November 9, The birthday of a petite black woman
Since the 1st of November 2017, I have been looking forward to the 9th of the month that ushers in the last month of the year. Someone will ask; "why have you been looking forward to the 9th?" I really do not know, but what I know is that my Mama told me that several years ago, when garri was still very cheap and kulikuli was still ten sticks for N10 (I don old o), in Lagos state, Nigeria, she(Mama) had her third child. This baby who turned out to be a girl looked so light skinned and vulnerable when she arrived planet earth. Mama said that everyone thought that this very girl child is the one who takes her looks. " Oyinbo pikin " everyone at the hospital said (Naija sun don turn me to blacky finish). Mama told me that as this fine oyinbo pikin grew up, she became a wahala child, she can cry! Soon Mama handed her over to Uncle Friday's care (her then favourite uncle, who lived with them). This baby became so used to Uncle Friday that she would always cr...