The rain had hammered the market ground the night before. The force dented the ground so much that it gave way to gravity at different points. A rickety yellow bus passed by with the famous caption “No food for lazy man”.
No one paid any attention to the chug chug sound it made. A lot of people jumped as they avoided muddy water. “Madam, leave the road” someone screamed. Rain or no rain, the hustle must pay. Everyone went about their business without a care in the world. They moved briskly thinking the same thought in different languages -today must be better than yesterday. Shola looked around and waddled like a duck.
The weather was cool but her dress was soaked with sweat from internal heat. She knew that this was not a place to betray her emotions. Carefully, she put one foot in front of the other like one in a trance. Gently, she bit her lips to hold back the pain. She paused and shook her head “no one said it would hurt this way, I feel like knives are running down my back” she mumbled under her breath. “Who can I ask for help?” She thought to herself. Her husband had warned her not to go to the market anymore but she didn’t know it would happen so soon.
She looked around again but saw no sign of friendliness on their faces. An elderly woman paused and looked at her through experienced eyes. She nodded to a fellow onlooker who quickly beckoned to another woman. Together they marched towards Shola with precision. Shola didn’t see them, she was too lost in her pains that her mind was faraway. The three angels put their arms around her, startling her but she had no choice but to trust them. Her strength gave way as she screamed suddenly. “Yeh! My back o”.
More women stopped as they recognized the signs of labour. “Don’t shout, you will need your strength. Breathe in and out”, a woman said. A crowd of women had formed; each one recognized a kindred spirit and looked ready to take on anything. They immediately brought out wrappers as if they were pistols and took their positions. “Give me shance (sic)” one of the women shouted as she directed a Keke Napep to where Shola waited.
The women quickly moved her into the waiting tricycle. The three women (the angels) took positions as they directed the driver towards the nearest hospital. About 2 hours after, Shola held her bundle of joy in her arms and forgot the pangs she had experienced in the crowded marketplace. The three elderly women smiled at themselves as the nurse approached them and told them the good news. They held their heads in joy as they danced and shouted out thanks to their creator. “Abushe bushe”, they said. The storm was finally over.
Dear Self,
You have a lot of dreams that you need to accomplish but you cannot do it alone. It is your responsibility to dream and take some steps but the dream cannot come to fruition without the people around. It is not easy to trust strangers but some strangers are more faithful than people connected to you by blood. Be discerning and watchful as you allow these people play this important part. They are the midwives that will usher your unborn child into this world. A lot of them have experienced the labour pangs several times and will assist you without asking for anything in return. In the end, the baby will be born and the pangs will be forgotten.
Takeout
No man is an island
Ask for help when you need it
Pain comes before progress-embrace it
Close one eye in praying, open the other in watching
Learn from your mistakes
Failure is not a crime, not learning from the failure is
When you head off in the wrong direction, be man (woman) enough to turn the wheel back and start the journey all over again.
Enjoy the rest of your day and remember that it is never too late to start from the beginning.
