The world
seemed to have come to an abrupt end for a 45-year-old woman, Esther
Adigizi, when she lost her husband and only child to thunderstorm in
Nasarawa State recently.
seemed to have come to an abrupt end for a 45-year-old woman, Esther
Adigizi, when she lost her husband and only child to thunderstorm in
Nasarawa State recently.
On the night of Monday July 24, 2017, she
went to bed late, with full intent to wake up early and prepare her
husband’s favourite meal for breakfast before they would set out to
their farm.
went to bed late, with full intent to wake up early and prepare her
husband’s favourite meal for breakfast before they would set out to
their farm.
About 5.00am, she was awakened by
intermittent thunderstorm which followed a downpour. As she made her way
to the rest room to ease herself, she heard a shrill cry from the room
where her husband and their two-year old son, Jacob slept in their home
in Azubi, which is on the outskirts of Lafia, the state capital. On her
return, she dashed straight to the room to be confronted with a shocker.
intermittent thunderstorm which followed a downpour. As she made her way
to the rest room to ease herself, she heard a shrill cry from the room
where her husband and their two-year old son, Jacob slept in their home
in Azubi, which is on the outskirts of Lafia, the state capital. On her
return, she dashed straight to the room to be confronted with a shocker.
Her beloved husband, Clement Adigizi, and
the only child whom she bore 19 years after having eight miscarriages
in a 21-year-old marriage, lay stone dead on the bed. They had been
struck by lightning, leaving her alone in grief and pain.
the only child whom she bore 19 years after having eight miscarriages
in a 21-year-old marriage, lay stone dead on the bed. They had been
struck by lightning, leaving her alone in grief and pain.
“I met my husband 21 years ago in 1996,
at a market in Nasarawa Eggon, where he hailed from, when I took some
yams there for sale; he bought from me and our relationship started from
there, which later blossomed to marriage. I had eight miscarriages
before 2014 when I got pregnant and was delivered of a baby boy on May
2, 2015. It was a great celebration for us to have a child after 19
years of waiting. Then the unexpected happened in just a flash,” Esther
lamented in an encounter with Sunday Sun.
at a market in Nasarawa Eggon, where he hailed from, when I took some
yams there for sale; he bought from me and our relationship started from
there, which later blossomed to marriage. I had eight miscarriages
before 2014 when I got pregnant and was delivered of a baby boy on May
2, 2015. It was a great celebration for us to have a child after 19
years of waiting. Then the unexpected happened in just a flash,” Esther
lamented in an encounter with Sunday Sun.
Ironically, her husband was the only male
child of his parents who died 11 years before their marriage. Her five
siblings, four males and a female, had all died one after another, just
as her mother and her father also died barely three years ago; and to
make her situation worse, she lost her husband and her only child.
child of his parents who died 11 years before their marriage. Her five
siblings, four males and a female, had all died one after another, just
as her mother and her father also died barely three years ago; and to
make her situation worse, she lost her husband and her only child.
The sad incident, she said, crashed her
world like a pack of cards and dashed her hopes, leaving her in sorrow
and pain. Daily, she takes a glance at the photographs of her husband
and son which hung on the walls of their home, drenched in tears.
Momentarily, she goes blank and when she regains consciousness, she
tells you how her heart bleeds in her new world of loneliness.
world like a pack of cards and dashed her hopes, leaving her in sorrow
and pain. Daily, she takes a glance at the photographs of her husband
and son which hung on the walls of their home, drenched in tears.
Momentarily, she goes blank and when she regains consciousness, she
tells you how her heart bleeds in her new world of loneliness.
“I’m now a lonely woman who once savoured
the care and warmth of a lovely husband and son. We were preparing to
enroll him in a nursery school this September. Now they are both gone
and I’m living in gloom, waiting for the day death will come for me,”
she muttered as she wept inconsolably.
the care and warmth of a lovely husband and son. We were preparing to
enroll him in a nursery school this September. Now they are both gone
and I’m living in gloom, waiting for the day death will come for me,”
she muttered as she wept inconsolably.
In pains, she narrated how her dream for
her two-year-old son evaporated with the speed of lightning that claimed
him and his father. “My husband was not educated because his parents
were peasant farmers and did not value education; for me, I schooled up
to secondary level at Government Secondary School, Eggon, where I
graduated. We loved ourselves as farmers, and worked hard to secure a
plot at Azubi where we built a three bedroom apartment. We planned big
for our only son, and our dream was that since we were not opportune to
be well educated, we would strive to give our son the best.”
her two-year-old son evaporated with the speed of lightning that claimed
him and his father. “My husband was not educated because his parents
were peasant farmers and did not value education; for me, I schooled up
to secondary level at Government Secondary School, Eggon, where I
graduated. We loved ourselves as farmers, and worked hard to secure a
plot at Azubi where we built a three bedroom apartment. We planned big
for our only son, and our dream was that since we were not opportune to
be well educated, we would strive to give our son the best.”
She added, “It is unfortunate that he and
his father are no more; I am finished. My husband used to be my pride;
whenever he came back home from the farm, he was always happy that we
were making progress. His death along with my son is agonizing for me;
and I ask God what I had done to deserve this heavy punishment. I ask
myself what curse had befallen me and my family; I believe these deaths
must have a cause; my husband and I were good Christians and God
couldn’t have punished me for not worshipping Him. Though my husband and
son have gone six feet under the earth, their memory remains evergreen
till I join them to part no more.”
his father are no more; I am finished. My husband used to be my pride;
whenever he came back home from the farm, he was always happy that we
were making progress. His death along with my son is agonizing for me;
and I ask God what I had done to deserve this heavy punishment. I ask
myself what curse had befallen me and my family; I believe these deaths
must have a cause; my husband and I were good Christians and God
couldn’t have punished me for not worshipping Him. Though my husband and
son have gone six feet under the earth, their memory remains evergreen
till I join them to part no more.”