Granny's love letters

Humans should resist blaming people, but the perseverance to learn from their oversights amidst prevailing challenges would be beneficial. This is not an idiom, but an expression spurred uncontrollably to rectify some amiss exhibitions.

I did not intend to write a letter, but after reading the collection of granny's tale-like letters, I couldn't force my ink to halt from bleeding. Helena Davies, my 67-year-old grandmother, attended First African Primary and Secondary School, Opuba, and proceeded to Obafemi Awolowo University Ile-ife - she is gifted in crafting words laced with the deftness to tell stories. On February 5, 2020, while scrubbing her wardrobe, I uncovered some photocopies of tattered documents; encompassing her past and present, thereby encapsulating her life account.

The amazing thing I would not allow occurrences to overshadow is the emotional demonstration and her tactful technique in handling any subject matter that pertains to love. Granny is widely read and traveled and has multifarious suppositions against toxic relationships.

Dear readers, the crux is not about the biography of my granny, as it will be too voluminous for readers to consume; but a tale extracted from her flowering thoughts with cheerful sensations; which would inevitably trigger the younger generation.

EARLY AGE: A love, not a lust.

This is the sixth letter I glanced at from my granny's diary, but for easy comprehension, highlighting intriguing series sequentially facilitated me. Her letters are with unique headings, with calligraphic writing - drawing flowers - confessing sincere love.

"Greetings, my sparkling star!

Don't be astonished, I cherish using bizarre words, but I pray we live longer to witness the era we would transform our environment by comforting the downtrodden, strengthening the indolent, and provoking an unprecedented lifestyle. The motive of my missive is to express my thoughts, for a poetic spirit poured on me last night to carve an enticing and romantic poem, unfortunately, I moved to Mama's room because the spontaneous war chants from Toknn village stymied the flow.

Let me shock you dear sparkling star, you know, in our tradition, we forbid eclectic modern practices, and I broke their rules of disobeying my father JUST BECAUSE no weapon can kill amid genuine love. Yes, I did, when my daddy betrothed me to Ebidou, the prince of Opuba Kingdom.

Whenever I listen to you, profound acuity would be gained, and if not love, I will not go for anything - for love can build a robust mansion. If not love, the knowledge I cherish will be meaningless."

IN OUR SCHOOL DAYS; your prowess persuaded me the more.

Charming readers, I want you to know that my granny got engaged at an early age, but pointed out a feeling of love that moved me. Here, she decided to capture the acquired dexterities of my grandfather, and how she cherished reading his literary write-ups; though, it baffled me concerning the strange appellations she used to address him.

"Greetings, my dear Journey!

Read me, and listen to the sound of love in my pen - it never stops. I've decided to stay back, I've considered the plan to move out of Nigeria, but when I think of the JOURNEY, I think of you. Seems foolish right? Nothing can change my inner mind - for I prefer to die in love than to starve for wealth a million times. Yes, it is my sincere decision to study in Nigeria and manifest my inspired dreams.

This is what I have to say now, tomorrow, and forever for love directs the mind to have a reasoning that will be in tandem with what applies to humanity.

AFTER MARRIAGE; What I faced, learned, and the outcome of deep affection.

After reading the whole deep storylines, I approached my granny about her past life, and why she is always eager to talk about love with specific headings in her letters. She understood succinctly why I asked because she was singing a popular song sung by Lawren Avin titled, 'Love Laughs in the Sun'. She said, that love is supposed to be a course to be studied, but it would be cumbersome for easy assimilation; that is why some courses like psychology, law, history, and literature are taught to enable humans to study the behavior of others, proffer positive solutions by establishing regulations to ameliorate the danger against love, telling creative stories to bring society back in union and creating a futuristic ideology on people in every sphere of life.

After the advice, Granny gave me a letter she wrote to her husband the night she gave birth to her firstborn, Donald Kenson Jr, the motivational writer who always talks about his multi-talented parents in his books.

"Dear Journey,

Don't be astounded I'm calling you JOURNEY, this is encrypted in my heart for your name shall be called JOURNEY because we will sojourn till eternity. Sure, nothing will separate us! I received your letter of love titled, 'Read me; a gift from God'. Thank you! I love you, but I will learn how to love you the more; for love does not have an end.

