The quality and not the longevity of one’s life is what is important – Martin Luther King Jnr.
Tuesday,17th, April 2017 will forever remain indelible in the my memories and members of my family. On that fateful day, the matriarch of the family, Malama Aisha Musa Tanimu Nasidi, succumbed to the cold hands of death after a brief illness at Federal Medical Center (FMC) Lokoja ,Kogi State. She was aged 46 .
When the news of her death filtered in at about 10.15 am,family members and close associates were left completely dumbfounded. One may not be far off the mark to say that the deceased’s sojourn on earth was not only eventful, but also impactful on the lives of those who were opportune to have come in close contact with her.
The impact of her death is profoundly devastating to me and the children. It could not be true! Aisha, popularly known as MAI AKARA , the loving Mother of my six children she dead? It is really painful why this sterling stuff of a woman should pass away when she is most needed.
It is a fact of life that death is an eternal price every living soul must pay, a sort of universal debt hanging ominously like a sword of Damocles on each and everyone of us as a humanity.
When it strikes, it leaves a permanent scar on the psyche; it makes the heart to ponder.
Even in this harmattan of grief, time appears to come to a halt. Such indeed, is the predicament of the Nasidi family then!
According to the Holy Quran, every person will die at an appointed time, but the time and manner of death awaiting us, we do not know. That is why the Hadith, saying of our Holy Prophet Muhammad (SAW) admonishes us to live each day as if it were the last and to do whatever good we can.
Fulton J. Sheen once wrote that “life is like a cash register, in that every account, every thought, and every deed, like every sale is registered and recorded.” The records are there that the deceased cared and spread love across board.
My late darling Wife Aisha, will be remembered by many as a caring and loving person. She cared and showed love to all irrespective of whether you are related to her or not.
According to Mylses Monroe, “the greatest tragedy in life is not death but life, life that fails to fulfill its purpose and potentials.” Happily enough, my wife, Malama Aisha lived a fulfilled life, a life that fulfilled its purposes and potentials in all ramifications. As a devout Muslim, she worked tirelessly to ensure that all her children are brought up strictly in accordance with the tenets of Islamic religion.
The deceased, while alive was an embodiment of all that a good mother should be to her children: affectionate; caring; rule-setter; good listener; relatable; not-overbearing and a role model. With these wonderful qualities as handmaiden, Malama Aisha stood her ground and refused to yield to societal pressures in moulding the character of her children in such a way that anywhere they find themselves, the blend and assimilate easily, a development that has paved the way for them to rise from relative obscurity to stardom in a manner of speaking.
Above all, as a loyal and devoted housewife, she stood ramrod like a totem pole behind me as her husband in running a close-knit family.
She was unquestionably submissive to her husband in every facet of life.
Equally, in spite of the vicissitudes of life that confronted the us as a family, she aligned admirably well with me to provide the basic necessities of life for the children.
Judging from the foregoing, it will not be out of place to say that late Malama Aisha lived a good life worthy of emulation. Like what is written in the Holy book, my darling wife, Aisha had fought a good fight, finished her course and also kept faith with her maker. Her life epitomized devotion to good causes, just as she made the care for children; advocacy for peace and call for prayers as the lodestar of her existence.
She was a true and loyal friend to all that came across her. She made friends with effortless ease. She never discriminated in her choice of friends. She is one individual who treasured the value of friendship and never turned her back on those in distress. Her entire life could be perfectly scripted into a movie with the title: A friend need is a friend indeed.
In conclusion, after the ideals that Malama Aisha Musa Tanimu Nasidi lived and died for have been interred with her bones, when tears, dry up, my consolation still remains, insha’Allah,Allah in His infinite mercies would forgive her all her shortcomings grant her janatul-firdaus He in his mercies would continue to grand us and the family the fortitude to bear the irreplaceable lost. jazakA’Allahjanatullfirdaus Malama Aisha Musa Tanimu Nasidi. Ameen,Ya Hayu Yaqayyimu.
MUSA TANIMU NASIDI, is a journalist/ Publisher of THEANALYSTNG, he writes from Lokoja, Kogi State
