Memories of My Fafa
by Sweet Honey-Umtwana

Most people know Medahochi as a priest of IFA, a Priest of Songo, a linguist a philosopher, a teacher, and a great thinker, but his life as a grandfather and great grandfather is a story that must be told by his grandchildren and great grand children. I am one of the seventeen of Medahochi grandchildren. Many know me as Sweet Honey, but he only called me Umtwana, which means child in the Zulu language. I came by this name because Medahochi heard the word Abantwana, which means children, and thought it was one of the most beautiful words he ever heard. He asked someone who spoke the Zulu language, what is the word for just one child? The man replied, “Umtwana”, and ever since that is the only name he has ever called me.

Baba Medahochi has 7 children, 17 grandchildren, and 20 great-grandchildren and this is something that he prided himself on, his descendents. I gave birth to two of his great grandchildren, Jessica-Modupe Osunji Egunbemi Akuavi Frances Tiny-Pearl Eddi-Marcella Johnson and Mambo Zion Sonjesa Folasade Adetutu Akua Gbemisola Marseille Johnson. Medahochi’s grandchildren and great-grandchildren have a special endearing name in which we know him by, Fafa. This practice was created when the eldest grandchild, Ayodele Babatunji, tried to say grandfather and could only make out Fafa. This is a name that we hold very dear in our hearts.

I always remember my grandfather as a man who loved to make people laugh, but as a small child I never understood the humor. I would always asked, “Why to grown people laugh at stuff that’s not funny.” As I got older, I was able to enjoy is humor. My Fafa loved his grandchildren and great-grandchildren more than anything in this world and we knew it. He would refer to us as his little lambs and he never wanted us to be fussed at by anyone. One memory that stands out is, ever time he would visit when I was little he would always give us a piece of juicy fruit gum. For my birthday he would draw me pictures and the children would be speaking Swahili, a language that he loved and taught for most of his life. He was also and amazing artist. When I was 5 years old, he painted me a portrait of myself, which still hangs on my wall today.

One very distinct thing about my grandfather is how he loved peanut butter in his grits, that was his favorite meal and if he ever got something that tasted really good to him he would say, “jump back jack.” That meant it was good and he wanted more.

As I got older, my Fafa still treated us as his little lambs, but I began to understand his philosophy and spirituality. I am a third generation practitioner of African spirituality and that is a result of my Fafa and my grandmother’s, Modupe Omowale Oshalamibi Zannu Ajinaku, determination to promote the traditions of African people that were lost due to the Trans-Atlantic slave trade. Their mission was to teach to African people that the spiritual systems that were being practiced were forced upon us by the oppressor. My Fafa said, “in order to practice African spirituality, that you must get a Bible and burn it page by page.” He did hard work so that African people who wanted to practice African spirituality to get to a point where Christianity or Islam were no longer needed. He also loved to quote Oba Baba Osejiman Adefunmi I. There is one particular statement that expresses clearly my Fafa’s ideas on how to achieve African Liberation. He said that the Oba stated, “the only thing standing in the way of African liberation is the Gods in the Middle East.” He was an Afrikan Nationalists and taught me to be one or what is my purpose.

My Fafa saw the importance of looking at the continuity of African spiritual systems and that is possible for them to be practiced together. Through his example, I try my best to practice and learn about the many different systems of worship that have survived through the MAAFA. The family worship of Songo, which comes through my grandfather, has been passed on to his descendents, especially my youngest daughter, Mambo Zion Sonjesa Folasade Adetutu Akua Gbemisola Marseille Johnson. She has the same Odu, Ogbe Yonu, and the same Orisha, Songo. Through her and all of his descendents his legacy of Orisha/Vodun worship will last into the future.