Deaf and mute,… When hope turned to love

When people get married, they mostly want partners who would complement them. Tunde Ogunesan writes that in the case of Kadiri and Olufunke, their physical challenges were even the attraction.

WHEN two love birds meet and after a period of courtship, the romance ends in a wedding. It usually ends up as an interesting love story. The two love birds are not the typical Romeo and Juliet—they are physically-challenged—but that is not going to be a barrier to the love story as both have, today, become husband and wife.

Grace Olufunke Omoba (43), and Paul Egbezokhai Kadiri (52), whose wedding did not only surprise many, were the cynosure of all eyes at the marriage registry and during the traditional wedding ceremony recently in Ibadan.

Funke is a cerebral palsy patient, who had spent over 10 years at Jesus Kids home for special people, at Iwo Road, Ibadan. Her husband, Mr Kadiri, deaf and dumb is from Edo State.

The special home is owned by Pastor and Pastor (Mrs) Ololade Adamolekun who adopted Funke as their daughter. The Adamolekuns had invited friends and family members to the wedding as they would have done for their biological daughter. The clerics were in their best elements during the wedding. The reason for their joy is not far to seek. Sunday Tribune gathered that Funke was the one who took care of the aged mother of Mrs Adamolekun before she died. The deceased, during her last days urged her daughter to assist Funke settle down in marriage as that had been her prayer over the years.

To many, the marriage could be termed a marriage of convenience, owing to the couple’s challenges. Kadiri was said to have rejected all the ladies brought to him for marriage until he met Grace. The rest is history.

Though the new couple could not speak with journalists during the ceremony, it was clear that their joy knew no bounds having finally settled down, despite the long wait which came to an end on November 24, 2016. The courtship, it was learnt, lasted for about seven months before they were joined as husband and wife at the registry, a ceremony organised by the Oyo State Ministry of Women Affairs Social Unit at its Iyaganku office.

On Saturday, 24 November, the Kadiri family and that of Jesus Kids Home, which had been Olufunke’s home since her family abandoned her, gathered at Ifelodun Street, Iwo Road, for the traditional wedding. The families were duly represented, while neighbours also came around to witness the much-talked about wedding. The Kadiris came in large numbers, including the aged mother of the groom, while Funke’s family members were not left out.

The groom’s younger brother, Mr Peter Inuope Ugbodaga, told Sunday Tribune that it had always been the prayer of his brother to get married one day. Though his elder brother had no privilege of expressing his mind, being a deaf-mute, he was sure his brother must have felt on top of the world.

“Today is my happiest day. My brother has always showed commitment when his other brothers got married. Though he could not talk, we knew that, he looked forward to his own day like this. That he is getting married today is thing of joy to the family. We are happy and ready to help the family to fulfil their dreams,” Peter Ugbodaga said.

On the probable challenges the family may face in raising their children considering the condition, Ugbodaga said Kadiri’s siblings would fully assist their brother to have an enduring and blissful marriage.

“But they should not have too many children. By the grace of God, we will be there for them,” he added.

The groom’s mother, Mrs Kadiri Ugbodaga, could not hide her joy as she eventually witnessed her 52-year-old son getting married.

Pastor Mrs Adamolekun said, concerning Funke: “Her prayer had always been that she was getting old and she wanted a husband that would take good care of her. She is close to me. She took care of my late mother. Funke is industrious and even helped take care of some of our children at the home.”

Pastor Ayotunde Adamolekun in his message entitled “The God of the able and the hope of the disabled” charged the people to learn from the story of the couple, adding that for Funke and Kadiri, “at the appointed time, God smiled on them and answered their prayers.”

Chief (Mrs) Olufunke Aboderin, said the feat of settling Funke in marriage should be commended.

“We celebrate celebrities, but not the underprivileged. Just consider today’s event, you can see that the bride was very happy because her dream has been fulfilled. The proprietor needs help to do more having come this far. She should be encouraged to do more,” Chief (Mrs) Aboderin said.