An Open letter to my mother
I remember the day I left Nigeria... My mother sat beside me crying her eyes off but couldn't understand why I wasn't crying. Wasn't I going to miss her? Miss my siblings? Wasn't I scared of the unknown? It's funny cause as I sit here typing this, it feels like it happened yesterday. I tried crying but I couldn't cry... Not because of the jargon I hear some guys say (Men are not suppose to cry... Why? Cause we are made of metal?)... Oh Please give me a break!
I didn't cry because I knew my going away was just for a short while. Days have gone by, Months have turned into years, I have had enough time to see and learn about the world, enough time to get as much classroom education as one possibly can...Enough time to learn how to struggle and build an empire from the ground up, the struggle and the pain... I saw an episode of Survivor and laughed...Put a Nigerian on each episode and trust me there will only be one outcome...A Nigerian winner each time....Man we are survivors!
Anyway back to my main gist. An open letter to my mother
This is an open letter to you mum,
Where would I have been without you
At six I felt you were the most wicked woman the world could ever know
As I progressed in age, your spanking style changed with time
At times I truly felt I was switched at birth
Then I thought you beat me due to my close resemblance to my dad
At fourteen you beat me for the errors my younger siblings made
At fourteen I ran away ... away from you in the hope that the world out there will be more receptive and loving of me. After a few hours of my temporary madness, I returned home.
Hoping for a heroes welcome, I instead got the beating of my life. Ouch! My back still remembers the pain...My lips still remember the slap...My brain asked "where is my real mother?"
I am now grown... I have been through this world, like many others, I have had my share of happiness and disappointments, my heart has been broken and I must say I have broken a few myself, I have seen the wickedness of men and I have also seen the goodness of men; I have changed and many have as well. But your words remain, they ring in my ears...They have more meaning now...It's funny how years ago when you'd wake me up in the middle of the night to talk to me...Tell me I was now your "man"...How I needed to step up to the plate...How my younger siblings were watching and following in my foot steps..I thought your pep talks were crap but I am thankful to God I listened...I attribute the good in me to you and the bad to the choices I have made.
My dear mother...I remember how in an effort to ensure we got the best education, you were reduced to having three skirts and shoes with uneven heels, your white blouse had turned brown due to hard water and our inability to afford proper detergent...I remember the night your friend asked "why deprive yourself of so much?" and you replied "they are the reason I live" I remember that night I went to bed crying...crying for all the stupid things I had done... Remembering how selfish a person I was..Failing to realize your struggle..Still stealing from you in order to hang with the joneses ...Damn you Suya man!!!... Oh how stubborn I was; so stubborn that friends told you ..."You have a better chance investing in the other kids cause this one isn't going to make it!"...I remember your laughter and response " What a joke...I named him and he is going to be great!!!" Well mum, lets just say we are moving on up. Thank you for seeing my abilities even before I realized them...thank you for seeing my potential even before I saw them... thank you for believing in my dreams even when the world called me Joseph, thank you for trusting that I had a plan even when at times from my look you knew I was confused... Thank you for being you..For through your strength I built my courage and through your confidence in me, mine was born. I remember a song that used to play on the radio... I remember how I really wanted to dedicate it to you...Today I have a chance to and though its not sung, but the words still ring...How I wish you were right here with me so we could dance like we used to...Trust me no more "I am a grown man!" the next time I fly down, we are going to dance again..So bring out those new soles cause I plan to take you down memory lane...Enjoy your song
Sweet Mother, I no go forget you
for this suffer wey you suffer for me ooo
Sweet mother -r-r-r
Sweet mother ooo -ewooo
If I no chop my mother no go chop
If I no sleep my mother no go sleep
She no dey tire ooo sweet mother sweet mother
It's funny and amazing how even now these things still hold true. I love you mum...
I love you for the woman you chose to be as a young girl
I love you for the woman you were as I grew up
I love you for the woman you are today
Thank you for revealing to me the joy of the Lord
Your son,
MOI
I'll leave you guys with this link http://howtoprankatelemarketer.ytmnd.com/ ... Enjoy!
I didn't cry because I knew my going away was just for a short while. Days have gone by, Months have turned into years, I have had enough time to see and learn about the world, enough time to get as much classroom education as one possibly can...Enough time to learn how to struggle and build an empire from the ground up, the struggle and the pain... I saw an episode of Survivor and laughed...Put a Nigerian on each episode and trust me there will only be one outcome...A Nigerian winner each time....Man we are survivors!
Anyway back to my main gist. An open letter to my mother
This is an open letter to you mum,
Where would I have been without you
At six I felt you were the most wicked woman the world could ever know
As I progressed in age, your spanking style changed with time
At times I truly felt I was switched at birth
Then I thought you beat me due to my close resemblance to my dad
At fourteen you beat me for the errors my younger siblings made
At fourteen I ran away ... away from you in the hope that the world out there will be more receptive and loving of me. After a few hours of my temporary madness, I returned home.
Hoping for a heroes welcome, I instead got the beating of my life. Ouch! My back still remembers the pain...My lips still remember the slap...My brain asked "where is my real mother?"
