Tribute To Thomas
My husband, Thomas arrived in Australia in 2015. It was his first time leaving his country aboard from Nigeria. All he knew about his destination was Brisbane Airport and Bond University. When he arrived, he only had $300 cash in his pocket, and he didn't have any accommodation organised prior to his arrival. When he got to Brisbane Airport, he used the small amount of money he had to pay for a taxi to travel to Bond University. He arrived at Bond University late in the evening. It was the middle of winter, raining, and cold. He stood at the front of Bond University not knowing what to do next. All he knew was to pray and trust the work of God and his plans for him.
Luckily for him, a former student at Bond, stopped to check on him and asked if he was okay. My husband said, "Hi my name is Thomas and l just arrived from Nigeria”. He said it with such pride. This individual then attempted to contact another Nigerian he knew however there was no answer that night. So, my husband spent his first night in Australia with a stranger turned new friend he had just met. He was later able to secure an accommodation and that was the beginning of the journey to meeting his fellow Nigerians from Bond University.
As time went on, my husband wasn't enjoying his time in Australia and was finding it hard to settle here. He complained a lot and begged his family to take him back home as he was not accustomed to the western culture. This was until he met me in mid-May of 2016. We met on the dance floor, and we locked eyes. He politely asked me for a dance. Taken aback by his forward approach, l agreed to dance with him. l then decided to give him the third degree, questioning him for about 15 minutes, and he even asked if l was policing him. I suppose l was trying to scare him on purpose, but it didn't work. We exchanged details, and then he pursued me until we finally had our first date.
This was the beginning of our love and our express journey together. We dated for 3 months before we became official on my birthday in July 2016. He proposed to me in October 2016, on the beach, and we got married on 18 December 2016 at Hope Church. Days later l was pregnant with our first born. We welcomed our beautiful baby girl Destiny Marie Ayo Enaiho on the 7 May 2017. She arrived two months earlier than expected. Destiny was our greatest pride and joy. 3 years later in October 2020 we went to my husband’s hometown in Nigeria and spent quality time with his family. This holiday was a joyous time and quite an experience. It was an adventure filled with many funny and interesting memories that we cherished as a family. On 27 September 2021 we welcomed another beautiful baby girl into our lives, Harmony Ofure Enaiho. Again, she became another blessing for our family.
Thomas and I have been married for almost 6 years. We have shared many wonderful and challenging experiences over the years. One thing was for sure my husband was a man of God, a loving husband who was strong and would do anything to protect his family at all costs. He adored his daughters very much and took pride in me and his girls. He was a family man, with strong work ethics. Thomas was a great with a strong ambition to achieve a better life for his family. Everything he did was for his family. I will always admire him for that. My husband was also the life of the party, always smiling and helping those around him generously.
A lesson l have learnt from our time together is that life is precious and too short.
Never take it for granted.
Always be true with yourself and your person.
Cherish those who are in your life.
Always show your love for each other every day because you will never know what tomorrow brings.
Thomas, my beloved husband, you will always be in my heart and in our girls’ hearts. We will always keep you close to us. We will miss you and never forget you. I will be reminded of you each and every day as your beautiful attributes live on through our children.
Mi Amore, te quiero.