Uhuru’s Homecoming After The Night Watch (A One Year Birthday Note) By Sulaimon Mojeed-Sanni

Uhuru’s Homecoming After The Night Watch

(A One Year Birthday Note) By Sulaimon Mojeed-Sanni

Dear Uhuru,

 With a  heart full of gratitude, I will be willing to welcome your first few recognizable words – responding to how are you? with FINE, is just fine by me. As you click one, I will take in its strides every bit of amusement your wobbly walks bring to the family. You know I am becoming a veteran in this trade of managing boys who crave freedom without responsibilities. With their desires for life growing exponentially, the home you will be growing into is a beehive of activities where juvenile pranks are the order of the day but we are just fine like that and I am sure you will cope.

Often times I am afraid of tomorrow, many a time I feel nature might play the card it played my Dad by quickening my pace on this path. But by virtue of absolutely nothing spiritual, I have escaped being drenched by this hovering cloud of self-professed early exit. Even at this, AbdulMuqeet Tiwalade Mojeed-Sanni (Uhuru), I have lived long enough to know I cannot control anything controlled by the uncontrollable.

So, Dear AbdulMuqeet, let me share with you the story of how you came to be. This became necessary because I never had someone to document mine. As your Father, I owe you this singular honour particularly when I was there while your Mother laboured. Of the few things I have come to learn in my over three decades of existence, I have come to respect the strength women exhume during childbirth after tirelessly nurturing pregnancy for 8 – 9 months. Though nobody has been able to ascertain the right quantum of pain, it has been equated to getting like 20 bones fractured at a single time, when they are at their most vulnerable.

Dear Tiwalade, learn to cherish women and take extra care of your mother  Mujidah Mojeed-Sanni (nee Amusa), who was in labour for over 20 hours before you could breathe the conventional air at Asokoro District Hospital Abuja.

We had arrived the hospital at 7:56 pm on January 26, 2018, with your mum feeling the contraption, but I was not able to get my blood sample fixed until after an hour with the hospital insisting I pay to collect the blood I had donated 2 weeks earlier. But my mind was set on receiving you with warmth while feigning ignorance of the extortion patients are subjected to in the name of childbearing in a Government-owned hospital.

I have read and watched many delivery scenes  (on television), I was determined not to fall into unnecessary panic, I was concerned about documenting every moment because of a day like this. Though not outwardly spiritual, I pray for a safe delivery for your mum. But something broke my spirit in-between.

The hospital pharmacy was short on certain drugs your mum needed so I had to leap to the adjoining street to buy them. But on my way back I passed through the emergency ward, and I saw 3 young ladies in streams of tears, then it dawned on me, while I am awaiting your arrival, these beautiful young ladies just bid somebody most definitely the breadwinner of the family farewell. Theirs was a circle ending, ours was a circle to begin.

Dear Uhuru, nothing fortifies the soul like hope. By virtue of our circumstances, I met four expectant fathers at the maternity ward, with another two joining later in the night and together we formed ourselves into a conclave of hope givers. Each time the Doctor approaches our waiting bay or call out a name, we all move to attention with dedicated silence. In the beginning, it was bitter-sweet tales, two of my co-hopers’ wives were moved to the theatre for Caesarean sections. The two operations ended in joyful hugs and we congratulated each other while hoping our collective cases will end in praise. But I was getting pensive as the doctor keeps telling me your mother’s pelvis are not opening (in truth I do not understand what that means until later).

Dear Son, I slept on the floor amidst scourge of mosquitoes waiting for you and your mum. I slept hoping by the break of dawn I will have a reason to smile but that was never to be as during the rounds, the Doctor on duty said if mum’s pelvis does not open up, we might consider operation but that is completely out of the question, aside not emotionally prepared for such, previous birth record negate this medical recommendation. Your Mum came to the rescue showing how strong she can be for us, she insisted she would push through and give birth herself.

By 8:05 am, Doctor Duro (not full name) walks out from the ward and I asked, how is my wife?

“she is there, we have not even attended to her, we have emergencies,” the Doctor said with so much abandonment.

Is she steady? Is she feeling comfortable? Hope there is no problem? I asked multiple questions and wished for a reassuring answer.

“I will check her, don’t worry, “ he said with a bit of finality.

By 2 pm in the afternoon, there was a change of shift but my wife, your mother was still in labour. Of the six patients, four have gone through an operation and only one did self-delivery, remaining my wife. Even though the Doctor on duty gave reassurances, I was getting tired of the whole waiting period, I increased my prayer and hoped more. Surprisingly, as the Muslim call to prayer for (Asr) 4 pm billows from around the hospital, a Nurse appeared with a smile,” Mr Mojeed, your wife has given birth.”

I asked about you and the Nurses scorned me for not asking about my wife first, I told her I know she would be fine because she is very strong. We laughed and I was a blessed man again.

In the whole of this narrative, you can see the role your mother played and why she should top your priority. Without her, we would not have a day to celebrate. So on this day while we celebrate your birthday, I am thanking your mum on your behalf.

When you come of age and you lay your hands on this piece, remember many invested to make you who you are and “investing in yourself is the best investment you will ever make. It will not only improve your life, but it will also improve the lives of all those around you,” so said Robin Sharma in his famous book ‘The Monk Who Sold His Ferrari’.

Happy Birthday, Uhuru. MJ of Life sends her inflicting love, Your brother Ubuntu greetings, your Uncles greet and I love and pray for you.

Sulaimon Mojeed-Sanni