DIARY OF A CHRISTIAN LADY
Sweetheart, this weather is a setup. It spoils plans and breaks protocols. Everyday passes by almost in a blur. I wake up very early only to put off my myriads of alarms, close the windows if they're open, wrap my blanket tighter around me for another dose of sleep and wake up again by 6am. I'd warm the leftovers from the previous night's meal or cook something fresh and hot for breakfast. I'd sometimes imagine being served toast bread and hot tea in bed. Lucky is what I call those who have it exactly as I imagine- being served toast bread and hot tea in bed by one's mother.
This weather comes with mood swings. Maybe it's not just the weather. Maybe it's me. I remember how it started for my pregnant neighbor. She used to work like a robot. Bend to wash the plates. Bend to sweep the floors. Bend to wash clothes. Bend, bend, bend. Bend like a woman. She loved to do all the house chores in one go. She'd also leave the house to go about her business at noon. I used to hail her in my mind, what a strong woman she is. I still do. Then, suddenly, I saw her sitting idly on the chair one morning and staring blankly at the floor. She looked so helpless, like a child. Another time, she came to my doorstep very early to ask if I had cooked anything. I felt for her. “This condition does a lot to me,” she would often say. I would divert her attention to the naming ceremony and parenting. I would call her Iya Ibeji like a hundred million times in a day to remind her to ignores the pains and instead think about the bundle of joy to come.
Today, mine are triplets. They keep me awake every night. Their kicks wake me up early every morning. They make me crave for more of every necessity. More knowledge. More patience. More experience. They push me. They scare me. They excite me. Sure only those who have been in my shoes understand. It comes with arduity, anxiety sometimes but the stress will be worth it at the end. What is life without dreams to gear you up?