Blue Petals.

Episode 9: Ms Sade Awosanya.

After Collins shared how his day went with us, I was lost in thought. I was wondering if I should write a short story to address how some deaths can be averted if only people are taught basic life saving skills. I had several thoughts coming on and off my mind; "what if Collins wasn't there at that time, what would have become the fate of the little lad?"

A few minutes later, Mr Bisi tapped me and took me to his study room to discuss at length his expectations towards the book. On entering the room, I was enveloped in an atmosphere of elegance and sophistication.

It was almost similar to the room Cynthia took me to earlier on, only that at the center of this room laid a grand oak desk polished to a shine with ornate carvings and inlays. Behind the desk, a plush leather chair invites you to sit and delve into the world of business and academia. I wondered again why a man who owns so much wealth would still be so invested in books.

I walked towards one of the rich mahogany bookshelves in the room. All the shelves in the room were filled to the brim with either books, some of which seemed like first editions or antique artifacts. While I glanced through the shelf in front of me, a label read Biographies and Memoirs I was astonished at the sight of the leather bound volumes on it. Titan: The life of John D. Rockefeller, Sir was the first book I saw, I picked the book to glance through, the author is one I'm not so familiar with, Ron Chernow.

'Wow!' I exclaimed. I knew Rockefeller as an American name but I didn't know he was an oil mongul.

Sir Bisi saw the book I held; "that's one of the greatest treasures I drew knowledge from in my earlier days as a businessman" he remarked.

"I wasn't initially invested in books, until Sade opened my eyes. When we first met, I was struggling with life, that book was the first gift, I got from her..."

I began to realize that Ms Sade Awosanya did so much for this man than he could ever tell.

"...the writer explored the business acumen of Rockefeller and his revolutionary breakthrough in the oil industry. He was from a humble beginning, the son of a traveling salesman, it's a book I learnt from" sir Bisi added.

I went on to sit on a plush armchair which was adjacent to his desk, there was a coffee table in front of me it was adorned with fresh African lilies all of which had blue petals.

"Looking back on your life, sir, what are you most proud of?" I asked. (I turned my recording on).

"Sade, that I met and married Sade is something I'm most proud of." he replied without hesitation. "All other events that happened in my life are tied to my meeting with her, she changed everything about me." He continued.

"How did it happen, how did you two meet?" I inquired.

Although, this part of the story was entailed in the journal Sandra gave me. Yet, I wanted to hear from him as well. Writing a memoir isn't about giving a chronological order of events that happened in one's life, that's autobiography. A memoir is written to share pieces of your story to help and inspire/impact others.

But something astonishing about this memoir is that, none of the family interviewed spoke without mentioning Ms Sade Awosanya. They spoke a great deal about her, meaning behind the scenes of the great man we all knew was a bluish petal, "his wife" who flavoured his life daily and made him radiate beautifully to his world. I watched as he spoke and I wished I was as lucky as he was.

"Hi dad" came the accompanying voice after a faint knock on the room's door. It was Sandra, the splitting image of Ms Sade Awosanya...

To be continued.