“Many Nigerians are born doctors, they push and touch here and there and before you know it, the baby was born. The same thing when a person is fainting, we don’t wait to call anyone, people present do what they can to save the person right there and then.”
Nigerians magically, and unexpectedly come to support you when the need arises and stand by you until the end.
It is in moments like this you see the beauty and uniqueness of Nigerians.
Indeed, there is no way we can be human without other people.
This is Nigeria, the land of fascination.
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I was shopping at some crowded market a few years back.
Suddenly, I saw people running towards someplace, and some lady saying “we need more wrapper, bring more wrapper.”
Some aged women took off their extra wrapper from their waist and spreading it on the floor.
Aged women usually tie two wrappers around their waist.
More women left their businesses and were still running to the scene.
“No man should come, no man should come.”
That was when I became interested, and my senses became more active. I gradually forget what took me to the market as i paid more attention to the ladies saying “men shouldn’t come.”
The men close by were now shifting backwards, behind the women.
I was curious, I must see what these women are keeping from men again, it must be something beautiful, why do women hide beautiful things from men?
I went close:
Bro, what’s happening here? What’s up?
I asked a few persons but didn’t get a reasonable response, as a young girl was about repeating what she has said to me before, we heard a cry, a baby’s cry.
“He’s a boy, he’s a boy.”
“Fine boy. Do you see? You see this life?” a lady asked.
“If you don’t fear this God?” another lady said while pointing her fingers to heaven.
It was a ‘mentally ill’ woman, popularly called ‘madwoman’ who just gave birth to a bouncing baby boy.
This sort of people walk freely in most places in Nigeria and they rarely hurt people.
And no government support ever comes to them.
Surprised?
Please, don’t be, even normal citizens don’t get support.
She was around the market picking dirt as they usually do before she realized her baby was due.
But that’s not the point of this article.
These market women, abandoning their businesses in such a crowded market to attend to a fellow woman in need was amazing, it was something to see.
There is no emergency number to call in most places, I heard we have 112 which I never call except this one time when I was in my teens:
It rang, to my shock. A guy picked up:
“Yes, what is your emergency? “
What, it’s working, you guys work?
I immediately cut the call, I could tell the operator was laughing at the other end too.
People usually complain that they never show up, except, maybe, in the next few hours or days.
These women understood there is no one to call, not even an ambulance, so they did what they could, and I can assure you they are good.
Many Nigerians are born doctors, they push and touch here and there and before you know it, the baby was born.
The same thing when a person is fainting, we don’t wait to call anyone, people present do what they can to save the person right there and then.
People donated baby stuff, and some for the mother.
I didn’t see anyone take her home. I understand it’s difficult to take such people home, they could turn on you anytime.
This lady will never let anyone take her baby from her as she grabbed him tightly to herself.
And the question of how she got pregnant is a discussion for the gods.
This reminded me a part of Nigerians, a part that was pretty common when I was a kid, the act of good ‘neighborliness’ that is fading away rapidly as people become more isolated, minding their businesses due to weatherization, or is it civilization?
Just like a car owner who ask young men present to help push his car when it stops in the middle of the road, and all he says is “thank you.”
We say to ourselves; we shall require this service from others sooner than later, so we help, we don’t tell him; ‘call the towing van.’
