I am Jean Asekun and I was born in Belfast, Ireland in 1937. I still remember, I was 3 years old, when my family was evacuated to a sea side location called Portballintrae in Northern Ireland. It was a beautiful place and I have fond memories of my childhood. Here is a small nugget from my life story which is still unfolding.

I was 22 when I moved to London. Here I met a young man from Nigeria who was studying Petroleum Engineering in the University of London. We decided to marry and then, within a year of our wedding, we both moved to my husband’s country in Lagos, Nigeria. Here I spent more than five years. During this time we both became the proud parents of 3 little sweet children.Soon after my first baby was born, my father’s health deteriorated. I was a new mom and could not think of traveling back to my country. Traveling internationally was not that easy in those days. Sadly enough my husband was also away from me, travelling in Europe at that time. He got a chance to visit my parents in the hospital and took my father’s final picture, which he brought back to me. Some days later, I got the news about my father’s demise through telegram from Belfast. In those days telegram was the fastest way to deliver messages unlike today where we have internet and texting. My father-in-law and sister-in-law came to me to comfort me and leave their condolences as I was new there.

My mother lived several more years and I visited her the following year. During all these years I have lived in many countries like Canada, Saudi Arabia, Africa and Europe and had many more incredible experiences, but still today, I miss not being there with my father when he passed away. I still think of him and the lessons he taught me lives with me. 

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