In 1997 I got admission as an exchange student to Hayward University in California. I reached out to all my cousins to say I was studying in California. When Sis Chizo heard this she took it upon herself to not just invite me to visit her and her family in LA during my school breaks but to also send me flight tickets every school holiday to ensure I spent my holidays with her family as frequently as possible. I will forever be grateful for the sacrifices Sis Chizo & her family made in my student days to ensure I was never left in school alone during holidays. The Owohs had a young family with 3 children all under 10 years old and yet they made those sacrifices for me.

Sis took her roles as an Ada, Wife, Mother & “Egbon” seriously. She was dutiful, selfless and fearless. Since she passed I have even come to learn more about her, that she was a woman of uncommon and unwavering faith too.

Her death is a big loss to me personally and my circle feels much smaller without her already. Her death feels like our “family google” got hacked. No more “Ask Chizo” … she’s gone with so much of our history. From recipes, family stories, testament of relatives traits and real ages!

Sis Chizo there’s so much to miss about you. I’ll miss your repeative jists, your spontaneous wahala, your A star plus plus plus cooking, our “style consultations” ( this woman would have us put a look together for an event for months and months only to turn up on the day wearing something different! I can hear you now “Chini biko no …I cant let that corset strangle me I want to be comfortable” ), I’ll miss hearing your voice say ” Chini dont worry!” When I call you with my problems, I’ll miss the way you’ll assure me and give me confidence that everything will be ok. I’ll miss how fair you were when settling quarells in the family always listening to both sides before loudly disclaiming “…me i no dey there o, you people should go and settle your fight!”. You never took sides. I’ll miss the way you call me “cin-when-wa!, aburo!! Wetin dey shele?!”, I’ll miss our regular super long calls usually ending with me falling asleep and you getting miffed i’d fallen asleep on you. I’ll even miss you when we have future family events and you wont be there to share a room/bed with & do make up together as we usually did. Life already feels different in the few weeks you’ve been gone.

There is so much about you I am going to miss. So much about you that cant be replaced. I thought we had many more occassions to attend together – more weddings, christenings, birthdays, graduations but Jesus has more urgent need of you on the other side.

Go well egbon mi & Rest in Peace.

Lots of Love,

Your “Aburo” … Chini Iwugo