Sunday 5 October 2008

No Title Here

9:42am
Phone rings, playing the familiar ring tone. I answer smiling. It was Omo, my friend, from
Fall In, Walk Out of Love, who got married in April.

Baroque: Ol boy how far?
Omo: I dey oh, you dey work abi?
Baroque: How I go do na? na office I dey
Omo: Guy, I dey house. I just receive bad news

Without any real worries, I ask

Baroque: Wetin happen?
Omo: Tenny is dead!
Baroque: Eh?
Omo: Atubaby brother, Tenny don die!
Baroque: Eh?
Omo: Ol boy, me sef I tire
Baroque: Eh? Abeg, which kind rubbish talk be that?
Omo: Asthma attack
Baroque: Asthma attack? In this 2008?
Omo: Something about say them give am overdose or say na wrong medicine them give am when the thing being don pass wetin inhaler for do
Baroque: Overdose? of wetin?
Omo: Me, I no know oh
Baroque: I never understand oh. Tenny wey just get work for
Mobil, wey we suppose drink for Eket, say him don die?
Omo: My brother, na so we see am oh. Atubaby say e get as her body dey do her
Baroque: Abeg, make she relax! How her body dey do her?
Omo: She say, why them go call me to tell me say her brother dey sick. Why them no call her?...She dey sleep right now sha

Atubaby is Omo’s very lovely wife who is 7 months pregnant.
Feeling very surprised and upset now, I ask out loud

Baroque: Which kind wahala be this na? YOU MEAN SAY SHE NO KNOW?
Omo: My brother, Nta dey here sef. We no know where to put leg.

Nta is another close mutual friend, in whose house Omo is staying while he’s place is being prepared. Heaving and exhaling deeply I mutter

Baroque: Make una see trouble oh
Omo: I just spoke with Showboy, he says I should come over so we can make arrangements & bury him next weekend

Showboy is Tenny's immediate younger brother just before Atubaby.

Realizing they we were already considering dumping his body in the ground and covering it up. I ask with some real hope

Baroque: Guy, wait oh, ARE THEY SURE? Them sure say him don die?
Omo: Na the same question I ask oh
Baroque: Make them check whether him just faint or na coma him dey. Make them try wake am oh, make e no be mistake

We both laughed

Omo: Well, my brother, make I dey here dey think my life. As I don spoil your morning so, make I leave you. Make you follow me see as the thing be
Baroque: I go call you later na, I don weak. Anyway, I need to submit one technical bill to my boss now now for operations meeting. The man dey give me heat
Omo: Guy, later

Call Ended
9:44am

Please how do you tell your 7 months pregnant wife that her elder brother, one she’s close to, is dead?

33 comments:

bArOquE said...

ah...Shubby...stalker...slacker!!!...beat you to it...hehehehe

Shubby Doo said...

Are u trying 2 take back what is mine? 2 scared i bet... Chicken...abeg delete that yeye comment jare...am @ my mum's do so i'll be back later

Naapali said...

sorry to hear about your loss. she needs to know, she should be told the truth in a gentle, drama free way.

bumight said...

I wish I knew, but he still has to tell her and make sure she's calm and relaxed before he does.

sorry about ur loss.

miz-cynic said...

Thrs neva a good time so he migt as wel tel her fast n get it ova with

Shubby Doo said...

I don't know how. I do wish i could say something wise & comforting but i am rubbish about such things. So Sorry 4 your loss. My thoughts and prayers are with tenny's family & friends.

Nigerian Drama Queen said...

Ma cherie amour,
Im so sorry about your loss. There is really no way one can be told these things, except like Naapali said, in a gentle drama free manner.
Gosh, asthma is a bitch. I almost lost my life once because of it as well...
Kpele my love.

Jay said...

Sadness cannot even begin to describe this...sincere condolences :(

The sister has to be told..she needs to say goodbye to her brother...it'll be worse if she's told after the funeral.

I hope all involved find strength in each other and in God.

Allied said...

Eya!! There is no easy way to do it but gently. She needs to be told. God help us oh!

