kid, she wouldn’t take my story. She insisted that I must take it off. She went to my closet and brought me a t-shirt 👕 and threatened that she would make sure I don’t wear torn siglets any longer.

Life is indeed an inescapable cycle! We are our parents’ investments and its up to us to make it count; don’t break their hearts. Take care of your father (if he’s still alive), as he wore torn singlet because of you.

On the spur of the moment, I celebrate all the Fathers out there who cry silent tears and remain stoic in the face of vagaries of challenges to give their families the very best in present day Nigeria. Uneasy lies the head that wears the crown.

Gentlemen, keep holding forth and hang in there, God gat you (Americans will say).

prelliotaglobalconcept

TV Presenter/ Content Writer

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