My 2020 Birthday.

One bright Tuesday morning in Lagos, Nigeria, my father left for work, waving bye to my heavily pregnant mother. A couple of hours later, my father returned to pick up a file. He stepped into the bedroom where he saw an infant on the bed while my mother was reading a newspaper.
"Whose baby is this?" he asked.
In response, my mother smiled and stated that shortly after my father left for work, she went into labor. And, all by herself, she gave birth to a bouncing baby boy, separated him from the placenta, bathed him and sat down calmly to chill. Just like that!
The anniversary of that birth is March 15th and the baby boy of that day was me.
To God be the glory.

26th Wedding Anniversary Toast.

The above picture was taken in 1987.

I remember that very interesting day in 1983 when I met Titilola at a colleague’s birthday party.

Most of the female guests were college students and she was among them. Unlike others who dressed flamboyantly to impress, her attire was, to say the least, drab. But her beauty was glaring with an elegant poise, panache and of course, a no-nonsense attitude.

Shortly after I started “campaigning” to her, she obliged my request for a dance. After dancing to two records, the music of Marvin Gaye, “Sexual Healing” came on. And, impulsively, I reached out my hands. But to my surprise, she stepped back, stared at me coldly and gently pulled me aside.

“Excuse me!” she whispered. “Did you just try to bring me into your arms…?”

 “Hey…” I tried to explain. “I just wanted to dance…”

“Really…with me in your arms…?” she now pointed in the direction of the dance floor. “Do you think I’m one of those ladies over there who have been flirting with you all night?”

I was about asking what she was talking about but she turned right back toward her seat. Grabbing my chair, I went over to seat beside her. She stared at me like “I thought I just put you in your place?” 

With Titilola (unlike most women I had dated before her) it was just not enough to profess love. It had to be proved and “beyond every reasonable doubt”. Never hesitating to blow her own trumpet, she made it very clear that she had every moral reason to make men wait until she was able to figure out “Mr. Right”. For instance, it took almost forever before I was allowed a kiss. An ordinary peck on the cheek took about a year!  

I do wonder sometimes how many young women of these days are made this way.

In retrospect, wooing a lady in those days was all painstakingly “analogue” unlike these days when Facebook alone facilitates a “digitalized” relationship on a platter of gold.  

And so…to you, Titilola, iyawo mi atata: Happy 26^th wedding anniversary!!!