FATHER to be

Sokoti’s baby was growing in his woman’s belle, a beautiful creature was in the making. A part of him was happy, the other part was scared. He is the only child of his parents. He had lost his father to prostate cancer when he was fifteen and his aging mother lived alone in Lagos. Although occasionally he visited her from Accra, where he had gone to ‘hustle’.

Apparently, the news of his coming baby would be a thing of joy to the old woman. Finally, she would get to see her grand child, she would definitely be excited to welcome her into the family. A bundle of joy is on the way, she would say .

However,  Sokoti was jobless, finding a job in Accra had been an Herculean task and the money in his account wouldn’t even get him a pack of diapers nor a tin of cerelac. A man like Sokoti would now be the talk of the neighborhood back home, he wouldn’t allow that. He wanted the child, but he didnt want the shame that would come with it. “I can’t be shamed, I need to do something ” he said to his determined self.

He went into the street to look for job once again. Prepared for nothing but a positive news. This time he was lucky. He got a job to manage a car wash at Tema motorway. His salary would be a thousand cedis, but his transport fare for a month would be four hundred cedis.

“At all at all na him bad” he said to himself, on his way home that day inside the trotro (bus).

It was Monday morning in Accra, Sokoti was on his way to work, his first time in a long time. He looked prim and proper. He was happy, his baby was happy as well, she was to the first person to call him that day and she couldn’t hide her excitement about Sokoti starting a new job. Somewhere in his heart, a fear was germinating.
” A thousand cedis for a man like me. Feeding, transportation, light and water bills, some for my baby and our coming baby, what of mama in Lagos? ” hmmm As3m o* ” He let out his fear.

Three months had gone by, he had managed to save six hundred cedis, thank God for tips at work. It wasTuesday, his off day from work. Sokoti was at home getting ready to start his laundry. Kweku the traveller was playing out from his phone, “who neva fuck up, hands in the air, no one…” a call came in, it was his baby’s.

” Morning Baby” her sweet voice calmed him
“Good morning dear”
“Did you sleep well?” She asked in her usual manner
” Yes, very well, and you?”
“I did, just coming from the hospital and guess what, the result is out”
” Which result?” He asked curiosly
“The CVS”
” Oh my bad, sorry I forgot, so a boy or girl ?”
” TWO boys, we are having a set of twins”
” Twins? Are you serious? ” He screamed
” Yes dear, don’t worry I will come over tomorrow night with the result”
” Oh wow! That’s unbelievable! ” He exclaimed.
” I swear baby, please lets talk later ok? “
She cut the call at her end.

Sokoti laughed so hard till he teared.  the seed of fear in him had fully matured and ready for harvesting. No motivation to do his laundry any longer. He put everything back into the laundry basket and went inside his chamber.

A part of him was happy that his baby would be coming over the next day, but a part of him was sad. Two babies on the way, his house rent would be due in two months, he had to keep paying for ante natal, he needed to save as well, for his rent, his boys, his baby and prices of things at the market kept going up.

He lifted himself up, mounted the sofa in his room to reach for his shuttle bag. He spent the day thinking and drinking. He was miserable all through the day.  He thought about calling a couple of his friends to come to his aid but then he thought at his age he shouldn’t be begging people for money, he would be seen as a failure. He thought of calling his uncle in America to help him out but he knew he would tell him the usual story of how hard things were in the abroad. He was frustrated.

He picked up his phone and typed a message to his baby ” I love you ” , some few minutes later she replied in similar fashion ” I love you too baby, hope you are good? ”.

Sokoti switched off his phone, he brought out his sim card and kept it in his wallet. The next morning he joined the first bus to Lagos, leaving behind all that he loved and cared about.