My voice thundered into the dark, cold mud room as I slapped the muddy wall. It has been a rainy day and the rains wouldn't halt. Timi couldn't hear me scream as he was deep into his sleep. It was barely a few minutes past 1:00a.m on Saturday. He had a very stressful day from his fishing rendezvous. There was a great thunder storm and it was as if the thunder and lightning were already celebrating the coming of Tamaraupreye.

Edisemi...Edisemi eee.Teberau?

meaning how are you

.Timi shouted as he jumped off from our rafia palm-woven bed. He groped in the dark, reaching out for his small rechargeable torchlight he bought earlier in the day. He puts on the light and found me already on the bare muddy floor. The pain was excruciating and it felt as though my whole world was coming to an end. Chaiii! This is very painful o Timi! I shouted as I clinched onto his weak fabric polo. The stitches were already giving way to my firm grip. Just take it easy and breathe slowly in and out. Timi admonished me. I tried as much as possible to be myself but it seemed the more I tried, the more difficult I could bear the pains. Timi managed to pull me up from the ground, sits my right hand comfortably around his shoulder as we approached the door. We were heading to the traditional birth attendant's home

TBA

,which was a stone throw from my house.The only government hospital we had could pass for a morgue. It's been abandoned for years and the villagers have resulted to traditional means of healing, leading to proliferation of quacks scattered across the village.

Edis, as Timi would fondly call me, please, take it easy and be strong for me and our baby.He sofly whispered into my right ear as we walked through the improvised leg bridge. The rains were gradually coming to an end. As we were inching close to the TBA, my water broke. Gush! At this point, my strength was failing me and I could hardly stand. I fell on the leg bridge. Baby could not wait any longer. We were only a few steps away from the TBA. In his confused state, Timi scream in such a loud voice. Help! Help! Help oooo. My wife is in Labour. Help! Help! Not too long after, Mama Tonbra showed up. She is a trained traditional birth attendant. She quickly grabbed me and assisted Timi to get me inside her labour room and prepared me for the labour. Puuuushh! Puuusssh! She shouted as taps my belly. Puuuuush! Yes! Yes! Yes! All I could hear at this time was the cry of a baby. Congratulations my daughter! It's a handsome baby boy. She laid my baby on my chest and at once, I felt the joy of being a mother. This child is a special gift from God. She said to me with a dazzling smile on her face. Before I could reply her, Timi rushed in and shouted "Tamaraupreye". Yes, he shall be called Tamaraupreye because he's a gift from God. I nodded my head in affirmation. Yes indeed, he's a gift from God.