Ni, Ni I do not know where to begin. You called me Newu, queen mother. I took your name and I wonder if I will take after your many virtues. You brought me up and stood for me and by me when ever there was anything amiss. Your advice was always handy and when I came home bearing Glenn, you watched over me like a mother hen and dared anybody to say a harsh word to me. You called my son Ncham for your beloved younger brother and would baby sit him all day long singing lullaby after lullaby to make him sleep. I am happy you have gone to glory. I am sad because I don’t know if I could ever live the way you lived. Praying, making peace, being a diplomat to the core. When our father was too hard on us, you intervened even at the risk of receiving some of the blows. I am sure you are chatting away with your husband, telling him how big we all have grown. You would be asking Grand Uncle Ncham Ka’ah, Aunty Naboh and Chuo why they left so early. Maybe for Blaise, Njang and Mibem, you will tell them stories of us. What will you say to your dear friend ‘miss’, that she is lucky she left at the time she did because the world is no longer as friendly and people are less generous now. Haha! Ni, I will miss coming home and having you give me the best blanket or clean sheet or wrapper to dress my bed with. I will miss the praises you will rain if I cooked food you enjoyed or was done shaving your hair, and/or gave you a Guinness which you would say is medicinal. What more can I say Nini. To everyone who came by, you had a good word to say. You picked on the person’s strong point and encouraged him/her on it. Cool tempers when and if they flared. I will try to be like you were but your shoes are big ones which you have left for us to wear. May you rest peace Nini. Pray for us Nini that we may not be like the fibuyn in your usual words: fibuyn gwo sang lim Homonyme Ita Nawom Itanghi