Ijebu Ode 1934 My mother, Mary Gadegbeku, stood against the wall of her and my dad’s bedroom, the bulk of her heavy stomach taking up most of the space in the room. She was panting as the first of the contractions hit her. On the horizon, the sun was rising, and there was already a lot of noise in the big compound from waking neighbours who had started their hustle and bustle for the day. My elder siblings, Bomboy, Mary, Genevieve, Cornelia, Leo, had already woken up and were carrying out their household chores: fetching water from the main borehole, sweeping the compound, and washing dishes from the previous night’s supper. My dad, Joseph Gadegbeku, who was in Nigeria due to a transfer from his UAC office in Ghana to UAC Ijebu Ode, was sitting on his bed, polishing his black work shoes. From the corner of his right eye, he monitored my mother. He did not feel as panicky as he had when they had their first child; this would be their sixth baby, and by now, he was a pro at the birthing process. He was just waiting for my mother’s contractions to grow stronger and for her to get fully dilated before rushing her off to the hospital. The Life and of Lessons RA L P H KWAM E GA D EG B E KU Journey Across Borders 7 The Birthday Journal
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