•Erelu FOLANI
It’s no more new that the very pretty and soft-hearted Erelu Folani Animashaun shared a very special relationship with her husband, Alhaji Fatai Animashaun, before his untimely death. They basically did everything together and often stepped out at events together and went on different business trips abroad together.
Their relationship was one that many society women admired and they both remain an inspiration to many younger society ladies.
She equally expressed her closeness to in her special tribute for his one-year remembrance, which reads.
“To my soul mate, friend, my roommate I’m filled with tears, some days are filled with joy, I wish I could see you one more time, hear your voice and listen to your ever soothing laughter. For you brought endless love and sunshine into my life.
Until you went away and now I desperately miss you, each minute of the day, I know you wouldn’t like to see me sad or cry, so I live a bright and happy life in memory of you. I think of you always, I talk about you still, you have never been forgotten and you never will be forgotten. I hold you close to my heart and there you will remain.
To walk and guide me through my life. Until we meet again. May Almighty Allah grant you Al Jannah Firdous with ease and happiness.
Erelu Fola Animashaun is one of the highly respected society ladies in Lagos and she shares a very cordial relationship with Olu Itori’s wife and Saranda. Though the pain of losing one’s life partner is often what one can’t really express, during the one-year remembrance of Alhaji Fatai Animashaun, Erelu was able to express little of living without her best friend, confidant, gist partner in the last one-year.
“I will give glory to Almighty Allah, honestly, it hasn’t been easy, but God has been faithful. God has been my strength. My husband and I have been best of friends but no one can question God in anything. I can’t take my mind off him every day, but I have made that decision to always celebrate him and his good deeds.
I am still finding it so difficult to come to terms that the is no more so what can I do or say than to give Almighty Allah all the praises and glory.
Can you tell us some of those specific things you will miss about him?
I will basically miss everything about him. My husband is a rare gem and I don’t think I can ever find someone so special as him again. He is very different and unique. He is too good to a fault, we do everything together. We go on business trips together. He is my best friend, confidant and I would say, he is like a father to me, before I made any decision in my business, I consulted him first and I had never gone wrong with his advice and mentorship.
Despite being married to him for 16 years before his death, he always treated me took a newlywed bride, we always business decisions together, so when a man who treated one like that is not there, you should know it won’t be easy at all, but in all, I will continue to give God Almighty all the glory.
In the last one year, you have been missing on the social scene, was that deliberate too?
Yes, even if I decide not to attend any event in the next 15 to 20 years, he surely deserves it. He is not someone I could just forget. He was a good husband and father and nobody could be compared with him. So, even if I decided not to come back to the social scene again, my husband deserves far more than that.
We are in the know that he was a philanthropist before his death, so what are your plans to keep his legacy going?
Let me be honest, the way my husband spent for people in need, I couldn’t find anyone who could step into that same shoes. It is not easy at all.
So, I use to tell people, I can’t step into my husband’s shoes, but I promise to try my best, that particular shoe is too big for me. With Almighty Allah, everything will be easy.
What are the things you will miss most about him?
Even though I am still finding it difficult to come to terms with his death, ever since his death, I would say, I have put everything on hold. Even to travel outside the country for business, I have not been able to do that. During his lifetime, he gave me all the support I needed. He would put things on hold just to accompany me abroad for my business trip be it to China, Turkey, Sandi, we always went together, I will surely miss all that. Then, every Monday and Thursday, we fast together, we will wake up 2 am to pray together, and he was one major support system and always encouraged me to do things, we were always there for each other.
We drank gari together, broke the fast and prayed together, I will definitely miss all these. Now, I have to do all those things all alone, it is not easy at all, it is something I am not used to doing alone, but I am strongly believing in Almighty Allah to carry on and keep strengthing me.
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