IT was the last days – or no, the second but last decade of the 1900’s. It was the 1980’s and in six years a dream would retire.
Joshua Oyebanji Morrow was living his last days of prosperous work life, to leave that life at 60 years old. And in those end days, a sweeping tide changed time.
It was the 1980’s and a strong wind of Pentecostal revival changed Nigeria. For there arose great new acts of Christ’s disciples in ‘Full Gospel,’ ‘Scripture Union,’ Elton, and Adeboye.
Plus, a witness through them to-Morrow.
[1980 – 1986]
Chapter 1
THE dark on that fated night was dense. There were no stars in the sky or anything bright to spark up this town.
There were no kids listening to stories by moonlight – singing their refrains to songs chanted from folklore.
But then, in a large villa sitting in a quiet part of town, a family took this hymn to close the day.
Abide with me, fast falls the eventide
The darkness deepens, Lord, with me abide
Now it was Morrow’s family. Joshua ’Banji Morrow. Yet he led that sweet song, burdened.
It was going to be the first rain of the new year. But it had lingered till the clouds could burst.
There’d been talk about big downpour in neighbouring places. So, at times, the school master drove to work on full whippers.
No, it wasn’t always while he passed through his town as he commuted to work. (He worked quite far off from home.)
Now the rains had come, as the clouds sagged heavily over his place.
This was 1980. But it felt like replay.
It felt Déjà vu.
◘◘◘
It was the year before that felt reborn. It was first rain in ’79... in ’Banji Morrow’s hometown, Ede.
Mr Morrow had just moved into his house that night.
He’d built a massive structure walled in granite rocks and concrete, stretching over just two plots of a half-acre.
It was the school principal’s first, a bungalow home with an extension, yard and boy’s quarter.
Then he had the large house painted all white.
Now while he moved in that year, in the rains of 1979, he’d started to build a storey structure next to this (but didn’t finish).
So, sitting that one on a plot of the other half, he built the back lot into a source spring that flowed on to become a stream.
This was Joshua’s dream accomplished in 1979. Like Morrow his father, too, built his house.
Still, Banji Morrow had built his own place to shelter the children his brother left.
The sons and daughters of Abraham. He took them in.
He’d lost that hope of finding someone to build a home with. And never thought he could own his kids.
But that was his father’s story, too... while tomorrow was yet ahead.
So, that night that Banji moved in his new house, he took his widowed sisters and their wards. Along with Abraham’s children.
Then he called Maria his mother, too, and sheltered her.
It was full house that night, and there was a lot of partying.
The clouds had gathered and the rains were there. The showers grew into a pour and the winds to storm.
It was while the house settled to sleep. So they took this hymn...
Abide with me.
It was 1979.
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