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January 8, 2007
Peeps! I am writing you straight up, live and direct from the one and only Giddy Town. The only town like it in the [h]entire world. O yes, I am sitting here in my Ankara Up-and-Down and Gele tied in Gbeborun style in Laide and Akin's house, with all the generators in the neighborhood unified in a war against my eardrums. But, you know what, no where sweet like Naija. Right from MMA, you know you are in Giddy. I just wanted to give a shout out to my peeps in the village.
So, I spent the entire day with my baby son today in the home where he lives. I went to see him yesterday too, but not for the entire day. Ha, that my baby son, it is nice the way it rolled off my fingers. Going forward, I will call my baby, Baboos (as in Boo's baby). Ha, it was beautiful. Baboos is such a cute, cute, adorable human being. Can I hear a just like his mother from you all? And he is already developing his own unique personality. For example, he likes being carried with his face facing you and he will fuss and fret if you try to carry him another way, when you are standing up. He is very insistent when he wants to eat. I said, ha ha, that one is like his Daddy o! My Boo does not joke when he is hungry. In fact, I always tell Boo that he must have been the inspiration for the saying, "A hungry man is an angry man."
I would like to think that Baboos recognized me from when last he saw in me September, but who knows? We got on quite well. He allowed me to carry him, feed him, change him, and play with him practically all day, save for when the pediatrician, Awele, who is my friend, was examining him. He is not as big as I would have liked him to be, but Awele says he is within the range for his age. Otherwise he is fine and very healthy. I was pleased with Awele's diagnosis and how Baboos took to me. A doctor that we had spoken to in New York kept telling us about adopted children having attachment issues. She said that babies who are adopted like Baboos usually have such issues so he may not want to be hugged or may have difficulty bonding with us. Trust me, Naija woman, I rejected her words in Jesus name, quick, quick. And, that has been a prayer point for me. That is how they will come and label my child. Attachment issue ko, attachment issue ni! Ehen, I am not saying that I don't see the science of what the doctor was saying, but my Baboos will not be among, abeg. She should carry her negative diagnosis and go. Somebody who has not seen my baby yet, she is already predicting a problem. Boo said I should calm down, that we should just be aware of the possibility. I was like, wo, this one is your son o. This is not the time to be doing professional solidarity with one doctor. He said I was behaving like an illiterate but that is his own. Baboos that I saw today does not have attachment issues and he will not have them, Amen. Please help me to say Amen, jare!!! The staff in the home were very nice and welcoming. There is a lot of need though. A lot of need and a lot of babies. Nevertheless, let me just say, I am very happy. And, I was sad that I had to leave Baboos there for the night. But, the law is the law. I cannot take him home until the fostering papers are done. In fact, calling him our baby is on faith. But, Ogadinma -- it will be well!!! I am going back first thing in the morning.
Otherwise, nothing much has happened since I landed in Giddy town on Saturday. I stopped by both Boo's parents and my parents' houses on Saturday on my way to Laide and Akin's. Both sets of parents were very nice. It was kind of awkward, considering that they don't think the adoption is the right move and they know that is why I am home. But they did not say anything; just the usual pleasantries. You know that kind of conversation when you know there is a conversation beneath the one that you are having? You know Naija parents specialize in that :-). I am grateful for them not trying to engage me in any conversation about it yet. Let Boo come and face them, abeg. I don't have strength to talk long story with anybody. And, sebi na Boo name Baboos will bear, so he should come and talk true when he comes. I am still trying to get over my jet lag. I have not been in touch with any of my friends apart from Awele, Sasu, and Derin. I am not really here for any socializing, abeg. I am facing what brought me home squarely: Baboos. And, judging from yesterday and today, it promises to be fun.
When I was home a couple of months ago, I found that my Blackberry would work in Naija. But, I had assumed that it would not so I did not bring it. This time, I brought it and it works. It is great because Boo and I were able to exchange emails about Baboos while I was in the home so he was kind of able to share in the experience. We took a couple of pictures that I sent to him as well. GloMobile is the Blackberry supplier for Naija. You know Naija now, common technology, they have to associate it with class and money. So, Glo has a promo that says that if you are one of the "Big Boys," you should get a Blackberry. Trust my dear brother, Akin, he has two. That is the kind of mentality that you can trust my dear Akin to buy into. But, I love him, fake as he is. It is a real problem that our people don't seem to get that technology is for everyone. When you think about it on one level, it is sad. It is a throw back to David Mark saying, as Communications Minister, that telephones were not for the poor. Well, I guess I am one of the Big Boys now. But, the mentality is an unhelpful one for a country that needs to catch up with the information age.
I am enjoying being pampered head and foot in Laide and Akin's home. You know I don't like cooking unless I feel like so I am not unhappy to be away from cooking duty for a while. I cooked and cooked and cooked for Boo before I left. I know he will not eat well. He never does when I am not around. But, at least, the food is there for the days when he decides that he should nourish his physical body or the days when his homies decide to descend on our home. I have never stayed with Laide and Akin for any extended period because there has never been any reason to. The night before I left, Boo warned me that I should do whatever it takes to ensure that they will not regret having me there. I hate it when Boo speaks like that. Am I a child that I don't know how to conduct myself? It is not that he cannot advise me, but it is the tone he adopts sometimes. Like he is my father or something. Is it him that will teach me how to behave to my brother and my sister-in-law? But, I did not say anything because I did not want to spoil the mood the night before I left. I am thankful for this diary where I can exhale sometimes, abeg! How he does not want to hear that I fought with Laide or Akin. How with Laide in particular, I should remember that she is the Madam of her own home. How he does not want me to ask them for money or make them extend themselves more than they are doing. Why would I fight with them? When did he ever hear that his wife went somewhere to be fighting with people? That is not my style. Why would I ask them for money? Is that how I go around asking people for money? What am I spending money on in Naija? This trip is all about Baboos. I don't foresee buying any shares, art, or sewing any new clothes, which are the usual things that take my money when I go home. Do I have a habit of not being satisfied with what we have and going around hitting people up for money? You see this my Boo, na wa. And you should have heard the way he was saying it as if we have had problems with my conduct in these areas before. So, I said Boo, I have heard. Sebi we will communicate everyday so no yah wah. I will give you a report of what I get up to since you are my headmaster. So, he laughed. Yeye dey smell. But, let me not lie, I am missing him small, small sha.
Anyway, let me come and start going. Don't you love that Naija-English? BTW, if you are going to be in Giddy Town anytime soon, note that Chimamanda Adichie is signing copies of her book, "Half of a Yellow Sun" and talking about her writing at the Jazz Hole on Awolowo Road, Ikoyi on January 11 between 5 pm and 7pm. Also, New York-based photographer, Andrew Dosunmu will be visiting the Jazz Hole sometime before the end of the month. No date has been fixed yet for his own visit. Okay, gotta run. Look after you alls!
PS: By the way, I was reviewing some of my old entries. You people are so kind! Come and see all sorts of grammar and spelling mistakes. Sorry o. I have really shot some serious Ogbunigwe of grammar and spelling in this diary. But, I warned Big K so if you are injured by the Ogbunigwe, the buck stops with him, sue him :-). If there are any errors in this entry, abeg, no vex.
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Posted by Robot| 08.01.2007 20:06