3.15am
My babies are sick and i’m sleep deprived.
African reaction: All these witches have come again! Back to sender.
Logical reaction:
1. Children falling ill is part of the journey.
2. 100watts wont leave her brother alone,even when I declared him war zone contagiously ill.
3. The flu doesn’t like to leave till it’s infected someone new.
Logic is better.
On nights like this, I am reminded that this is a journey of total acceptance. Kabiyesi calls it bragging rights.
The first time The Boss had a scary high fever, I was awake all night surrounded by my rosary,holy water,anointing oil and generally causing a nuisance with my high pitched worship and praise songs. Just try imagine those Nigerian movies soundtracks of woe and sorrow.(Plain honest about my non-existent singing talent).
I recall even begging God to take his pain away and give it to me. The following morning, looking like a new night maiguard recruit I recounted my supposedly terrible night to my mom. Madam rolled her igbo eyes
“Ehen? Ehen? So I should clap for you. *insert long hiss*”
Turned out to be good old teething fever. I got a good dose of teasing alongside tips on handling it better.
Experience is a wonderful thing. Now its not just one kid sick but two, i’m doing my bit and leaving the rest for God. I have even ported from the transfer-the-pain-to-me-O-God zone. 😀
When my friend sent me panic messages months after that first time of her own baby not feeling too good,similar symptoms. You should have seen the way I typed my own back
“Ehen,Ehen? Ordinary teething fever. *rolled eyes*”
Bottomline is this, life just has a way of making you stronger. We get better when we accept our crosses willingly and pick the lessons along the way.
I have had no sleep, spent a great part of the night dabbing these kids with water, administering the right drugs and cleaning assorted vomits.
Also taking care not to wake Kabiyesi up,not because he wont care but because I respect the hard day he had and the harder today he will have if he gets sleep deprived. Afterall, a good man is a good man.
Its beautiful I tell you. I cant go back to sleep, so I’m off to my day. I’ll only just look a tiny bit dull for the early part of today till I can grab some sleep…and its pretty Ok if i dont either. Some nights are like this.
So when like today at the bank, I hear two girls whispering to my hearing
“She and her baby are dressed in the same shade of jeans and top,they even have the same hairband in their same type of hair. *hiss* What’s she feeling like sef?”
I shall laugh to myself. I’m paying my dues, I shall enjoy my good because I bear my bad.
I’m feeling like the woman who has the right to feel anyhow.
I’m the one who doesn’t sleep…on nights like this.
ACHALUGO'S 