Character, attitude and fondness of certain habits were some of the traditional ways aside facial resemblance our parents, grandparents, extended family members and neighbours used to identify true born of any family member. As a true child of your father, you just have to carry one, some or all of these noticeable traits. Failure to do this, suspicion of your paternity comes to minds, then sidetalks begin.
In Egbaland, you can start hearing people say with some confidence that: “Omo yen ko jo baba re rara, e si ibikan yi o fi jo baba re rara. A kokumo boya omo ale wa…” (that child does not resemble his father at all, no trace of any semblance with his father at all. We don’t even know if he/she is not a bastard… “
My father, Abdul Fatai Soetan aka “Enshaw of Marine” (a popular nickname he was known as a footballer) was an Eba and Efo eater when alive. He was so fond of Eba that he could eat it three times a day. Even at festive periods like Ileya, Xmas he was never bothered about all the feferity of rice, yam porridge and amala lafun. Eba was always his first choice then amala lafun at times.
Cold eba ana (yesterday eba) with hot vegetables was a special delicacy too with stock fish for him during our Ibadan years. Madam told me this December during our preparation for the new year feast that his Excellency Mr. Stock Fish is now N10k per the slimmest stick the one we used to buy for N4k. As Fela sang: “When naira falls many people falling down” Sai Baba!
Like father like son. I can eat Eba and mixed vegetables as many times as possible when it’s very well prepared like the one madam prepared today to welcome me back home after days away. As I sat to devour this delicacy the memory of my dad served as an “appetizer to the main meal.
I remembered his simple way of life and fondness of family and his Eba meal. I also remembered his listening to Yusuf Olatunji’s evergreen music like” Oba Oluwa lo ni dede” “Amodemaja mo ki e to o..” “Baba n’je ba” “Yegede won o ge ooo” while eating. Well, you can be sure that if it’s on weekend, two bottles of small stout would be used to wash down the Eba and vegetable meal.
The next thing was to call me to go and buy newspapers like Daily Times, Skekch & Tribune for him. Mark you, my dad was a school cert holder yet he must buy these three very popular newspapers every weekend but one newspaper especially Tribune on week day. It was from him I cultivated the habit of reading newspapers from the 70s.
I remember that it was one Sunday like that while I was chasing a vendor who was blowing “paun paun” around the neighborhood to buy Sunday Tribune for him, despite having Sunday Times and Sunday Skekch, already that I mistakenly hit my midlle foot of the left leg on an object in a mechanic workshop near our house and till now the foot never grows nail again. Despite hitting my leg, I still had to run after the vendor man to get the paper. How many of us who are graduates, “overgraduates” and well educated do buy or read newspapers now?
So if your child doesn’t carry any of your traits, fondness apart from semblance, facial, physical, eating habits, the way he/she talks, moves, brilliance or otherwise, reading and other hobbies, don’t waste your money on DNA test please. The original DNA speaks to you everyday through the behaviors of your children. Na you no sabi see am or read am well well.
Truly, na my papa born me.