The big 25

Today is my 25th birthday and my loving mother wrote this article 💃💃💃

Being Takudzwanashe’s mother is an amazing adventure, a real roller coaster ride!

Even before I confirmed that I was pregnant with Takudzwanashe, I had started to eat French fries at any and all times! I just loved French Fries, hot or cold, I did not care!

I was not lazy to prepare them and even carrying the sack of potatoes was just a walk in the park!

There were other people who benefited from my love for French Fries and because I was not stingy, there were always enough to go around…..The French Fries contributed: Takudzwanashe weighing 3,6 kg at birth was my biggest baby.

Besides my love for French fries, gees I loved travelling. I was employed as a substitute teacher and I travelled almost 50km daily to work.

On one ocassiona during my many travels I fell off a haulage truck when I was disembarking after missing a step. On another ocassion the commuter omnibus I was in caught fire. Thankfully all passengers got off safely. So much drama while pregnant with Takudzwanashe!

I was never bored during my commutes to and from work , I would gaze through the commuter omnibus window and just be amazed. I would watch the sun rise as I travelled to Chinhoyi from Murombedzi and watch the sun set as I travelled back home.

Well taken care of would be my lunch box.I dont remember the other things I would pack but whatever was in the lunch box would have to make space for some French Fries!

If I was not gazing out of the window, I was reading a book or a magazine. Being a substitute teacher, I had access to the School Library and I would borrow books and simply feast on them.My breaks tea and lunch , I would sit on a bench that was near the sports ground and read a book, after some French Fries off course.

I was a bundle of energy.I never experienced morning sickness or even nausea. I was healthy throughout.

While expecting Takudzwanashe, there are two people I loved more than others and I would anything to make them feel special. These two my eldest daughter Tadiwanashe and my youngest sister Gamuchirai received many treats from me and when I could, I travelled with them.

Ocassionally we would sit on the couch and I would “allow” them to touch my belly to feel the baby kick.Always a kick was followed by much glee and laughter.
These two were my pregnancy buddies!

Takudzwanashe was born at 0200hrs on a very cold Tuesday morning! The night before I had been in front of the fireplace, roasting some sweet potatoes .Potatoes and I were great friends! My father, WaMambo had asked me to go slow on the roast sweet potatoes but my pregnancy buddies and I snacked away!

When my mother, Ma Ncube later questioned my frequent visits to the toilet just before midnight, WaMambo said we had eaten too many potatoes.

It was only after I then started throwing up that I asked to be taken to the hospital as I was so sure I was in labour.

I remember Ma Ncube laying a think blanket in the back of the grey 504 Peugeot truck so that I could be comfortable.The waters broke as the car turned into Zvimba Rural Hospital.

I remember the midwife handing me my baby for the first time after she had cleaned and wrapped her up. She was very light skinned with a mop of thick black hair .I touched her little cheeks against the woollen hat that I had knitted as I sat by the warm place. I fell in love ….