Investment banker- turned playwright, dramatist, producer, newspaper columnist and several other things rolled into one, Edgar, better known as the Duke of Shomolu, is gushing over the happy-ever-after story of one of the widows he assisted. And he has every reason to. The story in his own words:
Joseph Edgar tells the story of how N100,000 was contributed by his friends and helped turn around the life of a widow who was on the brink.
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She had low beautiful hair and dark skin that stood her out. But then I didn’t know all that
I can’t remember how she came into my consciousness, but it was four years ago when I asked for nominations for widows who needed financial assistance.
I was regularly into those things, helping to raise funds for widows and contributing my own little quota to their lives.
I had once raised N2m for four widows on one of my birthdays, and when people asked me why I would just say; ‘because I can’.
So this time, her name was on the list. I’d never met her before, didn’t know what she looks like, and was not in the least interested in how she became a widow.
I try never to hear the stories. Remember, they are widows and they are vulnerable! Before we start hearing stories that touch!
So the nominations came in and her story touched me. Her husband was poor. Very poor. And he had died and left her with a ‘Baba Ijebu’ gaming machine and an okada, being the only asset he had in this life.
He was a good man but forgot to write a will. He would probably have asked himself what he needed the will for, seeing that he had only two assets that would go to his wife uncontested. How wrong!
So, he promptly died with a smile, knowing that with the kind of wife he had, his children would be covered.
Little did he know that his ‘brothers’ were lurking behind. The selfish and wicked lot! They didn’t want his wife, as you would expect, but the Baba Ijebu machine and the okada were their main target.
Promptly, with his body not quite settled in his new grave, they moved in and seized the assets from the poor widow.
She was distraught. How would she feed her children? And her dying ambition was to have her daughter become a nurse: How will this happen?
With a broken heart, she fell to her knees and prayed. She would not sleep with anybody to reclaim her heritage – the Gaming Machine and the Okada, but she would struggle to raise the N40,000 bill that had been put on the assets.
At that moment, I called for nominations, and someone nominated her. She called me and told me the story and said,’ please, sir, if you can just give me the N40,000, I will get back that machine and the okada and will work with them to make my first daughter a nurse, so her father can be proud.
I said, do not worry, my sister. Come to the office in Ikoyi and collect N100,000. She screamed. Her neighbours heard her scream. And Jesus heard her scream too.
But there was one problem: She didn’t have money to take the ferry to Ajegunle. She started crying. Since I insisted, because I wanted to give her a cheque, so I could take her picture and send it to the donor, and also meet such a wonderful personality.
I said not to worry. Send your acct number. She did, and I sent her N5,000. I said please, come early because I will be leaving the office to go and eat Afang.
She came very late. I asked why. She was saving part of the N5,000 I’d transferred to her. She took the ferry alright, but walked from CMS to Ikoyi, so she could have enough to cook for the kids since she didn’t want to touch any part of the N100,000.
I gave her the cheque and she hugged me so tight, that I could feel my ribs crack a little.
She cried. She jumped. She hugged. And she thanked Almighty Jehovah.
She told me of how her in-laws came home to seize her heritage – the gaming machine and the Okada and how she and the children have not been feeding as a result.
I said,’ my sister, Jesus has smiled on you today. Please, go quickly and reclaim your gaming machine and your Okada. And, please, do not walk back to CMS. You are rich now! Take a bike!
Her passion and zest for life bellied her situation. Her energy and full confidence that she would turn this N100,000 into gold was inspiring and I thanked God for her, as I watch her waltz away, still singing and screaming.
She didn’t come back for more. About 90% of my beneficiaries come back, and it could be a tad annoying.
The four widows, whom I gave N500k each, all came back with new stories. And I always tell them, it’s not my money, please. My friends use me to help, and people in need of help are too plenty. Please, don’t come back, Duke said.
This widow never came back, but instead, became my friend, joined my broadcast list, and gave me updates as she progressed with her business.
Three years later, she sent me a picture. It was of her and one beautiful Nurse. I joking said, “Nne, I no want to marry again, why u dey send me a picture of fine Nurse”
And she replied, ‘Duke na dt my pikin wey you help. We have fulfilled our family’s lifelong ambition of making our first daughter a Nurse. This is her, on graduation. DUKE, I am so happy”.
You see, people, if there is anything more powerful than orgasm in the world, it’s the feeling you get from this kind of thing.
As I looked at the picture, I cried a little. I cried for one minute o, but I make sure say nobody see me dey cry, because Duke no suppose cry…
This widow had succeeded. This widow had braved the odds to make her daughter a Nurse. That is all she ever wanted from life. She and her husband.
The husband made the ultimate sacrifice by dying and gifting them the gaming machine and the Okada so that their first daughter would become a nurse.
Father Lord be praised because unto you we give thanks. Oh Allah, be merciful on these ones, as she starts a new career in Nursing.
I said, ‘my sister, please help tell our new nurse say I go dey come take injection o! (I’m scared of needles) and she laughed and said, ‘ thank you, Duke’. I said, no. Not me. Look up and say, “Allah be praised”.
God is wonderful. He never fails.