By Lily Aninyei
‘Oga Chris as I liked to call you and you would reply ‘Madam am a small boy o’ and we would go on about who was the small boy and ‘small girl like me’. This was our regular banter.
‘The first time I met you, Eldee was shooting a video at your studio and I had stopped by the set, there was a whole crowd of people and at some point you walked over to me saying ‘Good evening madam, everyone seems to know you except me, My name is Chris I am assisting with the logistics’, then someone laughed and said Aunty Lily don’t mind him o, he’s the Oga at the top.’
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‘I returned your greeting ‘Good evening Oga my name is Lily and I am assisting with the ice block lol’. We all burst into laughter, ever since then whenever we saw, be it at an event or when we would provide hospitality for rehearsals, or press conferences at your studios, that’s how we would greet, oga, madam and we would argue about who was the Oga and who was the madam or small boy and small girl.
‘The day you realised Laura and I were in Uni together (she had sent me a message four years ago saying ‘Lily my husband is having a concert and I want the Green Room to feature’ I was hoping she didn’t think we were backup singers o lol ) and she was my ‘big sis’ you were like so ‘you’re even family sef’ and from that day you would follow your greeting with a ‘yimu’ lol Oga Chris you were so caring and funny.’
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‘You would always ask me ‘How is that young man’ (my son) and you would go – ‘won’t you give that young man a sibling?’ When I would answer that I hadn’t met anyone yet, you would ask ‘what do you mean you haven’t met anyone? You meet a lot of people in your line of work’, and I would explain that it was only artistes and their managers that I see backstage and you would go ‘enhen- What of Wizkid? What of Davido? What of Ice Prince? Are they not human beings?’ And we would both burst into laughter.’
‘I recall when Laura gave me your BA Club card to give you in London and you had heard that I had had Chicken pox all through the trip, I never heard the last of it, ‘How you this old woman go just dey get chicken pox? Lily you no know say na shame to hear that you’re having chicken pox at almost 60? Abi you no no say chicken pox get age limit? Hope you no carry leftover come o?’
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‘When Laura mentioned to you that I was in search of an office space, you carried the matter on your head and at a point I couldn’t understand if I was the one in need of an office or yourself as you would call me asking if I had seen a suitable place and hope agents were not taking advantage of the fact that I was a female, the place you had in mind for me was still occupied and when it was vacant a year later you still held up for me although by this time I had found a place. I was so touched by your thoughtfulness.
‘Whenever I found myself in Koga studios and I forgot to come upstairs, you would ask the security not to let me out as you had spotted my branded bus from your monitors, even if I was in a hurry I would end up spending more time than planned as we would gist and gist until I had to leave.
‘I will miss you Oga Chris and if I feel this way I can’t begin to imagine what your darlings-Laura and the Children will be going through right now.’
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‘I am glad that Laura is getting stronger by the day – she says ‘Lily it is not about me now it is about my husband, Chris gave his all and was a brother to everyone (yes he was) Chris gave of himself, (yes he did) Chris never turned anyone back, (No he did not) Chris meant something to everyone who knew him (yes he did), everyone has been calling and talking about what Chris meant to them, I want my children to be able to google their father’s name in 5 years and see only beautiful memories and be proud to of who their father was, I don’t want them to be confronted by the ugly and sorrowful pictures of the accident, I want the beautiful memories to overide the sad pictures out there. I want them to always remember ‘Daddy as he was, I don’t want those pictures to be their last memory of their father.’
‘I agree with her, only on the wings of beautiful memories can we all soar, and may your soul soar ever higher and May The good Lord bless your soul and comfort all those who grieve your departure.
‘Adieu Oga Chris.’
From: ‘This small girl like me’ (Lily Aninyei)