MOTHERHOOD

By Bibi Egbekun

I used to silently judge my mother for leaving my siblings and me with our grandmother when we were kids. Every time something bad happened, I blamed and judged her. She was a widow, uneducated, and had four of us. I swore that would never be me. I'd never let my kids out of sight, even for a second. Now I watch my kids cling to my mother, and I am glad to get some rest. I direct them to her when they come crying and need me. I lay in bed long after everyone had gone to sleep, thinking about our next meal and keeping the roof over our heads. 

Two weeks after childbirth, I started a new job, leaving the newborn with my mother. With aching breasts, a sore abdomen, and terrible back pains, I count my blessings, and my mother is the biggest of them all.

I am educated and married. My husband is a good man, but the bills keep mounting up. Now my children run to my mother when they fall and hurt their knees. She's the one they give those little hugs to, and she's the one whose stick figures are on the fridge with lots of heart shapes around the drawing.
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 I know my kids will judge me one day, but I hope they go easy on me and understand that mommy had to go to work so they wouldn't sleep in the streets. 

Writer's Biography

Bibi Egbekun is a writer and a mom of two adorable kids. She has published a short story and hopes to publish more books in the coming years. ​