BABY TUNMISE

Chapter Two

Tamilore's eyes slowly opened as she woke up. She hoisted herself up and looked inside Tunmise's cot for her baby, but he wasn't there.

Alhaja must have carried him, she thought. But then she remembered that her mother left last night, and thought it was one of her sisters that carried her baby instead. She was happy all of them stayed with her, only her mother left last night.

She smiled at how the first thing on her mind was her baby. That was what being a mother---especially a first time one---did to women.

She sat up and felt for her phone on the bedside drawer. The time read 10:12.

How did she wake up so late? She remembered that she had to feed her newborn eight times daily. She usually fed him by eight and now it was past ten. She was late. She wondered why nobody came to wake her up to feed her baby.

Quickly she went into the bathroom and washed her face. She brushed her teeth and also washed the skin around her breasts and areolas, preparing herself for breast feeding her boy.

She left her room and made for the living room. She wondered if she should go and eat something first, but decided against it.

In the living room, her nieces Itunu and Dami were playing with each other. Itunu was trying out Snapchat filters on her cousin.

Itunu looked up, "Good morning Ma."

"Good morning Itunu," Tamilore replied. "How are you?"

"I'm fine Ma."

Tamilore smiled at Dami and started walking to the dining room. She could hear the clinking of cutlery against plates and knew her family members were eating.

"Have you eaten?" She called at Itunu.

"Yes Ma."

"I hope there's food for me oh..." she said hungrily.

In the dining room, her sisters Bisola, Modupe and Tiwa and her sister-in-law were sat on the table, eating white rice and ofada stew.

"Good morning Ma," she greeted aunty Ariyo.

"Kaaro," her sister-in-law dropped her cutlery and said, without looking at her.

"You people are enjoying oh..." Tamilore commented, looking at each person's plate.

"Abi now," Bisola answered.

"Okay oh. Sha be enjoying without me. Hasn't Dipo gone to work?"

"He has," Tiwa answered.

"Refer to him as Daddy Hameed now," Bisola advised.

"Abi oh," aunty Ariyo chimed in, lifting a glass of water to her lips.

Tamilore let out a fake laugh. "Okay, okay. Ehn if he has gone out...who is with my baby?"

"Your baby?" Bisola looked up at Tamilore.

"Yes..." Tamilore said.

"Nobody took your baby oh. Shebi he slept beside you last night?"

"I did not..." Tamilore began, then she yelled, "Titi!" And began walking to the living room.

Just before she left, aunty Ariyo called out, "Eh Iya Hameed?"

"Ma?" Tamilore answered, somewhat irritatedly.

"I will be going today. I have to go for Asalatu tomorrow."

"Okay Ma," she answered.

"Itunu, did you carry Tunmise?" Tamilore walked into the living room, her rubber slippers slapping away at the marbled floor.