HISTORY ON THURSDAYS WITH COLLYBRIGHT

 "SHE WANTED A GIRL"...

"Mama na boy"... This particular statement, trust me, is more valuable than anything in this world. When you hear such, I'm sure the tribe that strikes your mind first is the YORUBAS. And of course the Igbos, Ọ bụrụ na ị nwere nwa agbọghọ, ị nwere ego, eziokwu! (if you have a girl, you have money). Generally in Africa, we so much believe in having a male child. Yes, because who will take on the name of the father if not the male child?But thank God that that mentality has a little bit reduced now compared to the olden days.

"Eku ewu ọmọ ó!" (thank God for safe delivery). That was the greeting my mother received at the hospital where she put to bed. You should know that after that statement, the next thing you are going to hear is, "ọkùnrin àb'obìnrin?" (male or female)... Of course then, the Yorubas don't believe in "abarameji" (hermaphrodite) as normal child as they usually say they are possessed child who are like punishment from the gods. Well, we do believe now as a result of science! OK, after the "ọkùnrin àb'obìnrin" (male or female), my mother joyfully answered, "ọkùnrin" (male). And trust me, the kind of joy from family's response will be like "eeee oluwa seun ooo" (yes, thank God). You know say we Yoruba we sabi make noise well. If you hear exclamations like, yeee, aaaah, ehn ehn, know that person is full-fledged Yoruba!

Lol

Well as I was saying jàre, the family was very happy for my mother and she herself was indeed happy having her first child as a male child is indeed a blessing! Next, she was in the family way again, and guess what, it was another "Mama na boy!"... Joy overflow!

My father was happy too, but my mother wanted to complement herself at least she should have someone that will be gossiping with her now. "I've gotten two boys, topping it up with a girl won't be a bad idea", she must have thought. So, she was in the family way again, and there she went!... It was another "Mama na boy"....

Lolzzz...

Jésù!

My people will say, "ọkùnrin lantilanti" (bouncing baby boy). She became five star general in the family. My dear, 3 boys no be beans. At least not that thought of how troublesome we boys can be.

Mom, I know how you must have felt and be laughing on your maternity bed.

Lolzzz...

Lobatan!

And right there she said it's OK! "the end lópin sinima" (THE END is end of a movie in the cinema).. She was trying to catch her breath at least, it wasn't easy... Sure!

Lol...

"Thank you Lord for these three wonderful bouncing baby boys" , those were the words that was constantly coming out of my mother's lips for some of years.

Well, I think an angel of God must have visited her one faithful day to show her vision on a black and white TV with the slider over cover that my father used  to have that year, to give in to take in! Gbam! She took in with high hopes that it'll be a girl this time, or I should say TRY YOUR LUCK (I hope you all know that game that use to come out during Christmas period... that you play and could luckily win blomblom (balloon)

LoL.

Alright, that faithful night on one weekend like that, there she was in the labour room.

"Push! Push!! Push!!!

Alack! that was ME!

I'm sure she must have quickly dashed down her eyes to my sex organ to check, fortunately, yet another " Mama na boy!"...

Lobatan!...

Ooops! Well, maybe God changed my sex organ that last day on my way out...

Lolzzz 😂

Mama, you've got no option, she hugged me still. Awwwww! I love you mama! She thought I would be a girl, but she got another bouncing baby boy!

Hahahahahahaha

Knowing fully well that four boys is not a child's play! One boy is a blessing, two boys? Abundant blessing. Three boys? Uncommon blessing. Four boys? Blessing in disguise of ijogbon (trouble)

Lol...

I so pity her ehn... Growing up was fun though, but trust me, as much as well trained we are, I won't lie, we gave her trouble big time that sometimes she'd have to call my dad on the phone if he's not around when we've started our in-house wáhàla. And she will be like, "àwọn ọmọ yín tún ti bere ó" (your children have started again)

Lol

Well, because I knew what she wanted, I started playing the role of a girl for her... Lol... I'll plait her hair, sometimes I'll insist to help her draw her eyebrow with liner and eye pencils, I'd follow her to the market, help her arrange and brush her wig before she gets back from work, well after I must have worn it half of the day. Lolzzz. I'll paint her nails, and she'll paint mine too and rub me powder, the type they use to call pancake those days.

Lol

I'll wear her bangles, wear her  necklace, I'll use her lipgloss, not lipstick ó... Lol... I just love this woman, my love for her and the bond was really strong! I failed to mention that sometimes I'll just wear her clothes and parade in front of her and she'll be like "tin bá gba ẹ, tó bá lọ bo aṣọ mi si lé" (If I hit you, will you go put off my clothes).. I'll just start laughing. And of course, sometimes I do tie her gèlè (headgear), even though na nonsense I do tie some times. Lolzzz.

To wrap up my Sunday vibes, I'd drop this advice. A child is a child no matter what gender he or she is. Whatever sex a child is, you can always create in him/her that image you actually want in him or her. I watched a Nigerian movie some time ago. This husband who happened to be a military man (Major General) was very desperate to have a male child, but his wife ends up giving him 5 girls. He didn't own up, accepted the children "biologically" but not "mentally". It was later in his life he had to own up when he couldn't have a male child in his marriage, that the one and only reason he wanted a male child was that he wanted a male child who will follow his legacy (becoming a soldier). Later on, his wife now told him, if that was what he wanted he could have own up and just agree with him to send one of their daughters to NDA (Nigeria Defence Academy). And if it's you as the father, looking for a child retaining your name, it's a thing you can always tell the husband of your daughter(s) that you want your daughter to have a compound name, that is, his (husband) name and your (father) name. Though don't force this on him (the husband), just let him see reasons why you want that.

All children are the same, no child is greater nor better than the other. Even the so called male children, some might even bring you - the father, a bad name that you'll wish he was never born. And some females will uphold their father's name like a treasure. Why I'm placing my strokes on the fathers and husbands is because, they are mostly the ones who clamour for that. The wives or mothers no send you, at least if not for any other thoughts, for the fact that, they changed their own name, dropped their own father's name and claim somebody else's! So to them, it's not much of a biggie!

And also using this medium to celebrate all mothers out there, you people are wonderful! Without you, this world would have been a messed up place! You are yet to be and graciously looking up to God? This time next year, you will be smiling at yours in your hands!

 

Source: Mccollybright.blogspot.com.ng

About The Author: Adeshile Adekolajo

Adeshile Adekolajo is a graduate from the University of Abuja, He works for Ntel Nigeria and we owns - Mccollybright.blogspot.com

He is a writer, blogger and poet, to read more of his interesting and educative articles, please log on to - mccollybright.blogspot.com.ng