It was a sunny morning as I was trying to avoid getting to work late by my fiancee who works in the same agency as I did (we worked in the same team). My phone was dead and I was desperate to charge it as soon as I got to the office. I asked all around for a pin mouth charger but to no avail. My frustrations grew as I retired to my desk trying to do my job, careless about the phone before my fiancee (the account manager in my team) comes with her pestering (it was always business as usual for her when it comes to the job).
A few hours deep into the day's rigour, Olajumoke came to excuse me from my desk, believing that she had come to ask for a request concerning her job. She said with a straight face "Promise me you won't get angry with what I am about to say" and with little or no interest I answered, honestly not remembering what I said but I remember vividly how she broke the news of my mother's death without panic, expressionless and straight to the point.
Within the frames of a second, my thoughts were, is that how you break such news? My mother? Dead? How? 30 days to my wedding? then I went blank and just dashed out of the agency gates grasping for air with NO! NO! NO! NO! coming out of my mouth.
As soon as I got a window to think clearly, I wanted to resign immediately from the job (as a senior art director) that wasn't paying so well. My mother was one of the major reason I was killing myself daily to do the best I could so that I could take good care of her when thing starts to get better.
I left the agency immediately to embark on a journey home and it was the saddest journey and saddest day of my life. I cried through out the journey hoping that a miracle would happen but it was all over. My confidant, my mentor, my friend, my hope, my groove, my drive, my amazing mother was gone 30 days to my wedding. I never thought that my introduction was the last gathering I would be with her. I had fears though, fears of losing her before I start making real money (I was just two years in my advertising career, still learning the basics).
