Yes, many a man loves his sweetheart the most; his wife the best, but his mother the longest. If the head honcho of Osmoserve Group, Scott Tommey would define his mother, Madam Modupe Tommey, he would claim that the wall of her heart was lined with gold and silver; he would say that she lived by a moral code that dwarfed old England’s claim to chivalry and honour.
Then Scott, fondly called The Lion of Afia Nsit, might say that even in her absence; that old virtuosity she left behind, resonates poignantly like the timeless lyric of a heavenly chant. There are too many ways to describe Scott’s mother, and even the best couched adjectives couldn’t do justice to the task.
Even in death, Madam Modupe Tommey retains the very big and impressive part of his billionaire son’s heart. Scott loved his late father too, no doubt, but he had a great relationship with his mum, which he still cherishes today. The Seina Marine boss will hardly forget his mother. A disciplinarian of note, Madam Modupe moulded him into every mother’s joy.
Scott grew under the watchful eyes and affectionate care of his mother, no doubt. And he grew so fond and quite close to her that he earned for himself, the sobriquet, ‘Mama’s boy.’ There is a whole lot that he treasures his mother for; he admires her for her strength and what he terms extreme patience in loving her children.
That was one interesting quality about Modupe, Scott’s mother – she never acted like she was doomed to be around him and his other siblings nor did she ever act like she had to deal with them, Modupe was full of so much love for Scott and his siblings.
While they threw tantrums or behaved embarrassingly as most children are wont to do in their formative years, Modupe simply sat quietly watching them with an eagle eye, wearing her care and affection buried in the saint-like smile on her face.
Many people have passed through Scott’s life but the person who had the most impact on him was his mother. She affected and influenced him every day of her life. His mother, undeniably, exerted the greatest impact on his life. It was one of Scott’s private marvels to watch her struggle with running a household while trying to balance loving her husband and her children.
As a young child, he never realized what courage it took for her to take on such heavy workload and yet feel and sustain unwavering love for her family. But somehow, he understood. Modupe never hesitated to drop everything to rush to Scott’s side whenever he needed her. And of course she balanced such show of affection among her kids to the best of her ability, which makes her a mother to die for, in the estimation of Scott and his siblings.
His mother showed him that with determination and perseverance, one can accomplish anything. And she taught him to believe so by words and deeds. As the years passed, Modupe could be found preparing for a feast while sewing the sequins on a gown for his sibling. She understood the responsibilities that having a family entails hence her unrelenting display of devotion and optimism about her role as wife, lover, mother and homemaker.
Modupe’s passionate love and care for her family earned her the respect and admiration of all and sundry. She was a sight to behold as she immersed herself in the roles required of her by society and marriage.
Today, Scott remembered his mother who passed on exactly thirty years ago, 5th May 1986.
Even in death she is regarded as an epitome of purity and pride to motherhood.
