Even in heaven, I still prefer my wife to the Queens of Heaven.

"Wallahi, I will choose my wife in heaven before God will add me any woman," these are the words of a 66-year-old year man who lost his wife through childbirth 21-years ago.

He had to take care of their four children from the little savings from 48-year-old tailoring work.

On fathers day, JoyNews' Mahmud Mohammed-Nurudeen highlighted Mr Mukhtar's moment of joy and sorrow.

It was uneasy when we remind Mr. Mukhtar about the past - his wife, he says provided him heaven on earth.

To our surprise, the 66-year-old man started dropping tears in an emotional manner that got everyone touched. He cried incessantly.

"One girl was asking me when will their mother come back but I told her, she wouldn't come back."

But that cry was not for joy, but a moment of joy Mr. Mukhtar has missed being with his wife for 21 years.

If you don't find true love, you won't believe that only love can kill and keep you alive to feel it.

They say three things will last forever—faith, hope, and love—and the greatest of these is love.

And the absence of that love is what makes Umar Mukhtar cry.

"She was the only wife I loved. When she died I cried."

He married his wife, late Rubamba Aliu in 1983.

So in 2000, Madam Rubamba was due for delivery at the Komfo Anokye Hospital but she died as a result of birth-related complication.

"The doctors said it was too much bleeding. Before they could pay attention to her, she died."

Mr. Mukhtar didn't have anyone who could aid in bringing up his four children - he had to rake the task. He saved little of his tailored work earnings to take care of the four children.

"Taking care of the four children at the same time was not an easy task. It was just only sewing that saved money."

He did whatever was humanly possible to get them educated at any cost. Mr. Mukhtar has been working as a tailor for the past 48-years. He share a shop with about five tailors at Akwatialine in Kumasi.

He travelled to Nigeria briefly and returned to continue same work.

Before the demise of the wife, Madam Rubamba had told Mr Mukhtar she had wish to die and leave the children with the husband than to get divorced.

In order to give them both maternal and paternal love, Mr. Mukhtar says he was compelled to live in the same bedroom with the children.

"I watched TV with them and shared a lot advice with them."

Today, Mr. Mukhtar is a happy dad. A tough journey it has been but one he says was worth.

"My elder son now has two children. Sometimes, he calls to say Papa, you did well."

His goal was to see his four children grow happily even after their mom died.

"All of them are educated. One will complete his PhD this year."

Umar Faruk Mukhtar os the final year PhD Applied Mathematics Candidate at Marmara University in Turkey while Sahadatu Mukhtar is second year B.A English Education at University of Education.

Abdul Aziz Mukhtar & Ayinawu Mardiya Mukhtar are senior high school graduates. For Farouk Mukhtar and his siblings, their dad is their father, their mother and above all their friend.

But Mr. Mukhtar says finding another love is patience, but for how long does patience bring love to those in need?

"I married again but I couldn't get the kind of love I had with the first wife and got separated."

Mr. Mukhtar says he wishes to marry again but he fears not finding the caliber of his late wife.

As the world marks fathers day, it should not be the norm for fathers to shun their responsibilities.