Rereloluwa, the 13 year old daughter of AIT
TV staff, Gbenga Aruleba, passed on August
28th, just a day after her birthday. Her father
this morning wrote an emotional tribute to
her. Read it below...
TRIBUTE TO MY GUARDIAN ANGEL, MY
PRECIOUS JEWEL, MY FRIEND, MY JOY, MY
COMFORTER, AND THE ONLY ONE WHO
CALLED ME, "MY DADDY", OUT OF THREE
CHILDREN, RERELOLUWA APOTIERI
OLUWAFIFUNMI DEBORAH ARULEBA, August
27, 2003 - August 28, 2016.
Finally, after two weeks of grief, loud yells
when those who know her come calling on
condolence visits, shrill, silent sobs which
would then grow louder and attract attention,
i now have the emotional stability and
composure to NOT ONLY pay a tribute to you,
My darling Angel, BUT to also express
immense gratitude to the too numerous
friends, relations, pastors, fellow church
members, colleagues of my wife and i, way
back in our days as boyfriend and girlfriend in
the "80's in Radio Lagos And Lagos
Television,colleagues at DAAR
Communications and the media generally,
Management and teachers of Rere from
Peaklane College, Senior and highly placed
government officials, Senators , HoR members,
Governors and indeed just mere acquaintances
.
First, i like to pray that NONE of you will Ever
experience the trauma of seeing a LOVED
child die in your hands, as i did, and as i
know, many of you who have travelled this
road did. I pray that only things of JOY will
be celebrated in our households. Rereloluwa
was ( i hate to refer to her in the past tense)
indeed a COVENANT Child. The circumstances
of her birth made her so. She was my 4th
child, the 3rd, a boy, had been a still birth,
had died in the womb for over 24 hours,
according to the family doctor, and the
logical, medical procedure was evacuation
thru caesarian , but MIRACULOUSLY, he was
delivered after my wife went into labour. But
we had made a vow to have three children but
then, the delay began until God made Good
HIs Covenant to us to bless us.
What better names to give Her than
RERELOLUWA, meaning God is Good. Right
from when she could utter the first words,
Rere would call me "My Daddy" , not just
daddy, and i call her my Baby, Rerestic, and
as she grew, she acquired other appellations
like Rubu, (given to her by her elder sister,
Tobiloba) For 13 years, Rereloluwa changed
our lives in the family, always a mediator and
conciliator . She knew when the mum was
"beefing" "my Daddy" and she would call me
from her room to leak the information, and
would even tell me how, when and what to say
or do when i call 'mummy'. Rere was loved by
all, her friends, her teachers both in school
and in church. Whenever we travelled for
holidays, Rere's shopping will be for friends,
and she would then come back to me that
mummy has not bought anything for her and i
should shop for her, thus causing "friction"
with mummy who would be jealous that i
spent more money on a "small girl" than her,
my WIFE. Rere could read me like a book.
She knew when am happy and would gist with
me on everything, she knew when my mood is
bad, and would just slipped into the bed, and
gently ask, "Daddy, are you ok? Do you want
anything? Do you want tea? Is is mummy? Do
you want to be alone? Rere would NOT leave
me until she had changed the situation.
Now
friends, you understand why am still grieving
over MY LOSS. My Rere left a void in my life.
But i know SHE IS RESTING WITH THE LORD.
Let me take a break now, because the
emotions are welling up again. Part Two will
be a tribute and thank you to all those million
helping hands that have been holding us up
as a family. For now, let me relieve this
emotion, a bit.
May the lil girl's soul rest in peace
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