Grandma the stronger

Exactly one week ago, we received a disturbing news that my 79 years old grandma was very ill. As a matter of fact , she had been falling ill intermittently from time to time. This was not strange as a result of her age. But her ailment last week was quite scary because we were told that that she couldn't get up from her bed for days. I was particularly very scared because I love my nana so much.

But that mom told me there was no need to be apprehensive. She assured me that nana would be wholesome again, as she had always been. Me and my mother have always admired the strength and sturdiness of nana even in her senescence. Yesterday, we called again,and Just as mom had guaranteed, my nana was already recuperating. Lol

At that age, she is still able to come to life as early as 6am every morning. Then she clears out to her farm. Mom have repeatedly pleaded with her to quit going to work on the farm since she have reached the winter of her life. But nana would never accord to her advice, she would reply that if she give up farming today, she would die the next day. Farming had now become part and parcel of her. Nana is so strong that she can still fast for the whole 30 days of Ramadan. Hell, she doesn't even struggle to lift a six years old big baby.

Mom use to tell me that when she was a young girl, nana would wake up as early as 4am. Together with grandpa, they would begin an hour journey to the river. Then on a paddled canoe, they would probe the river for fishes via fishing nets and calabashes till it was 8am. Nana would stash them up in a big bowl and head directly to the market for sales. As soon as the fishes were all sold, she branches off to the farm to give grandpa a hand.

I remember when I was a 6 year old, I suffered from a life-threatening illness that usually strike children who were born at that time. All hope of my recovery was lost but my nana stood an sat firmly by my side. She would always encourage and support mom who was already heartbroken, all through. She told her that I would definitely survive.

I finally recovered from the sickness. All thanks to God and my nana who explored every available solution so that I could be well again. I still remember vividly how my nana would sing and dance in front of me so just I could laugh when I was in pains. She would always wake me in the middle of the night and carry me on her back to the bathroom where I could ease myself . Even after I recovered, it became our routine.No need to mention that I became her favorite grand daughter amongst all my cousins.

Those days, in our culture,there's a belief that giving eggs to young children to eat is tantamount to "spoiling them" as they might develop an insatiable appetite for eggs and some would continue to cry until they are given an egg. So, little children would have to wait till they get to atleast 13years before they start to eat eggs. But as soon as my nana observed that I loved eggs, and whenever I eat them, I looked happier, she would quietly take me to her room where nobody would see us.and bolt the door. There,she supply me as many eggs I want, Lol.

We would always sleep on thesame bed at night eat together too. On Sundays , i usually follow her to her weekly women's meeting at the village square and she buys virtually everything I ask her to buy for me on the way.

All these happened before I left the village. I was told that after I had gone, she became a shadow of herself for almost a month. She had refused to go to farm for almost a month, always sitting down at the front of her room looking gloomy . she ate less and talked less.It looked as if part of her had gone with me.

But ever since I left the village, that was ofcourse a long time ago, i have always been in correspondence with her. we communicated regularly on phone and she would tell me all that have been happening in the village and God! She definitely knows how to talk and gossip, Lol.

when I was in secondary school, she had always thought i would be a nurse one day.. According to her own understanding of Education, every educated woman becomes a nurse and every educated man becomes a doctor. Lol.

Mom and I never fail to visit her atleast once or twice in a year. As soon as she set her eyes on me, she would try to carry me up as if i were still her little girl she even makes me sit on her thigh while she stroke my hair and inspects me closely. Then she would declare that i looked thinner than the last time we met and would rebuke my university for not giving me enough food. Without delay, she dashes into her kitchen to prepare my favorite dish. And Gosh! How I enjoy my Nana's meals.

There was a time that she wore my heels and was walking in them in a chic and sleek manner . I screamed out of shock. I feared that she would fall anytime soon and hurt her already frail body. But she smiled and confidently told me that she would get up whenever she falls. Of course, I wasn't convinced, I immediately pulled them off her legs and hid them in a space where her hands could not reach. For the next minutes, she was just grumbling and muttering that I should allow her to appreciate life the way we young women do, claiming that she wasn't that old afterall. Lol.

My Granny is just so amazing..

Thanks alot for taking your time to read... I am very sorry I couldn't post an article yesterday, I was quite under the weather.

I dedicate this article to my second and newest sponsor @Kushyzee .

Thank you all 💗💗💗