Mr. Moncha Martin Ngwa are his names, the man God gave me as a father. He is the most gracious, loving person I ever met. He taught me right from wrong. I have billions of reasons why I think he’s the example of what a father should be. He lives in me, from the way I talk, handle issues to my handwriting all mirror him.
What I have been fashioned into today is to a greater extent thanks to him. The man has a special way of facing the world that I find particularly inspiring. From childhood, I quickly identified his unique approach to parenthood as the best, I started wanting to talk like him, write like him and react to situations like him. Much of what I do today is thanks to him.
My father is one of the only few who completely trusted me to the extent of letting me learn his signature and sign important documents on his behalf. He has commissioned me many times to handle official transactions including bank transactions needing his signature.
My father taught me the secrets of a successful father, and what it takes to be an exemplary husband, I don’t know how much of that I am today but I think I am doing my best to be what he taught and inspired me to be.
On several occasions and until today, my mother tells us what a wonderful man is in my father. She openly tells us he is the best thing that ever happened to her. How many wives can truly say this about their husbands to their grownup children? My mother on her part is yet another blessing in my life.
My mother tells us that my father has never given her one single reason in their 38 years of marriage to doubt his faithfulness. This is the biggest lesson I ever learned from him, that an African man could stick to his wife and never consider an extramarital relationship especially at century when marital infidelity is the order of the day. My father is the man, a rare germ, a man I will forever be proud to call my father.
On a couple of occasions, I have organized family receptions with friends invited to tell my father how much I am proud of and remain indebted to him. I remember at the last reception I organized for him two years back, I bought him a new suit and I have since receive appreciations from him a dozen times. He is a man who loves things to be a low key, that’s a lesson I am still to learn from him. The man flows as smoothly as a meandering river at its lower course. A man who keeps his pace and calm even when the earth is falling on him, a man beyond the realm of mediocrity, this is the Father I am so blessed to have.
One of the greatest sayings I got from him and which gets verified everyday in our Cameroonian society goes thus “When you are dull, you suffer a lot”. How many times do we make the same mistakes and that cost us so much in terms of time, expenses and health just because we got so stupid to learn from the first mistake?
Today a church elder at the Ntaghem congregation of the Presbyterian Church in Cameroon, I think it was time he became one. In his live, I noticed how God does his things and plans our lives. Going on retirement after 32 years of a committed service as a teacher; he was elected a church elder. He now has all the time to perform well in this new but most important responsibility. I just pray he lives longer again to fully enjoy the fruits of his labor after planting such vibrant seeds of success in me.
Father, let me join R. Kelly (the pop singer) to say you are my hero, you the greatest, you are a mountain. And in the African context, you are the Baobab. Keep the faith, God sees your work and will reward you.
Who is your hero?
