Olufunmilayo Fashina - Site Memorial Online

Where do I begin. My bible says we should not mourn as if we have no hope . And if indeed weeping should occur, let it be only for a night as joy will come in the morning. I do claim that joy for each of us seated.

Of Funmi I will say it like we would have said it to each other if we both lived to be 82, toothless and hunchbacked, and sitting on rocking chairs.I will not speak to her but I will speak of her and of our time together

Funmi was my sister, my friend, my confidant, my fellow bully, my korikosin, my bb mate, my permanent diet mate, we were always on some diet or the other. I do not remember when and how we became so close, 15-22 years ago, I cant recall. What I recall is just going through life as if you have a sister, picking up the phone at every opportunity to jist, to gossip, to lament, to pray, to harass, to bond, to exchange lamentations, to celebrate. How many of us go through life without someone close, a buddy who is just there to accept you as you are, to say it like it is, to vex with you and instantly move on. From Ernst and young, to getting married, to living in Lawanson, and then Femi Ayantuga and then Badore.

What do I want to remember,

is it her exceptional ability of recall, when funmi will tell you what you wore to a wedding 13 years 11 months and 2 days ago, and remind you of whose naming we went for the next day( who remembers that pls),

Is it the fun we had when funmi will tell you, please don’t argue, I know how many kgs you lost in the last 3 months, I remember every kg. honestly I don’t think we di those diets to lose weight, it was just between us, to see who lost weight faster.I miss my friend

Is it her ability to recall every birthday, every wedding anniversary , of friend s, of relatives, of colleagues, I did not understand. Most times I remembered the birthday the day before or the same day, funmi would call every niece, every sibling, every friend, e very colleague just to say a birthday prayer. If you w ere ill, Funmi will call and visit and pray and just be nearby. Being a sister to Funmi,I attended every Fashina Bombata wedding, birthday, naming ceremony, Every Olayinka activity,. It was a standing joke that I was the only Christian who on christmas day every eyar had lunch in Alhaji fashinas house, as it was Bolus birthday. This year 2012, paapys birthday would be on Easter Day. I miss my sister

Is it her ability to effortlessly excel at her work. We all of us trained to be accountants, so many of us, some of us have veered into other fields . Funmi at work passed online exams easily, created a presentation deck of slides like in her sleep, could analyse fron , back, sideways and upside down and would still be online researching articles late into the night.I miss Funmi

Is it her ability to be a unifier, a bonding force, an aradite, the glue that held together. For her siblings , I will not speak but many a time, Funmis line will be engaged and she will bb or sms with the other line, jo ma binu, I am on the phone with my brother or my sister. Through Funmi you would have no choice but to be tolerant , and persevering.I miss my sister

Is it our ability to talk on the phone for 3 hours. Funmi when the Badore traffic was, interesting , and I was in Ibadan for 2 years would call me at 6am and we would be on the phone for 2 hours. At 730am I would rush to bath and I would get to work for 750am and Funmi had just gotten to Lawschool. It is this same traffic I am grateful for, because last year in the 3 months to November, Funmi would wake up and get to my house at lekki , avoiding traffic for 6am, we would work out, for 1 hour boxing and skipping and then get dressed for work. At night due to the same traffic, my abode became a half way stop, for us to continue bonding till 10pm when the traffic had passed chicken house, or when Jibade was also enroute. On hindsite I thank God for these times.

Her sense of humour was classic. We had a one in town joke of when she got to work at one of her offices and the HR lady told her she could not wear shoes with peep toes, with the toes peeping and she looked the lady calmly in the eye and said, please yu are welcome to cut off the toes if you don’t want to see them!!!!

Is it the love she had for her husband, badelove, as was on her phone . Or her children Dami, Bolu and Papee. Funmi s life started and ended with her family., their joy , their pains, their successes, their celebrations From prize giving to prize giving, Either travelling every morning before environmental , to Offa for the day, or picking up a tray of snacks to take to Corona, from exam to homework, to swimming lessons. ( mind you, funmi was so scared of the water, we all knew if Jibade was to use Nurus boat to pick the boys from Corona, funmi w as not to know. They all went of a boat ride and the boys had so much fun, funmi was livid for 2 days that jibade took her boys out on the boat, expert swimmers o!, more upset they even looked like they were having fun. When Bolu was quiet, Funmi would be the one to interpret. When Pappy was impatient ,Funmi knew the right words.

When Pedabo got a new account, she would thank God, when they did their 10 years anniversary, she would give thanks, when they moved to the new office, she gave thanks, when jibade travelled to those northern states for yet another account, funmi would explain the relationship between her husband and that new account and always say, can yu imagine, see what this his old friendship turned to. And give thanks. I miss my sister

Not that we were all perfect. On my phone I saved her name as Funmi lemon! I cannot recall, but we hailed eache other as lemons. Sometimes it was hmm frust, if she called me and we were haranguing the driver from the back seat. Her prhases were, no no no its not on// or Kemi that was over the top, even I will not take it. She would let you know, Kemi it is not on. Or Kemi I am sorry even I cannot take that. She had her arguments, but she forgot and forgave faster than we. We would still be fuming on her behalf and Funmi would say, O ti to, I have moved on

She prayed and I prayed. She said her prayers in my trails and tribulations and I covered her with the holy spirit in her low times. I was sober in her spiritual moments and vice versa. In her less than strong moments, we encouraged each other, we prayed to the Almighty in the various ways we knew how, oh how we all prayed.

Her last bb was at 9pm on Saturday night, our normal jist. I will not say Father God why, how, why. I can only say Thank you God for giving me the experience of Funmi for the past 22 years.

For you all, remember her in the happiest moment your recall, if she offended you, for give her as the Almighty has already done so, If she caused you joy, remember her with a smile.

For Jibade, Dami, Bolu and Pappy, like the song says, she lives in you, she lives in you, she watches over you, every step you take.

Father I thank you for Funmi. I thank you all

Dear Mrs Fashina, we at Amoula Ventures Ltd ,will really miss your Virtuous Character, simple,kind and ever smilling face.

I was in shock when I heard on Sunday. Actually it was unbelievable. I guess we all take life for granted. You were such a nice person. Always smiling and you always have something pleasant to say. You definitely left toooooo soon and its sooo painful! But who are we to question God? Rest in perfect peace Aunty Funmi. It is well.