Home News I Miss My Late Husband, Dr. TUNJI BRAITHWAITE Everyday

I Miss My Late Husband, Dr. TUNJI BRAITHWAITE Everyday

by Seye Kehinde

•His Widow, Mama BANWO BRAITHWAITE On Life @ 90

As she turns 90 in a few days time, City People recently got Mama Dr. Mrs. Grace Simisola Olubanwo Braithwaite, the widow of late Human Rights Lawyer, Dr. Tunji Braithwaite to tell us  how she has been coping with his absence since 2016, when he passed on.

“It’s been through the Grace of God that I have been coping. Grace is my name. And God has given me the Grace to be able to cope. I won’t lie to you I miss my husband. I miss him everyday because we were so close, very close.”

“God has been so good to him. God has been so good to everyone of us. Maybe it is the weakness in me that has made it so difficult for me to deal with his passing. I still can’t pass through the street beside the hospital where he died in Lagos. Not too long ago, I was asked to go the hospital where he died for treatment. I said No. I told the doctor No. He said I understand ma.”

How did she cope with her husband’s Radicalism & Activism at that time? “We were going together. We were in it together. I supported his radicalism because he is somebody I had known when I was in my teenage. He was a teenager to. So, we understand each other. It was a bond, like togetherness. He loved his chidren. He would travel with any of his children, in the plane, until they were able to manage themselves”.

Why did she study Medicine? “It was a funny story. It was my mum that caused it. My mum used to say, I don’t understand this girl, who used to pretend to be a doctor and with Nurses around her. I like Medicine. It is not easy to study Medicine. It took about 8 years to study. But I liked to study Medicine. My mother said I used to  pretend to be the Doctor in the house, as a child. But that didn’t have any effect on my choice anyway. I just liked Medicine. At the time, we studied Medicine, Girls Secondary Schools never had Science subjects. None of them. Not a single one of them. So, if any girl wanted  to be a Doctor or anything related to Science subjects, you will have to go to Kings College to spend another 2 years before you could study any Science related subjects. My father did not allow me to do it, but my friends did. My father said it would be better for me, if I went to England, that pobably, it will be quicker.”

“That was some kind of discrimination against the girls. To study Medicine, you either go to Kings College or Methodist Boys High School or Abeokuta Grammar School to spend 3 years, so you will be ready for Medicine. And you had another 5 years waiting for you. We were not many that studied Medicine in my class. We were actually 2. We were in  Class together in the Girls Secondary School in Yaba. I was living in Yaba. So I had to go another School in Yaba because they were  not teaching Science in Girls School. The name of the School is  Reagan Memorial Girls School. It is still there till today. I left because they did not allow them to reach the level they should reach, so I had to take examination at Form 3. At that time we spent 6 years in school. So, I took another exam in 1951 and went to another school, Methodist Girls High School, I met my husband in CMS Grammar School. He was in Grammar School, I was in Methodist Girls High School.”

In those days, we used to thave debates and it could be between Girls School and Boys School. It was not part of the Curriculum. It was Extra-Curriculum activity to help the students. I was there with my friends and we finished and we were going home and we were just discussing what happened at the debate, on the road to get a bus. From the Boy’s School at Odunlami Street, we were going to Yaba.”

“As we were going, this young man came to meet my 3 friends & I, he said Excuse me. I said who is this one. I expected him to be shy, not to be able to face us. I said what does this Excuse me, mean?. We are going to take Bus. I was new among my friends. They knew him. They now said oh, he is that Braithwaite boy. He is very bold. He followed us. We went to take our buses. I now asked my friends how did you get to know such a brave boy. Usually they are shy. He wasn’t shy. He said Excuse me, can I talk to you? I now asked them: how did you know this sort of person? They said everybody knows him to be so bold and we know  he is Braithwaite. So, we left it at that and when we got to school, we all went our ways. He went his way.”

“Then, we had another debate. He was on the other side, CMS Grammar School and we were on the other side, Methodist Girls. When we finished, we were going again. This time around he did not say Excuse me. He just levelled up with us. And I siad: who is this? They said it  is that Braithwaite Boy again. I now asked my friends: how did you remember this boy again. They said we know him. You will soon know him.  They went their way and I went my way. Later after we got married I asked him how did you know how to come back to meet us, the same girls, about 3 separate times. He said he did not know that we were the same people. He said  he taught we were different people. He said I never knew you were the same girls. That was how we met in 1951.”

“He was in school. I was in school. We met and grew together”. What did she like about him? What was striking about him, we asked Mama? “I thought he was very bold and daring. I said to him supposing we had said to you, get a way or something like that what do you want with us. He said you are ladies, you won’t say that. He wasn’t a ruffian oooo. He was well brought up, from a good family.

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