Tyger said...

ohmigosh!

so sorry about this loss...

i wish she didnt have to be told though but how them go do?

them must tell her somehow
pshew!

ndo!

Vera Ezimora said...

Dang.

My condolences.

I dunno how 2 answer that question. I'm sorry for your loss.

O'Dee said...

You take her to the hospital 4 a checkup and tell her there.

sorry 4 your loss

Edirin said...

wow, such a sad sad thing, me too im baffled, asthma still dey kill people this day and age. Shwu...

me i go wait till the woman, drop the belle first oh, i no wan hear miscarrage...but then again, would you keep that kinda of news?

i weak abeg

bArOquE said...

...my people, thanks for the messages...I really do appreciate your help...however, we were saved the trauma of doing it ourselves...her younger sister who was in the town at the time when he died called and told her...she’s ok but I’m sure the grief is yet to come...he should be laid to rest this weekend

RIP Emman...

LusciousRon said...

I hope she really is alright! The husband should make sure she sees a doctor to avoid aftershocks setting in later. Sorry about your loss

Anya Posh said...

So sad, really pitiful, but she deserves the right to know somehow. I dunno when though, but soon.

The Activist said...

This fone conversation makes it looks like a joke sef.

Am sorry about this loss.

I really think b4 telling, u pple shd try and remember how she can react to schoking news. if not wait till when her pregancy is 8 months and get medicals nearby in case she go to labour... 8 months will still be a safe time to deliver prematurely. If not wait till she put to bed oooooooooooo

Afronuts said...

HA!
you dont tell her oh!

wait make she born first, abeg!

Bad news can have serious consequences on a pregnant woman

Smaragd said...

accept my condolences dear, dont know what else to say.

theicequeen said...

Sorry about your loss...wish i could give you some useful advice..but i can't. I'm very uncomfortable around people who have lost a loved one, i have no idea what to say, and it's all just so awkward..but it has to be done, because not knowing, and then finding out later will be horrible for her, it won't be seen like you were protecting her, the loss, the hurt..would just make it seem as though ya'll were lying or something..

bArOquE said...

thanks people for the condolences, he was buried yesterday morning...quite sad I must say...anyway, life goes on

...I should update ASAP so I stop being reminded about Emman’s death...

Original Mgbeke said...

Damn! She has to know ooo but kai is she one to panick easily? She is 7 months pregnant..
At the same time, dang you can't wait till she born to tell her na. That will be just wrong. May his soul R.I.P

miz-cynic said...

ABEG UPDATE SHARP SHARP JARE.

Flourishing Florida said...

being an asthma patient too, i know how it can be. once i overdosed cos d crisis was just too irritating & not responding fast enof 2 d inhaler. my dear, it wasn't funny oh. honestly, i tot i was going 2 die. cos i swear, i stopped breathing. it's well.

pls, u guys should tell d lady as soon as possible. i strongly don't believe it's doing d person a favour keeping such info away 4rm dem. but daz my opinion anyways.




"Ruffin' It" is launched. If u haven't been there, follow my link ..

UndaCovaSista said...

Sorry to hear about your loss...

Buttercup said...

Wow....i really am sorry....may God grant u n Emman's loved ones the grace n strength to bear the loss, amen....

dat 1 okrika babe said...

Eya sorry, God be with you all.

Smaragd said...

so, fine boy no pimples two dimples, when are u ge'ing hooked? and how is pearly?

Jaguda said...

very sad. difficult to tell her but she must be informed. get an elderly person to do it

Tyger said...

hey lover

i'm back and have updated

miss you madly

ibiluv said...

husband has to find a way to calmly tell her

hopefully she's free from blood pressure issues

she wont forgive them all if they bury her brother without yarning her

guerreiranigeriana said...

...i know he's already been buried, but i wanted to still give condolences...

Nigerian Drama Queen said...

I feel bad for your dampening your day so I came to brighten it just a little:-)
LOL
Comment vas-tu mon cheri?
A big bisous for you
Now smile
xxxxx