Dear Mother

Twenty one years is a long time! I mean, even our eldest daughter hasn’t attained the age of 21. Yet, that is the length of time gone by since we beheld our dear mother last. It was July 16, 1999 to be precise when Mama Esther – as she was affectionately known – took her last breath in this world only to enter another, more glorious one I suppose. Life has never been the same without her. But, in equal measure life was materially different when mama Ester was present. Today, I borrow the lyrics of Prince Mbarga’s song Sweet Mother[1] to express the love I had (and still have) for her.

Sweet mother I no go forget you

For dey suffer we you suffer for me yeah [2x]

When I dey crry my mother go carry me
She go say my pikin wetin you dey cry yeah yeah
Stop stop! stop stop!! stop stop!!!
Make you no cry again oo

When I wan sleep my mother go pet me
She go lie me well-well for bed
She go cover me cloth say make you sleep
Sleep sleep my pikin oooo

When I dey hungry my mom go run up and down
She dey find me somthing we I go chop
Sweet mother eeeeee…sweet mother oooo…eee

When I dey sick my mother go cry cry cry
She go say instead wey I go die make she die
She go beg God, God help me, God help me, my pikin oo

If I no sleep, my mother no go sleep
If I no chop, my mother no go chop
She no dey tire ooo
Sweet mother I no go forget dey suffer wey you suffer for me yeah yeah
Sweet mother eeeeeeeeeeee
Sweet mother oooo....eeeee

(Interlude...instrumental...)

You fit get another wife
you fit get another husband
but you fit get another mother? No!

(Interlude...instrumental...)

when I dey hungry my mom go run up and down
she dey find me somthing we I go chop
sweet mother aaaaaa...sweet mother oooo..eee

When I dey sick my mother go cry cry cry
she go say instead wey I go die make she die
she go beg God, God help me, God help me, my pikin oo

If I no sleep, my mother no go sleep
If I no chop, my mother no go chop
she no dey tire ooo
sweet mother i no go forget dey suffer wey you suffer for me yeah yeah
Sweet mother aaaaaaaaaaaaa
Sweet mother eeee…ooooooo
Sweet mother aaaaaaaaaaaaa
Sweet mother eeee…ooooooo

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[1] Released in 1976, Sweet Mother is a highlife song by the Nigerian and Cameroonian singer Prince Nico Mbarga and his band Rocafil Jazz. The song is a celebration of motherhood, sung in Nigerian Pidgin English. The music is West African highlife, with Congolese Soukous-style guitar finger-picking. [Source: WikipediA – Free Encyclopaedia. Accessed on 16 July 2020]