But even then, I could trap those thoughts and keep them caged in a corner of my mind, in a place where they… — Ayọ̀bámi Adébáyọ̀

“Di we ever really know what we will do in any situation until the situation presents itself?”

A mother must be vigilant. She must be able and willing to wake up ten times during the night to feed her baby. After her intermittent vigil, she must see everything clearly the next morning so that she can notice any changes in her baby. A mother is not permitted to have blurry vision. She must notice if her baby’s wail is too loud or too low. She must know if the child’s temperature has risen or fallen. A mother must not miss any signs.

The reasons why we do the things we do will not always be the ones that others will remember. Sometimes.