By Hassan Gimba
Lami Fatima Babare, my beloved wife, my friend, the mother of my children. When we married on the 30th of October, 1992, our dream was to grow old together.
But He who created you from my rib for me knew you would leave me in the cold night of today, 6th of March, just three days after your 52 birthday.
You made me laugh, sang for me and danced for me. You made me to excel because I wanted to be your king.
You were always there for me; in your eyes I was the father and mother you didn’t have. I was your husband, friend and brother too.
When you were diagnosed with cervical cancer over a year ago, you knew, we all knew it was terminal. It became debilitating for a month now and you remained bed ridden as the unmercifully disease ate up your inside.
But you weathered on, with strength. All of us that saw were all the time in tears but not a drop of it from your beautiful, large, enchanting eyes.
You fought gallantly for life, but death is a strong foe that exhausts. It does its work at the time appointed and given to it by its creator. No one escapes escapes their appointed time.
You have achieved a lot. You made me a man, always being a source of comfort for me and a pillow that cushions my heart.
You have given birth to six wonderful children out of which you have left two beautiful grand children.
We all will miss you. Your friends will miss you. My and your relations will miss you. Your students at FCE (T), Potiskum will miss you.
As the curtains draw on your worthy life, a life well spent, I eagerly look to a reunion under the shades of the trees of Paradise so that we continue from where we stopped. Endless laughter from your sweet voice.
Till we meet to part no more, my darling wife, here and there, in shaa Allah, Lami.
Hassan Gimba is the Publisher of Neptune Online Magazine
https://www.africaprimenews.com/2017/11/09/news/nigeria-remains-of-former-gombe-first-lady-fatima-goje-laid-to-rest/
