.......THEN HE DIED WITHOUT TELLING ME GOODBYE

It was in April 2015, three weeks into my first-semester examination of my third year in the university. I was busy preparing for my exams that Tuesday night after I returned from church when my phone rang around 11 pm. When I looked at the caller it was "daddy" calling. Many thoughts ran through my mind because ever since I started school my dad has never called me that late at night. So deep down me, I wondered why he was calling at that time of the night.
I finally picked up the call and from the other end came the panicking voice of my kid brother saying to me pray for dad, we are taking him to the hospital now because he came from work and started breathing heavily
When I got that news, it appeared as though cold water was poured me, I was calm and troubled at the same time.
A few minutes, later on, my mum called me and from her voice, I could feel the tears and fears of a wife about losing her dear husband but she behaved strong and told me nothing is really happening. I received several other calls from my neighbours and siblings who rushed him to the hospital. The calls became too much that I had to switch off my cell phone to sleep because I had a test the following day but the test was later cancelled by the lecturer.
The following morning I switched on my phone and called my kid brother and the response shivered me.

Daddy died last night

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It sounded so untrue that my dad I barely left two weeks after Easter celebration was dead. I was in-between crying or letting it go as though nothing happened. It was heavy for me because I was the closest to my dad but I told myself not to cry because crying had no way of bringing my dad back to life and besides I had an exam in two weeks time and crying will not help my reading for the exam. So that morning I had to leave for school and behaved as though nothing happened. It was after the class that morning that I told some friends about my dad's death, many didn’t believe me because I behaved as though nothing happened to me. They were shocked and praised my inner strength to withstand such sad news but behaved like nothing happened.
The plans for the burial was made and mum was becoming tired of staying at home because over here in Nigeria, you as a wife will be at home without going to work until after the burial of your husband. Mum became tired of home and sought permission from me for the burial to go on without my presence since I was preparing for exams. The burial went on during my exam period and I still made all my courses that semester. It wasn’t easy but I had to behave strongly because I had a future to protect and my dad being a Christian while he was alive I had this calmness that he eventually made it to heaven.

The above story is how I lost my dad and how God helped me to be strong for my exams and there was no drop of tears.