The story of the birth video I didn’t make

“What does it look like?”

I asked, struggling to find a way to bend over to satisfy my curiosity and stay in the position Midwife Amake had instructed

I lay back and resigned to fate, and the contractions. Everyone else -Doctor, midwife, nurses, could see but me. 

Kabiyesi’s eyes glowed

“It’s all black”

“Black ke?” I asked, trying to raise my back

Ms. Amake parted my legs slightly

“This your wife ehn, stay still. The black is the baby’s hair, we’re crowning”

“The head! Wow!” He pranced about excitedly

I lay back and resigned to fate, and the contractions. Everyone else -Doctor, midwife, nurses, could see but me. 

That was the birth of TheBoss, I made a firm resolution to make a video of my next, so I could sit and watch later.

***

“It’s my turn”

“No, you’ve had your turn”

This wasn’t a queue at amusement park, these were my classmates at Lawschool, taking turns during small breaks to feel my baby kicks. It was pretty hilarious and beautiful, all at once. 

It had started with Miriam, I allowed her once to leave her palm on my stomach. And then someone saw her, and I had to promise to call her too when next the baby moved.I loved the look of wonder on their faces, and was glad they could share my experience. 

The guys, Bruno, Chuks and co would tease them

“No go born your own o”

“Hey, if I enter labour in this class, you will drive me down, my hospital is here on the Island”

Lawschool was beautiful for me because of these amazing souls. 

So one afternoon, a few days to my due date, I put all my things in my car and said to Richard, a classmate

“Hey, if I enter labour in this class, you will drive me down, my hospital is here on the Island”

He looked amused or uncertain, I can’t tell which right now, but he agreed. 

Sometimes, I would stroll over to Cynthia’s group

“Nne, am bored of this bump, can’t even walk well again”

By then, I was shuffling or waddling about like a duck

“You are almost there” she reassured me.

I knew, but that’s what friends do,remind you what you know when you need it.

“My son came earlier”

I wasn’t past my due date, but my son had come before 40 weeks.

“This one will be a girl, she is still sitting there rubbing pancake”

This was a familiar Nigerian joke, I laughed.

I didn’t check my baby’s sex, never did, I like the surprise factor. But I said amen, I wanted a girl. I was jealous of the boys and their bonding. I wanted somebody to practice all my hairmaking skill on, I wanted somebody to play dress up with

the contractions came on stronger. These were how they had been coming in the previous days, so I ignored them. 

I drove home that afternoon, february 7th, 2013. I tried to study for class the next day, I couldn’t. I felt very restless. I got into the room and started tidying everything, I scattered neatly folded clothes just so I could put them back together.

This went on till 12.00am. 

“Won’t you sleep?”

“I can’t”

“Try”

I got into bed beside Kabiyesi, and tried to sleep. A few tosses and turns after, I gave up and went to the kitchen and started washing clean plates. The contractions began, Braxton Hicks, I concluded and ignored them

Chizitere, TheBoss’ godfather was with us.

“Omams, are you okay?”

I remember trying to know if he meant okay physically or okay in the head, because he came to me and said 

“Leave it, I’ll wash them”

And realised there was nothing to wash. He took the sponge from me all the same and said go.

I walked to the parlor, the contractions came on stronger. These were how they had been coming in the previous days, so I ignored them. 

I was still restless, I went back into the room and shoved my hands through Kabiyesi’s boxers. An Orgasm would make me sleep, I thought…

To be continued