Marianne Williamson (1996)

“Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won't feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine, as children do. We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It's not just in some of us; it's in everyone. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others.”

Impatience...17/08/09

Yesterday evening on the bus from Ibadan, something bizarre happened.
I had gone to visit Grandma and soon afterwards to Kush’s place. From there, we went on to Sir K’s place in the Eleyele-Ringroad axis area of Ibadan. I met some of my egbons that I had not seen in a while.

I boarded bus from the site of the old toll gate and there was a pregnant woman on board as well.

Barely 5 mins into the journey, the driver stopped the bus for her to urinate. About 20mins into the journey, she started contracting…

Trust my naija people, various suggestions from the different passengers. While some wanted her to seek medical attention at Oke-ogun, others suggested Sagamu or Mowe-Ibafo.

She alongside her husband just wanted to get to Lagos. We got to Oke-ogun close to Sagamu but there was no hospital in sight.

Driver, speed up and let us get to Berger as fast as possible and she would be able to get adequate medical attention there. That was the consensus that the passengers reached.

Just before we got to Ibafo, she started contracting seriously and there was this kind old woman attending to her.

The next minute, still in the moving 18-seater bus, I heard the sound of a baby. I tried to fight the realization that a baby had been born.

Indeed, a baby girl had just been born.

We got to Ibafo about 5 minutes later and we went looking for a new packet of blade for the old woman to sever the umbilical cord.
We continued our journey to Lagos about 25mins later.
The woman and her male companion alighted at Berger and seconds later were lost into the receding Berger night lights.

I caught a glimpse of the impatient baby girl and as I write this, I really think she should be christened Impatience.