It has been very difficult to find the words to express my heart about my Dad, Chief Evaristus E.E. Bassey. I could talk about him for days and still not exhaust the many inspiring stories to be told. So, here is the short version. My dad was a very present father. He found ways to be present, even in his absence. For instance, he never missed any of my secondary school visiting days, and would send someone in his place, if he was not in the country. We had our own special thing, the head rub! I would rub the centre of his head and play with the soft hairs left on that bald patch. He loved it and would pretend to fall asleep from the pleasure of it. He knew how to assume the position for his special head rub when I was near. That still makes me smile. I knew he had my back, no matter what. When it came down to it, there was always a place for me to turn. He would check on me and my girls with concern and care, when he knew that I was going through a challenging time. He would take the time to encourage me and reassure me that everything would work out well. He enjoyed asking me about work and engaging me in conversations about my career. He would listen attentively, ask important questions, and happily offer me advise on how to handle various situations. He would always introduce me to anyone at every given chance, just in case they did not know that I was his daughter. He enjoyed showing me off whenever he could. I knew I was loved and that he was proud of me. He encouraged my comedic side, this is something else we had in common. He would laugh hard at my jokes and sometimes join me in my animated expressions. He was always easily entertained by even my silliest jokes. I surely had a loyal one-man audience. He would randomly call out “Makumbs!” when he saw me, his nickname for me. His humility was admirable, as he did not hold back from apologising, even if I felt he did not have to.
These may seem like silly little things, but these were the big things. A father’s unrestrained love! He was a well-rounded man. A loving father and a playful friend.
I will miss him dearly, but I know he is where he should be; in eternal peace, joy and love with his Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ.
Irene ‘Makumbs’ Bassey