Where I'm wrong, you'll stand by me. If I wrong you, please, find a place to forgive me - for your forbearance would sustain my injury. If you wrong me, I will kiss you as an insignia of forgiveness. If I'm infuriated, I will hug you, if I'm hurt, I will cuddle you, if there is genuine justification to tell you the veracity, I will kneel before you. If I'm weak, know this, I will be strong when I see your handsome countenance for nothing will isolate us in this journey.

Promise me, we'll extend this love to our unborn children for a home that is dominated by love can never no sorrow."

OLD AGE: A letter to my soul mate.

Sincerely, I was enthusiastic to read her letter again immediately I flipped through a letter titled, 'Old age; a letter to my soul mate'.

"Dear soul mate, I'm glad this reaches you well. I know it is your usual manner to read my letters in the morning after your meal. Before that, how are you doing over there and your Spanish teacher, Mr Krian? Hope, you're learning fast. It is well, as I reminisced our game of love on the river bank. Then, you followed me to the Opuba River bank and asked me to teach you Ijaw language, while you were teaching me French in a dramatic gesture. I eventually found you attractive simply because of the amazing anecdotes you were uploading to my senses.

Also, you're not a medical doctor, but I call you my doctor because of your exposure in distinct areas; just like the day you explained stomach ulcer, that stomach acid eats through the protective stomach lining, hence, inflecting an open sore; and that the symptoms involve burning stomach pain and indigestion. You said it is very common, but treatable, though if it goes too long without treatment as some ulcers bleed continually, it can result in blood loss over time.

You taught me all these when I was suffering from a stomach ulcer, and you always cautioned me to eat early to escape the pain of peptic ulcer as you used to call it. Thank you!!!

A man of valor, so intelligent and too smart to know my steps even in my writing. I've checked the scrapbooks where I detailed all my past events, and I realized that this is the thirty-sixth letter I'm writing to you. You know, some sound poetic, prose-like, proverbial especially when I'm moody. As your loving partner, you would be surprised why I changed your name in the previous letters I've been writing; it is because we've sojourned for a long time. We should be praying for our generation to grow older, learn the rudiments of life, and enjoy life to the fullest.

Dear Soul mate, I have a concern in me, it is to liberate people who are hoodwinked by fake love. I'm done with the book I told you that I would be writing when I clock 50, I'm glad to apprise you that the editor has done his part, it is left for you to peruse".

WHAT I LEARNT FROM THE HISTORICAL LOVE LETTERS

Look, this is my handwriting now; I must confess, I'm still rummaging through my granny's wardrobe to read another letter, but it amazed me that her lover, my grandfather responded to all the forty-four letters written to him with the encryption, 'to my uncommon gold, a precious soul mate that ignites the light in me.' When granny told me this, I was very keen to read his letters too, and possibly find out from their period because what this generation sees as love would not be ascribed as love in their time.

Love letters do not necessarily start with a particular pattern as their essence is to evoke profound joy and fulfilment in the hearts of others. The letters read so far enabled me to know that there are diverse stories to tell about love because it entails a wide range of human exhilaration in our society.

I'm willing to read more letters that depict the true nature of love to transmogrify our globe for the better. I did not just read about the captivating tales of my granny, but the encompassing and didactic lessons learned inspired me to write more whenever the discourse of love arises.

I've formally applied for all the letters Granddad replied to and will be learning from his perspective too, though, I got a quote from one of his letters. He said, "Dear Helena, on this 30th marriage anniversary, I've only one gift for you; that is the gift of love for I cherish you. Your name is love, and you're loved."

And he continued by saying poetically that, "unceasing bliss of the sparkling stars
made the moon to echo that, love is a fruit falling like the rain as the wind rustles to full empty stomachs. Love laughs in the blazing sun cause; her dream is to chase tragedy from comedy day and night for her heart is light. To my dear wife, you represent genuine love, for you're a perfect gift from God to make my joy full on earth.

Yours look-alike love,

Donald Kenson."


Undoubtedly, it has shown that he is a master of the game of love, flattering her with love verses, and is intentional about building a happy home today and forever.

Granny's letters taught me the perfect definition of love.

Thanks for reading.