FUNKE ABOYADE, SAN

Several years ago as I boarded an Abuja-Lagos flight, I looked up suddenly and there she was! In her full splendour! I couldn’t believe my eyes and I approached her in shock and admiration. I’d never seen her live before.

I loved her music, her acting, her comportment, her poise, her steeze, her patriotism, everything about her really. The Elegant Stallion indeed she was.

A woman of many parts she had, in 1984, produced the BBC documentary, “Nigeria: A Squandering of Riches” which took Nigeria by storm. Amongst those she interviewed was my father.

She had a bemused look as I, clearly star-struck, rambled on about being a great admirer of hers. I thought to introduce myself but she chuckled as she cut me off, saying she knew who I was and that SHE admired me more! At this point my jaw was on the floor and as I struggled to retrieve it she said to me that she was a keen reader of my column in THISDAY. She complimented and encouraged me to keep it up.

She hugged me warmly as she noticed my struggle not to cry, I was so overwhelmed. I experienced firsthand, her kindness and humility.

I think I saw her one more time at a public function years after that and tried to slink past as I didn’t think I’d be two times lucky. Plus I didn’t want to appear a groupie. To my shock, she remembered me; I was totally gobsmacked!

This morning I woke up to the shocking news of the sudden passing of Onyeka Onwenu. I take solace in the fact that she went in a blaze of glory, after a last hurrah.

Rest now, Elegant Stallion. You left your footprints in the sands of time.