She cried as she told me the tale of my father who was a POW. She has vivid memories of how she rode the bike up the really dangerous hill just to get to Achina from Imo state to see her imprisoned husband during the civil war in Nigeria. I do not think she is over those years. As a mother she has stood in the middle and recieved so many bullets on I, my siblings and my father’s behalf.  I do remember her days training as a chef at a cooking school. I was previleged to go with her to her school one day. I watched as she took instructions from the head chef on how to make fried rice. She makes the meanest fried rice in our neck of the woods. She became a baker and caterer at some point and would stand for hours cooking and baking. She has the bad knees to show  for it.

There were days she dressed up as a regular woman and she would look absolutely stunning. I remember how well she wore her red lipstick. These days, she just wants to sit and rest. We still talk about food, my children, her grandchildren and of course her husband “JESUS Christ”. Yes, ever since father’s death, my mother has been married to JESUS. she always says “JESUS is my husband.” She also talks to me about the soap General Hospital. Yes, Mother loves “General Hospital” and she also tells me the never ending story 🙂

I love to see her smile, I imagine her in her youthfulness. I imagine all she has been through as a mother and a wife; things that she is justified to get angry at, but holds nothing against. Her fragile but loving nature is heartwarming. Her conversations with my ajebutters; admonishing them to be good children is one I would always admire.  I remember having arguments with her and how much I still do love her.

I remember her paying my school fees with her last cash when we had nothing. No offense, but If there was any woman worth celebrating, it’s my mother. To everyone else, their mother is their everything and super hero. To me, my mother was everything growing up and is more even as I have become a mother myself. My mother baked the best cupcakes and pies, she made sure we had jollof rice every Wednesday, and rice and stew every Sunday. She wiped our snotty noses and held us together during the days when we suffered from bouts of malaria. She sent us on many annoying errands; which has shaped us in ways we may not even be able to think of. She calls; always at the right time and makes every boo boo feel better. Even as a good cook, I could NEVER measure up to my Mother. My Mother is actually everything. Mother is love. Mother is soul. She holds my earth together. She makes sure my world is full of smiles. She is my special woman. She is the gate way to every home. Mother is supreme. I have no words to even describe how much I love my mother. Words cannot describe the sacrifices you have made and are still making.

May GOD BLESS you ADBUNDANTLY and give you long life. Thank you for putting up with my siblings and I. We are your babies after all 😀 We are too old to suckle on your breasts, but you are still Mommy and we are not too old to be your babies. By the way, I love you the most 😉 Please don’t tell my siblings I said that

Happy Mother’s day Ms.Priscilla Okpara.”JESUS Igwe!”