Encomium
Tell us your name, ma.
I am Mrs. Ebun Obalola.
Since when have you been living in this neighbourhood with the Awolowos?
More than 30 years.
What do you do?
I am a food seller. This is where I sell my food.
Do you know the Awolowos?
I know Papa, Mama and all the children.
Do they know you too?
They know me very well.
What kind of person was Mama?
Mama was a honest person. She did not know how to deceive people. She was a straight forward person. If you went to her to say something about what someone said, she would ask you to wait and send for that person. She will then tell you to repeat it in the presence of that person what you said in her absence. She will now settle the rift between the two of you. If you take your challenge to her, she would help you to solve it.
Now that Mama is dead, what do you think you will miss?
For me personally, she took me as one of her family members and she has been treating me as such. There is no problem that I took to her that she did not help. Anytime I want to travel to my hometown (Ekiti) and I don’t have enough money to travel with, Mama will give me money to travel. I will miss such things now that Mama is dead.
During Christmas and New Year, Mama will give us clothes to sew for the festive period. Who will give us clothes again. I pray that one of her remaining two children will follow the footsteps of their mother.
