Dear Ayomide,
By the time you get to read this, my time is over. Did I want to live longer? Yes of course. But the fact of the matter is - I'm dead. This must be the hardest on you. Now that I am dead, I can be honest. I love Biola as my own and Wale is my first ever child but you and I had a special bond. I saw some of myself in you. I cry as much as you do (I'm just better at hiding it). Don't think for a second that I didn't mourn myself, because I did. But then I used my strength to write you this series of letters. It's not my idea, I think I got it from one of those awful movies I watch here to pass time. If you can, never die in a hospital. If a stroke won't take me this oyibo food will. How many cheese sandwiches must they give me?! I'm not dead yet!
I hope I made you laugh a bit. I always loved your laugh from when you were small. Your vision was so bad that you wore these thick glasses that slid off of your face and your teeth were the smallest milk teeth I had ever seen. And I had never heard such a roar come from the body of such a tiny boy.
I miss you already.
The lesson that I want to teach you about being a man is having perspective. You are hurting but I would be ashamed to know if my son was hurting others. Help around the house and don't let your schoolwork slip! Your mother and I sacrificed a lot to give you this life and I won't let you waste it. And learn to trust your mother - she loves you.
I love you Ayo, Dad
(PS just because everyone else is calling you Noah now doesn't mean I will, you should learn from Biola and go by your proper name. More grease to your elbow)!
YOU ARE READING
For When You're A Man (under reconstruction)
Teen Fiction17-year-old Noah Oduwole lives in chaos. He goes from his crumbling flat on top of a betting shop to a school where people wouldn't know struggle if it grew giant legs kicked them in the face. His Dad's health has been deteriorating for the last fe...
