The Living Legend of an Amazing Couple

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They both reach the 90th Milestone the same year. One was born in February, 1936. The other followed closely in April, the month jointly agreed to be their month of celebration this year.

Wow!

Theirs is an incredible tale of love, passion and faith. For almost six decades they have lived together as husband and wife and still going strong in the love that brought them together more than sixty years ago.

Who are this ‘they’ gan an?

Step out, sir, Sir James Adenkola Afolabi, and Lady Lucy Emiola Afolabi (nee OLOMO). Both belong to the Order of the Knights and Ladies of St. Mulumba respectively, one of the highest Pontifical Orders of Knighthood awards in the Catholic Church.

Iyen ni! That’s cute. Isn’t it?

Yaah, it is. But you haven’t seen nothing yet. Being honoured together this way is not the only way of projecting the somewhat “Siamese twin” connections between this incredible “toko taya” (married couple).

The legacy the two want to hand over to the generations after them is LOVE for EDUCATION.

Shhh…what and how do you mean by that?

Se you wan hear ‘tory abi you no wan hear ‘tory? Answer me!

Why not, if not?

Then “farabale” (tarry a little) and “tetileko” (listen attentively) to the amazing story of this modern day “Romeo and Juliet”.

Uro! Na lie! For where? Love in Tokyo for for these nonagenarians?!

You don’t know anything. Maawo e! Look at you, as if LOVE is mainly and only on the exclusive list of the GENZIES and, by the way, do you think TRUE LOVE can only be found in Nollywood and Bollywood films? You must be kidding.

Okay, thanks for the ‘’Guardiola half time Pep talk’, so to speak, and teasing innuendoes. Can we now have the full “tale of the tape”? Enough of the ELONKOKO digression and “rounbadout” circumlocution all over the place.

Sorry if I have in any way overshot the runway. Not to worry, sha.. I hold a ringside ticket to their stranger than life rope-a-dope shadow boxing.

Come again! You mean you know the couple “deledele”, in and out, warts and all,

Really? Then let’s get to town with you at the steering wheel.

I will and wherever I miss the way I’ll surely make a U-turn and do a hurried recalculation with the ever ready GPS, as it were. It may interest you that the couple grew up in similar circumstances and plotted their educational career along similar routes. After primary school education in their respective hometowns of NATO (read from the back🤣) and NAYO (read from the back) they both attended teacher training colleges (Grades 3 and 2) before proceeding abroad in search of the proverbial “Golden Fleece”. Up to this stage they had not known or met each other.

And, I’m sure, the Cupid Arrow had not been fired or telegraphed in any form.

Spot on! No, not at all. Their paths were yet to cross. Yet the “umbilical tapestry” of love and virtual similarities continued to be woven. Each came back from abroad with a degree in Geography. The choice of subject seemed preordained.

Funny you. How do you mean?

It was in the process of teaching Geography in secondary schools that their paths finally crossed.

Wonderment! The gods must be at work!

Hold it! .What have you heard that you are already exclaiming? Follow me go. “Telemi kalo lonjebe e”. Either by mutual agreement or coincidence they started pursuing complementary courses that aligned perfectly with their vision in Pedagogy. Husband had his first degree in education from the famous Fourah Bay College, Sierra Leone. Wife too had to top her Geography degree with a post-graduate diploma course in education at the University of Ibadan where I first “jammed” her on the pedestal of education. I was a Johnny Just Come, JJC, undergraduate in the premier university when she decided to add another feather to her “academic gele”. The hubby was not done yet either. He did a post graduate diploma in Public Administration in the then University of Ife, now Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile Ife. He later came to the University of Ibadan for a Master’s in Urban Planning and Development.

What a couple! Reading and reading, sha! Na wah o!

Well. It has augured well for them. They know the value of education and they want to show by example what it is to be educated. The legacy the two want to hand over to the generations after them is LOVE for EDUCATION. Pedagogues of their caliber are wont to plead to the younger generations to lay a great premium on education, the roots of which may be sour but its fruits are definitely sweet. They have their EMI-KOLA FOUNDATION to prove this. The foundation was 20 years old this April just as their marriage was exactly 57 years old on April 24, thereby making last Friday’s Big Do a three-in-one event.

List them for me, pls.

Why not?

Their 90th birthday anniversary was a launch pad of sorts for their 57th wedding anniversary and also the 20th anniversary of “Emi-Kola Afolabi Foundation” for the education of the children of the less privileged.

Good job! And what were people saying about the couple in their tributes?

They talked a lot about their joint struggle for survival in the old days, their spartan discipline and legendary religious muscularity. Their abode is a showcase of their Faith. Everywhere smells of Roman Catholicism. They would attend early morning mass everyday and that notwithstanding they have a miniature altar at home for afternoon and evening prayers. If you visit them for even a brief moment you may catch them praying at particular hours and surely as you bid them bye. They are extremely religious, to the admiration of neighbours, friends, relations and colleagues, alike, and the Catholic echelons wherever they stay be it in Ife or Ibadan or Osogbo or Oyan or Otan, the Afolabis do not joke with “Ave Maria” rosary recitations. They are that deep in their Faith…. People also talked about how they brought up their children to be humble and content with whatever they have and that they should be kind and caring. I can go on and on and on.

Any take away?

Like what?

Like maybe a soundbite or exceptional phrase or saying from those oral or written tributes?

Thanks for reminding me. Yes, there’s this inspiring thing said by one of the children on how their parents brought them up.

Bring it up!

The guy was quite appreciative and forthcoming about what he called the ITELORUN philosophy of his parents which was well espoused by him as the philosophy of being content with whatever you have and being humble, kind and selfless in dealing with others. As if talking direct from the podium he had this to say: “You constantly talked (to us) of being an OBI (meaning Others Before I ) and not being
I Before Others”.

What’s the acronym for that?

To me that’s what I call TINKO (Dry meat that fills the mouth) philosophy. I think that’s the quintessential EMI-KOLA (Afolabi) Couple. They are OBI and not IBO. Real selfless people. Glory to Jesus!

Honour to Mary!

20 Hearty Cheers! 57 Gbas Gbos!! And 90 Hearty Gbas-Gbos Gbosas for the amazing, graceful and grateful-to-the-Lord nonagenarians. Many happy returns of April 24, the common denominator for the big anniversaries.

Ire o!