Life after Joe Blankson: Di man wey die as e dey save 13 Nigerians
Mercy, di widow of late Joe Blankson wey die as e dey save 13 pipo for river, say nine days afta dem bury am, di tin still be like dream.
Joe Blankson and im wife Mercy plus dia son Owen wen im be two years old. Mr Blankson don chop correct accolades as di hero wey loose im life to help im fellow kontri pipo afta boat tumble for inside river for Port Harcourt. Oga Blankson na di only pesin wey die inside di boat accident wey happun on Saturday 28 July. Mercy, di widow wey im leave behind, tell BBC Pidgin say wetin her husband do no surprise am because dey always try to help odas. "My husband dey kind, nice... im put oda pipo first. If say pesin dey shout for 5am in di morning, my husband na di only pesin wey go comot go check wetin dey happen." She say Mr Blankson dey even settle fight wey im see as e dey drive for road dey go. 38-year-old Blankson and Mercy marry for five years and dem get three pikin but di first daughter die for December 2016. Mercy say e be like signs don show before di bad tin happen Mercy say di reality say her husband no dey again neva settle for her bodi because sometimes, she dey feel say any moment now, im fit waka enta di house. She say di house just dey empty. She say one day "my son, Owen, cari im bag say im dey go Bakana dey go find im papa." How di sad news land her domot On di faithful Saturday, 28 July 2018, as Joe dey go work, Mercy say her husband tell her say im go follow from work go Bakana go do burial. But as night dey reach and Joe neva call am as usual, she sef call im phone but im line dey switched off. Mercy call Joe friends but all of dem no fit tell her anytin. Na so she come dey worry. Later, na Joe mama come tell her say boat capsize for Bakana and her husband dey involved and dem dey find am. She come dey hope say dem go find am alive. She come go her mother-in law house come see crowd of pipo dey cry but dem tell her say dem neva see am. Na di following Monday 30 July one family member wey be her husband elder broda wife finally tell am say her husband don die afta fishermen see im dead bodi float for river. She come begin cry. She rush go Abonnema Wharf but dem no allow her see im body because she still dey breastfeed and according to tradition, pesin wey die for water, must to bury for river. So she no sabi wia dem bury her husband. Mercy say e be like signs don show before di bad tin happen. She say di week wey Joe die, dem bin go dia neighbour birthday. She tell her husband say di last time dem go dia area, fire accident happun wey kill dia first daughter, say she dey feel say somtin bad go soon happun. But her husband tell am say make she relax say notin go happun. Dat Saturday, Joe die. Life afta Joe Mercy dey hope say Joe death go make goment chook eye and repair di Abonnema wharf jetty to standard wey go get professional divers, life jacket and manifest of all di passengers. She say marine police suppose dey wey go monitor tins and authority suppose clean di water so dirty no go hook boat engine come cause accident. As tins be now, Mrs. Blankson say di state govnor, Nyesom Wike, don promise to support di children education and give her work for di state civil service. She say e go beta if Bakana build monument to mark wia her husband die so dat in di future wen her children ask wia dem bury dia papa, she fit show dem di monument.