dead, I envision he will say, 'ah! man daada to ma'n fun
mi l'owo yen!'(dat generous man!).
I walked into his office to invite him 2 Season2 of our
show in 2010. We had never met but he hugged me.
He told me how he loved our show and how I would go
far up the ladder of Success. I discovered that he liked to
laugh a lot.
On the day of recording, he came to time and when we
were done, he shared money around like a politician
going to the polls. And so we would become 'friends'.
More like Egbon (elder sibling) and aburo (younger
sibling).
When my father died 2years later and we reeled in pain
and confusion, his boys were there in 30mins with MIC's
best hearse. Without a mention of money, they took my
dad to the best morgue around and immediately started
making plans for the burial.
In his office, he gave me my pick of the best coffins and
asked me to bring any amount of money I wished. 'I
could do it for free', he said, 'but I don't want you to bury
your father in a coffin that costs you nothing'.
On burial day, he personally carried my father's body all
the way to our village, Ajaawa, in Oyo State. He spent
the night. Next morning, he danced in front of the coffin
to and from the church and personally laid my dad to
rest. He also stayed for the party after, 'spraying' money
on us all as we all danced to Shina Peters, trying to bury
our sorrow.
When I returned to thank him in his Lagos office, he was
wearing a beautiful pair of slippers. Black and obviously
costly. 'I like your slippers Uncle', I said. He immediately
removed them and insisted I must take them there and
then!
I protested long but he wouldn't budge. If you see me
wearing a pair of Italian leather slippers, they are the
ones.
He explained to me how life was just fleeting and how
we should try our best to avoid unhealthy attachment(s)
to anything. You see, having buried so many, rich and
poor alike, he had a view to life dat was uncommon &
probably wholesome in health.
He also agreed to come on our show for the 2nd time
setting a record as the only Special Guest to have had
that honor.
When it was time to get married, he danced behind me
on the engagement day, wearing my colors and yes,
sharing money again.
Not minding age, he threw himself prostrate beside me
and my friends as we 'begged' for my wife in the tradition
of the land.
He would call me up every now and again, always
chuckling. 'Iyawo mi nko', he would ask? (how is my
wife?) He was in the habit of saying to my family, 'I love
you guys'. I am not sure I ever said d same to him even
though I felt it.
And so I woke this rainy day as even the skies mourned
and shed tears thinking 'surely if good deeds meant
anything…surely if good deeds mean anything, this was
a man who did not deserve to go thus. Surely not in this
manner!'
But what do I know? I am just another traveller on this
parched tract. Your work and Legacy live after you Uncle
Tunji.
I love and will miss you.
In the words of the yoruba people, 'O ye Olorun bi ko ye
Eniyan'. (God understands all mystery)
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