A lady in her thirties turns grandmother to a Gen Z, you can imagine the mix. A mother of three children, grandmother to ten children yet a single mother.
No one starts living as a grandmother. A grandmother is first a girl who grows into a lady, turns into a mother, her child gives birth and the reality happens – she becomes a grandmother. This was the inevitable of Deborah Orebo.
Despite being a single mother, she was determined to enroll her three children in school. Her assurance was the beauty life would offer her children, if she offered them the best of life she could afford.
“I didn’t plan to be a single mother, nor did I know that I was going to be a grandmother at the age of 34 years old, but I knew that when it came, I had to give it my all, sacrifice a lot in order to see the good results come out from it.” HER words would strike the heart of any who wonders at her superpower in handling her early transition into being a granny.
Being a single mother of three, striving to raise her children, her daughter went to live with her grandmother at her place.
She heard a rumor that her daughter was pregnant, seeing the way she had changed in her physical appearance, she immediately reached out to see her to confirm what she had heard. You can imagine how tense the journey to see her daughter was, considering the fact that her daughter was just a secondary school student and as expected of secondary school students, child bearing is not an option.
Upon learning that her daughter was pregnant, she faced disappointment exacerbated by accusatory remarks from neighbors and friends. The strained relationship with her daughter, who was already timid and apprehensive about revealing her predicament, prolonged the discovery of the pregnancy to five months.
The mother’s relief stemmed from the girl’s knowledge of the responsible party and their commitment to assume parental responsibilities. Despite societal judgment and hurtful comments, Deborah embraced a powerful philosophy: “Whether a child comes legally or not, try as much as possible to accept and nurture them; don’t ever try to deny them.”
In defiance of negativity, she showered her daughter and the unborn child with abundant love, demonstrating resilience against the onslaught of hateful words. This narrative exemplifies the transformative power of acceptance and highlights the mother’s unwavering commitment to providing a nurturing environment that strengthens the notion that love transcends societal expectations and judgment.
As much as every woman deserves love and affection from a man, Deborah’s love between her opposite gender was an unlucky one. Well, her love life was not absolutely bad, she had her children and a grandchild to love. So, she poured all her love and affection on her children and grandchildren.
It appeared that as her love for her offspring grew, men became folk. Her stance was that anyone who professes to love her must love her children too. It wasn’t favorable to some as they declined and left her life, while some stayed but couldn’t persist as they refused to carry extra burdens on their shoulders.
Deborah and her children lived in Warri. Life was not favorable in the city. Granny had passed through a lot, despite being a granny, she was young. Deborah would not opt for another marriage that would take her back to the path she had threaded, she wanted a greener pasture. If marriage would happen again, then it will be with a man who would take her by the hand to a land where milk and honey flows.
No man came to fulfill this desire. Thus, she had to gird herself to the land where milk and honey ey flows – a greener pasture.
Despite her struggles, she had a friend who stuck. The one who walks the talks with her. Her relationship with the good soul gained her a job in Petroleum Training Institute (PTI). She was able to cater for her children and grandchildren with the support from this job which her friend helped her to acquire. Somehow, her friendship mindset affected her grandchildren positively as they learnt what it really meant to be friends with someone.
There are other aspects of her that not only cracks her children and grandchildren up in laughter, it also teaches them lessons in a funny way. This is her ability to use “funny talks” to correct or compel the children. One of which is ” When lice dey head, korokoro dey ynash, hand no go rest.”
Grandma Deborah does not regret her life. She was quoted to say that why should she be vexed when God has placed sugar in her mouth. She has seen her children grow and has seen her grandchildren transform into excellencies.
Nigeria’s foremost presenter and lifestyle enthusiast, Temisan Emmanuel is one of her ten grandchildren. He has notably recognized her as a great mother figure and father figure in his life.
This goes on to say that it does not matter how rough life has been on you. God is still in the business of connecting people to friends and situations that will skyrocket them to greatness.
