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'Christmas came early…I got my dad back!'
Sunday, 12 December 2010 19:34
By Femi Peters Jr. (Chelsea)25th December and 1st January: two dates Joe Public knows like he knows himself. One is everybody’s second birthday with presents aplenty and the other is the ushering of a New Year and possibly New Year resolutions to draw up and adhere to.
Resolutions that get shredded before the 31st only to be drawn up again come the 48 weeks later.
Well, allow me to re-date a date. Christmas this year fell on the 10th. At least for me and the Peters household.
It was the date my dad was released from custody after serving eight months for merely demonstrating his constitutional right of assembly.
Back in April 1st, when I got the call that my dad was in the slammer, I was reading the Metro.
December 10th when my step mum called me, I was just about to read the, you guessed it, Metro. Now, that I think of it, I should have kept those issues as they are a defining part of my life.
I called her back and when she said, ‘hold on for daddy,’ Christmas came 15 days early. This has nothing on my first Stamford Bridge visit, meeting author Jeffrey Deaver or, allow me to be silly, landing my first girlfriend as a teenager.
This is an indescribable feel-good feeling. Finally, those sleepless nights of endlessly worrying about my dad’s health, hesitating to pick up calls from Jollof as they might bear devastating news are floored for good. I remember almost blacking out when Aameen of Amnesty International called me and kicked off by saying, ‘I’m sorry for your loss.’ I had feared the worst when all he was on about was Chelsea’s loss to Liverpool days earlier. What I endured following my dad’s incaseration is not one I would want anyone to go through as I don’t loathe anyone that much.
‘Welcome back,’ I told him and he replied, ‘thank you. It was a very exciting experience.’
I always knew where I got my names, height, pride and love of books from. Ironically, it took the violation of my dad’s human rights for me to know my wry sense of humour is genetic. No wonder I can’t correct it, despite living on an island peopled with top-drawer sense of humour. He sounded his old self and, as we spoke, I realise prison hasn’t dampened his one bit. In fact, he reminded me of the phone I bought for him but never got to send it as he was jailed the weekend before. I ended up giving the phone to my partner. How was I to know he would need it for Christmas?
It has been a hell of a year for our family and I want to thank all who were there for us, supported us and part took in demonstrations. I appreciated every one of them that took time off work and showed their support but one such demonstrator, a guy called Manneh, caught my eye. He lives in Hampshire and effortlessly attended both the UDP-UK and the Amnesty International demonstrations. Mind you, our Jollof News own Kemo Cham and others came all the way from the Midlands. But what made Manneh’s presence unique was, he not only took a day off work but that day turned out to be his daughter’s one year birthday. A very special day in his life and he chose to travel all the way to London to voice his displeasure at a travesty of justice. It touched my heart that here is a guy who is not a blood relative of mine going to all this trouble when he should have spent the day with his daughter. I would have done the opposite same were I in his shoes. It made me realise that the repulsive reputation Gambians in the Diaspora get of being haughty and not looking out for Kumba and Samba is incorrect when you haul Manneh into the mix. Manneh and all you out here who stood by me when it was really bleak, to put it mildly, I salute you all.
God bless and keep you all. You lot have restored my faith in humanity.
Readers of this site will notice my column has taken a pause. Longer than I would have wanted. The reason is my once reliable laptop has diseased up on me. For Christmas ala everybody’s second birthday, my partner was going to get me one. Well, following Friday’s events I told her to save that money as I got my present early. Funnily enough, I did an interview with Voice of America last Wednesday and stated all I wanted for Christmas was my dad back. Seems like Santa does exist. Once again, thank you all and God bless.
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Comments
He has showned true leadership by standing up for what he believes. It is such kind of leadership that brought an end to apartheid in South Africa.
It was wrong to send him to jail in the first place, because he was exercising his democratic rights. That is why the system that requires political parties to acquire permits from the police to hold rallies should be dismantled.
The police should have no business issueing permits to political parties,on the contrary,they should provide security for all parties during political rallies.
Gambians should reject any arrangement that merely seeks to change personalities but keep the system. We need a regime change,no doubt,but what we need most,is a system change.
Once again,I wish the Peters family 'A very Merry XMas.
Thank you.
THe dignity of Femi Senior is greatly admired through this ordeal.
I am delighted for young Femi and the family.
Where do I send my Christmas card?
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