BABY TUNMISE

THAT NIGHT

It was around four in the night when Tamilore was awoken by the cries of her new born baby. He wanted food, she knew, as this was the time when she usually fed him. He was still a new born baby so he ate eight times daily.

She rose up and yawned, stretching her limbs. She carried him with his cot. She looked at her husband, who was still sleeping. She then left the room with her baby.

She made for the living room, turned the lights on, and put the cot on a sofa. She decided to eat some cereal, although she wasn't hungry but she knew breast feeding her son would drain some of her energy. She contemplated calling Titi to come and bring the box of Weetabix, milk and sugar to her but she decided not to disturb the sleeping girl.

She went to the kitchen and put some water to boil. Few minutes later she made her cereal, ate it, then went to feed her baby. When she finished, he stopped crying and even gave a smile, flashing his toothless gum.

He was so cute and Tamilore was thankful for him.

Suddenly, his smile morphed into a frown and he began crying again. Tamilore was confused, he just ate, what was he crying for? She started to panic until she felt his diapers and felt faeces.

Oh.

And then, it started to smell. Baby's faeces smelled so bad. Tamilore decided to clean him up in one of the other bathrooms instead of the one in their room because of the smell.

She would change her clothes, because she didn't want to mistakenly stain herself. She left him in the living room and walked towards her room, but just as she stopped at the door, she heard Dipo talking to someone on the phone.

"---I will bring him the day after his naming ceremony. I swear I will." He paused, and when he talked again, his voice was hoarse, like he was on the verge of tears.

"I'm not crying. I'm...I'm just emotional. I'm a human being and I am already getting attached to him."

"Damn, you're heartless. Were you this cold when you were using your own daughter too?"

"No, I'm not like that. It's not easy for me to use my son for...for mo-money rituals. I'm not heartless like you."

Tamilore's eyes nearly fell out of her sockets.

She started to hyperventilate, begging herself to calm down. She was rooted to a spot and couldn't move. Move. Move. She urged herself, but she couldn't.

And then Dipo went silent.

Oh God. He had heard her. Tamilore felt as though her heart would jump out of its cage any second from now.

"Damn, network."

Oh. She let herself breathe when she realised that he didn't hear her.

And then, as silently as possible, she walked away and went back to the living room.

There, her baby had stopped crying. She lifted him up and held him against her chest while she rested her back against the backrest of the sofa. And then she started crying.

Her lips quivered as she wept silently, fear coursing through her whole body. She thought back to what she heard. Could it even be real? Dipo. Her Dipo, the Dipo she knew and loved wanted to use her baby for...for money rituals? What?

She looked around the living room. They were very well-to-do, although Tamilore was a housewife and Dipo made all the money. She snickered. Did he even work?