Dear Dad,

How are you doing today and how is everyone up there?

I apologise for not writing to you since you transitioned. This is not deliberate. There have been many years when I begin to write and pain envelopes me and I leave the letter unfinished.

It has been 10 years now and I refuse to allow pain to diminish my will to write to you. Perhaps this is because I have some great news to share.

I know you must be very busy up there and might not recall. Do you remember those exams you gave me money to go and write in Abuja? It was during the holidays and I told you I needed to go take a scholarship exam. Although you were concerned that your son was gonna go on the road alone, you still gave me the money to travel. No matter how busy you were, you always wanted to take us on trips yourself for our safety. Well!! Shortly after your burial, I was among the few Nigerian undergraduates who were awarded the Total Scholarship. See how you are smiling now. Na this kind news u dey like hear abi? Before I proceed, get a chair and a drink because the rest of my news will blow your mind. Ready? Good.

When I finished my B.Sc under the Total Scholarship, I was awarded the Commonwealth Shared Scholarship for my M.Sc in the UK. Yes!

You know how mother used to challenge you towards growth right? I got myself a woman who is what mum was to you and guess what? She is as tall as you were. She challenged me and pushed me and you know what? I am now doing a PhD on another scholarship in Australia. Stop screaming dad, I am not finished yet.

Squeezim and I now have a beautiful daughter who just turned one. Yes!! I am now a father too.

There are many things I do as a father today because I saw you do them back then. I am still learning but I am trying my best to make sure they smile always just as you made sure we smiled. There were times when we asked you for money but you refused not because you did not love us but because you were preparing us for the future. I now see why you did that Dad. Thank you for teaching me how to be prudent. I miss you pops.

I honestly do not want to go into how progressive my siblings are in their own spaces because E CHOKE..

I am grateful you trained us all well and gave us the template for growth. Thank you for all your sacrifices. I miss and love you Dad.

I need to stop writing now else it will be too long a read but you take care of yourself and mum for me until I write you again. I am optimistic I will come with more good news.

Keep resting in peace “Philip Tall”

With love,

Junior