I am now grown... I have been through this world, like many others, I have had my share of happiness and disappointments, my heart has been broken and I must say I have broken a few myself, I have seen the wickedness of men and I have also seen the goodness of men; I have changed and many have as well. But your words remain, they ring in my ears...They have more meaning now...It's funny how years ago when you'd wake me up in the middle of the night to talk to me...Tell me I was now your "man"...How I needed to step up to the plate...How my younger siblings were watching and following in my foot steps..I thought your pep talks were crap but I am thankful to God I listened...I attribute the good in me to you and the bad to the choices I have made.
My dear mother...I remember how in an effort to ensure we got the best education, you were reduced to having three skirts and shoes with uneven heels, your white blouse had turned brown due to hard water and our inability to afford proper detergent...I remember the night your friend asked "why deprive yourself of so much?" and you replied "they are the reason I live" I remember that night I went to bed crying...crying for all the stupid things I had done... Remembering how selfish a person I was..Failing to realize your struggle..Still stealing from you in order to hang with the joneses ...Damn you Suya man!!!... Oh how stubborn I was; so stubborn that friends told you ..."You have a better chance investing in the other kids cause this one isn't going to make it!"...I remember your laughter and response " What a joke...I named him and he is going to be great!!!" Well mum, lets just say we are moving on up. Thank you for seeing my abilities even before I realized them...thank you for seeing my potential even before I saw them... thank you for believing in my dreams even when the world called me Joseph, thank you for trusting that I had a plan even when at times from my look you knew I was confused... Thank you for being you..For through your strength I built my courage and through your confidence in me, mine was born. I remember a song that used to play on the radio... I remember how I really wanted to dedicate it to you...Today I have a chance to and though its not sung, but the words still ring...How I wish you were right here with me so we could dance like we used to...Trust me no more "I am a grown man!" the next time I fly down, we are going to dance again..So bring out those new soles cause I plan to take you down memory lane...Enjoy your song
Sweet Mother, I no go forget you
for this suffer wey you suffer for me ooo
Sweet mother -r-r-r
Sweet mother ooo -ewooo
If I no chop my mother no go chop
If I no sleep my mother no go sleep
She no dey tire ooo sweet mother sweet mother
It's funny and amazing how even now these things still hold true. I love you mum...
I love you for the woman you chose to be as a young girl
I love you for the woman you were as I grew up
I love you for the woman you are today
Thank you for revealing to me the joy of the Lord
Your son,
MOI
I'll leave you guys with this link http://howtoprankatelemarketer.ytmnd.com/ ... Enjoy!
posted by Miguel @ 6:49 PM
9 Comments:
At 2:44 AM ,
Anonymous said...
"I had been thinking of my mum all day, & had that song stuck in my head"
...and now reading this you brought tears to my eyes (I also didn't cry when I left naija, don't really know why)my -thoughts resonate with yours...I need to show my mama some loving!
At 3:24 AM ,
Anonymous said...
Miggie,for people lucky to have wonderful mothers we really dont know the gift God has given us.
I call mine at least every other day. The day i left Nigeria she cried like i was being taken to a slaughter house, she couldnt even follow me to the airport. I laugh so hard anytime i remember.
Good post dearie.
At 7:02 AM ,
Cherub (former Bijouxoxo) said...
Deep man! Very deep!(Wiping tears from my eyes), okay lemme get myself together and i'll be back to leave a proper comment.
At 11:48 AM ,
Corri S. said...
Awwwwwww...this made me cry. Mothers really do know best.
And you broke your mom's pockets to hit-up the suya man!? Shame on you, Miguel.
BTW....that link to the telemarketing call was HI-LAR-I-OUS!!!
At 2:09 PM ,
The Life of a Stranger called me said...
You took the words right out of my mouth; oh how I miss my own mother -
she believed when I had no hope -
I remeber the days she would come to my parents evening and tell my teachers off for thinking I was hopless -
- I remeber when the school wrote letters home to get her to sign a contract that she would not sue them if I failed my exam cause I was being put forward for the higher exams becasue she told them to even though the best grade I could ever make was a ver low one - I remeber .... oh I remember, my mother even when she was faced with the truth - she still saw it as a lie which it later became.
I am the woman I am today - Because she dared to believe and hope - Even when faced with truth - she refused to believe.
At 3:50 PM ,
Miguel said...
@Grateful... What can I say shes special to me.
@Anonymous...lets appreciate them in our youth for when our bones grow weary all we'll have will be just stories.
@Temmy...regardless how busy I get, she still reaches out to me. Even if I were to lose everything today, I still have a reason to Bless the Lord...He gave me true mother.
@Bijou...you are still getting yourself together abi..lol... update your blog!
@Mosaic...I think the suya man had more than pepper on that meat ..cos i was addicted.
@TLOASCM ... Isn't it amazing that its those same people that said you would amount to nothing that come around begging for favors, asking that you speak to their kids. Don't take it for granted for He/She whom God has blessed, needs to be tireless in blessing others.
At 5:03 PM ,
Beautifully Human said...
very sweet and touching post. your mum must be so proud!
At 2:34 AM ,
Miguel said...
@beautifuly Human...thanks!she is proud...At this point...I could careless if people call me "mummys boy"
At 10:39 AM ,
Biodun said...
wow, I love this post, omo dada, if u can translate, lol, I relate to this post, my mom is awesome n I know wot she had to sacrife for her family, they r truly the best!
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