BIRTHDAY CONFESSIONS OF A 53-YR OLD.

On Mrs Bisi Adeyemi's 53rd birthday celebration, her husband Mr Adeyemi extolled her for remaining committed to him over the years. He praised her virtues and acknowledged all the sacrifices she made in raising their home together with him. He thanked her for the birth of their 5 children and how well she played her motherly roles.

When it was time for the Celebrant to address the audience, Mrs Adeyemi in her usual self began with humor.

She said, "I know I cannot technically, logically say this, but I will say it anyway. I do not know where in God's name these shimmering fellows everyone call my children came from". The audience were hazed to say the least.

She continued, "All I know is that at different times I fell pregnant, and each time, I always made it to the hospital at full-term and a midwife would help me pull out a tiny being from my body".Now everybody laughed.

Babies, I know I had 5 babies, but seated here are five adults. 

My babies, just like other babies always cried, more annoyingly at night. Of course I kept awake to soothe them and did all I could to ensure they stopped crying. Not really because I exactly loved them so much, but at least so I could catch some sleep myself the while they sleep.

They grew to become hungry cubs, Mrs Adeyemi said. Everyone burst out in laughter. So I managed the merge resources my husband and I had and we worked hard to ensure they never lacked something to eat. For me, I do not exactly do this because I loved them to the moon and back, but because I wanted to spare myself the whining lamentations of "Mummy, Mummy, I am hungry".

As they grew old and got to school age, my husband and I enrolled them in school. Honestly, I don't know what his motives were for wanting them to go to school, but for me, I was thankful that they would be off my care and hands for 6-8hours everyday, 5 times per week. Such a relief is priceless, you all must admit. Moreover, everyone around sent their own children to school, my neighbors would be on my case if mine did not join the train. So again, it saved me from being the object of townhall gossip.

So you see, all efforts I made were in sheer selfishness, and somehow it was accounted to me as selfless acts of love. And that has being the hallmark of all the love I have received today.
With a crack of emotions in her voice, she continued, I only did all I had to do, and from what I can make out today, everyone is saying everything I did was far beyond what needed to be done.

With tears in everyone's eyes, Yomi, Tosin, Tomi, Ade and Ayo, along with their father walked towards their mother and they all shared a big fat hug.

Excerpts from "Figurine".