THOSE DAYS SPENT WITH MY LOVING FATHER

Memories are like dreams, they appear very blur in our minds like a dream of the night, in remembrans of those good days spent with a loving father. Sometimes I wish I could reverse and turned the hand of time back to those days at least once again.

I once had a man in my life who meant a heaven to me, whose present in my life uptil this day can never be replaced. One whose words built me with strength. I spent most of young days with him growing up. He loved telling me stories of how He made it in life and what challenges he faced.

Each time we sit together in our sitting room, He will always pull-out his wine dring from the wall bar, poured the liquid to a glass and hand one glass over to me. Then He will begin saying; "Ekpez" { calling me by name}, "Have had many experineces in this world I was born into, and I have come to know that the most fearful people you will ever have in your life are friends, Always be afraid of them, because a close friend will always know the secret of his friend, but an enemy will not know".

He will look me right in the eyes and say; " I know that in this your generation, friends are so valued, even if I know you will keep them, Please be careful never to tell your stories to them, because friends are worsed than enemies. There is nothing as difficult as seeing one time friend becoming an enemy, because people don't love forever, to that reason; don't tell your secret to them, those secret will become a weapon against you someday."

He will then smile and take a sip from his glass, "drink Ekpez! You are growing to become a Man, your downfall begins when you make the wrong choice of woman for a wife, It will be like needles in your veins and like boils in the bones". He withdrew my mothers picure from his drawer and said," your mother has helped me build this life, and now in this state of mine where glorious home seems to be calling, If am gone today, I have no regret I mate a woman Like her".

At this point, I started wondering why He spoke of glorious home, but I didn't ask any question. My mind was on everyword, But one particular word bothered enough; "Glorious Home". He reached to the remote upon the middle class and turned on his television. I was so bothered, then I asked him "PAP! {as I usually called him}, are you planning to die?" He laughed and asked me, " where you planning to live forever?" I replied "If possible".

Then He moved to hold my shoulder and said; " If you come to love this world so much that you desire to live forever, then you will forget yourself! Do matter who and what you will someday become, Irrespective of that; all flesh must die someday and body fixed inside a tight design box if men so love you. And you will go home with nothing, but a torned clothe. So is the future of every living".

He added; "there is a worse fate than death, death is just a door way to another life. The case after death is the remembrance of who you were in the material world" He smile and said; "try hard to live your life with no hate and take every man as One in love, but be as wise a a serpent, but gentle as a dove".

"All flesh must die someday": It happend, that one day when i returned from duty, has I stepped in to the parlour, I saw my sibblings sitted folding their hands, and I asked, what was the problem, My elder sister pointed her finger to my dad's room, and I went in. He was lying down in his bed well dressed like he had an occassion to attend.

I called; "pap! what is the problem? he lifted up his face and replied EkpeZ! you are back." With a very low voice, almost speaking from the dream world. And I replied "yes!" Then He said; "I have lived and I have fufilled my days, the living are left to fufill theirs. I am happy that you are here. Please remember all that I ever told you. And also remember that your mother is your first Love, don't exalt any woman above her, you will only have one mother, just as you have had me, and now am about to... to...", I held his hands, and he looked at me but no words again from his mouth.

I watched him slowly dropped his left hand, and the right hand I was holding went cold. He closed his eyes and slept. That was the last second, Minutes, hour and day I ever spoke to my loving father. And each day, I keep remebering his words, and the story ends with WE WILL SEE AGAIN, SOMEDAY!.