I can’t stop crying over my wife’s death

This is not the best of times for juju music maestro-turned clergy man, Ebenezer Remilekun Obey-Fabiyi. Since he lost his wife of 48 years, Mrs. Julianah Olaide Obey- Fabiyi to the cold hands of death last week, the acclaimed Miliki exponent has not stopped crying.

In fact, Obey had described the black complexioned and dutiful Juliana as the pillar of his success. And to console himself, he would often quote the Book of Psalm, Chapter 48 verse 14 that states thus: “For this God is our God for ever and ever. He will be our guide even unto death.”
Married to Evangelist Obey in 1963, Juliana, who passed away at 67, was a devoted Christian and prayer warrior. She left behind six children including Oluwashina, Oluwarotimi, Oluwabukola, Toluwalase, Pastor Olanrewju, and Reverend Folarin Obey.

However, while taking solace in God, Obey summoned courage and opened up to Blockbuster during the week, remarking that ‘woe unto death and all glory be to God for taking my wife to heaven to reign with Christ’. Here, the humble and soft spoken musician recounts his life with Juliana while lamenting how much he missed her. Excerpts:

“God gave her to me. And if God gave you a thing, you will have much to say about that thing. I know everything about Olaide. She was the pillar of my success. I think she deserves a full musical album to her appraisal. I met her through one of her brothers, Vasco Ola. We were both tenants at Mushin, Lagos where I was living then. Thereafter, I toasted her and sooner we got married in 1963. I loved her so much as a beggar would crave money. The following year, precisely on March 9, 1964, she had her first child, Oluwashina. My wife hailed from the Olufade family in Ibara, Abeokuta. I was open to her. She was also open to me. With her, I didn’t have any secret, I told her everything. And whenever I did something wrong, I would come to her and confess, and also apologise. So, she knew me as an honest husband.

“Olaide was very supportive, understanding, loving, passionate, caring, and enterprising. She stood by me when there were travails and turbulence. Right from the time I lived in one room apartment in Mushin, she had stayed firm with me. She knew everything about me. I used to see her as my mother.
“My wife understood my body language and gestures a lot. If I looked at her eyes, she would know what I wanted her to do. She cooked my food. And I don’t eat food cooked by someone else. If she didn’t cook, I would prefer to remain hungry. Anyway, I have a habit of not eating at shows or any other place I go to. And if I went on a journey and didn’t have the opportunity of eating her food, I would prefer taking snacks and anticipating my returning home to eat from her pot. But now that she is no more, I have to adjust to eating someone else’s food.

“Every musician needs a peaceful and serene environment so as to meditate well and give room for inspiration to flow. Creating a peaceful atmosphere is necessary for good performance by a musical artiste. Lack of this often results into failure of many artistes in the music industry. For most musicians, their wives always create commotion and disorderliness in their homes. But in the case of my wife, she gave room for quietness which had always enabled me to compose meaningful and valuable songs. Marrying her had enhanced my music business so much.

“As a musician, I gave her strict rules to abide by. This I did because I know that I am not always at home. So, she was the house manager. I have my own way of training the children which I laid down for her. In order to give the children sound education, I gave them strict disciplinary measures. I did this because I knew my wife was too kind and compassionate, and the children might want to take her for granted. If you came to our home you would observe that there was law and order. There were laws that backed her managing the home which she had always kept to. And she gave all her children a good home training.

“When the call to the ministry came up, I was persuaded by some people to continue my secular lifestyles and music. But Olaide was the first to encourage me to go straight into ministry. When the church was founded, she particularly contributed to the development. At a period when I was hard up and it got worse to the extent that there was no single car left in my garage, my wife came in from a different angle. She supported me and made sure the ministry grew. And if not for her, I might have ended my life adversely a long time ago. Olaide was fondly called mummy G.O in the church. And about 99 per cent of church members liked her till death because of her humility.

“I missed her so much. In order not to be carried away by emotion, I don’t want to say how much I missed her. But the fact is that I missed many things about her. I cannot stop shedding tears over her death. I believe God will fill the vacuum she left behind. Jesus fills every vacuum in the life of a person. I have a strong believe that Jesus Christ will send the Holy Ghost to fill up the gap for me. Because in John 14 verse 1, Jesus told us that we have nothing to be afraid of. Definitely He will come one day and take us home. I believe God has taken Juliana home.


http://www.sunnewsonline.com/webpages/features/blockbuster/2011/sept/10/blockbuster-10-09-2011-001.html

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Very touching!
Not many men breathing in Africa like this.
May God comfort his soul always.
Amen.