The Baby Boy

A story of love, heartbreak, obsession and the feelings in between

Chapter 1

He woke up suddenly from a dream, the same dream he had for the past five nights. His dreams revolved around the birth of a child, his child, a child not born of his wife Bolanle, who he had met at university, and who he had proclaimed as his true love. This night was different.

His heart palpitations were escalating and he started to sweat uncontrollably. In this particular dream, on this particular night, he was in a small bathroom located inside a dilapidated house in the slums of Ogun state. After a long and arduous labor, he had seen the baby pushed out distressingly into the world, underwater in an old and rusty bathtub, and then brought above the water surface to breathe its first breath.

“Congratulations, it’s a boy." His sister-in-law said, carefully placing the newborn baby into his arms. “What will you name him?” she asked, disappointed at the circumstances leading to the baby’s birth.

He began to stutter as he felt a rush of apprehension surge through his body. “What will Bolanle think?” he replied. “Darling, wake up” Bolanle said, as she shook her husband awake. “What will I think about what? She asked, puzzled. “About me kissing you” he answered, as he reached for her and planted a fat kiss on her lips.

“Go back to sleep, my love,” he said, hopeful that she will soon forget about his sudden outburst. She went peacefully back to sleep, leaving him alone with his thoughts in the dark and distraught, as he wondered whether his dreams were a premonition.

Edward was his name. Edward Smith. He was born in the 1920s in Georgia, when racial tension was strife and women’s rights were becoming a thing. He was born into an affluent Caucasian family in Atlanta, Georgia. His father was a real estate mogul and his mother, an award-winning actress. He enjoyed the glitz and glamour of being among Atlanta’s elite; his elementary, middle, and high schools were private and when the time had come for him to choose a university, he settled on Yale.

Early in his childhood, his mother had disclosed to him that he was to be a twin, but his twin brother, who would have been named Edgar, was stillborn. Leaving him as the only child of his parents.

He grew into a handsome young man in the 1940s and 1950s, a period when he could not mix and mingle with anyone of a different race. Before Yale, his schools had been segregated. However, in his third year of studying geology at Yale, he was mesmerized and swept off his feet by a particular girl.

She was spunky, smart, and breathtakingly beautiful. At a height of 5’9", she was taller than most girls in her year, she had long chestnut brown hair, full lips, full hips, and sharp hazel eyes. Edward was hooked. As they got to know more about each other’s lives, backgrounds, passions and each other’s opinions on scholarly works they had studied, they fell in love. There was just one problem. This girl who Edward fell so madly in love with did not have the same white skin like him. She was African. An African girl called Bolanle Atewologun.

Chapter 2

Edward was an intelligent scholar with a brilliant mind. He succeeded in his academic career at Yale and with his geology degree, became a petroleum engineer. Bolanle went on a different path. Her parents had died suddenly when she was six years old from the flu. Their conditions had rapidly worsened because of the scarcity of western medicine in her homeland of Ogun state, Nigeria.

Because of this, she became a doctor enlightened in western medicine, hoping to build a clinic in Ogun, to provide care for the sick and to prevent unnecessary deaths similar to her parents’. She was raised with her younger brother and sister by her grandmother until she was seventeen, when she moved to the United States to study medicine.

Her sister Mary was equally beautiful, but not as motivated to achieve success on her own. She attracted suitors of various ethnicities and income levels from far and wide, but she only had eyes for one, the son of the Nigerian Minister of Finance who she eloped with the day after her fifteenth birthday.

She did not love him, but she loved his wealth. They moved to the snowy province of Calgary, where she bore three children and would remain for fifteen years. Bolanle’s brother, Ayo, was sickly right from birth. Five years after Bolanle moved to the United States, he died abruptly at the tender age of seven and was laid to rest peacefully beside his parents.

In the early 40s, when Edward graduated from Yale, Nigeria was known all over the world as the top producer of oil, and so, he pursued his career as a petroleum engineer in this country. He enjoyed his time away from the uncomfortable dichotomy of the black and white races in the United States and came to realize that in his newfound home, everyone was of the same race and they judged nobody based on the skin color. He admired this. He admired this so much that he adopted Nigeria as his new home.

Three years after Edward’s move to Nigeria, Bolanle at age twenty-four finished medical school and graduated as valedictorian of her class. She was the best and brightest of her year and hospitals all over the world fought vigorously for her talent. However, she knew that she had to follow her childhood dream of building a clinic in Ogun. Also, her heart ached for her lover, Edward Smith. And so, as soon as she finished her residency, she packed her bags and boarded a one-way flight to Nigeria, where Edward was anxiously waiting at the airport. The two lovebirds were together again, and they intended to stay together for as long as they could.

Chapter 3

A year after her move to Nigeria, Edward married Bolanle in a dazzling ceremony on a white sand beach underneath a magnificent skyline of orange and purple colors, on the island of Mauritius. Everyone who was in attendance applauded and approved of their undying love for each other, everyone except for Edward’s parents who disowned him because you guessed it, he fell in love and married a girl of a different race.

After the wedding, Edward’s parents cut him out of their lives swiftly and abruptly. He never saw or heard from them again.

Throughout the years that followed their wedding, they lived happily and cozily in a four-bedroom house in Bolanle’s home state of Ogun. A state where half of its citizens worshiped Sango, the Yoruba god of thunder and the other half, Christians.

They lived in a state located in the western region of Nigeria and drenched in natural resources, which was to Edward’s advantage, given his career as a petroleum engineer. After years of hard work and perseverance, Edward climbed up the ladder at Shell and soon became the Executive Vice President of Shell chemicals, a coveted and prestigious position that included a sizable salary and pension.

Bolanle built the clinic she had always wanted, she traveled all over the world to give speeches about her work and she helped the sick in developing countries, an accomplishment that filled her husband with pride.

Life for them was easy. They possessed everything that they wanted: substantial incomes, unlimited travel opportunities and an unbreakable marital bond. They were fortunate to have so many great things… except for the gift of a child.

Chapter 4

Even though Edward and Bolanle loved each other tremendously, they wanted a child only via Bolanle’s womb. They tried in-vitro for two long years and when it was clear that their efforts were leading nowhere; they decided to remain as husband and wife and not parents. Their decision did not bother any of Bolanle or Edward’s relatives as all they cared about was their happiness, but it bothered one person, Bolanle’s grandmother.

Bolanle’s grandmother, who grew up in an ancient Nigeria before the influx of missionaries and British colonial masters, a time when it was believed by people in the land of Ogun that the number of children a man has is directly proportional to his wealth, was gravely disturbed because her granddaughter Bolanle did not bear a fruit of the womb.

Her dissatisfaction grew into desperation which led her to call for help from the idols she worshiped and kept under lock and key in a steel trunk under her bed. On a certain Sunday, after her routine prayers to the wooden sculptures, an idea of how to give her granddaughter a child slowly formed in her head. As the idea, which she thought was an answer to her prayers, brimmed in her mind, she hastily walked to her best friend’s house to disclose her plan.

“Margaret open this door!” she yelled, knocking hard on the wooden door of Margaret’s itty bitty hut and out of breath. “Patricia wetin carry you come here dis night? Shey notin happen to Bolanle?” Patricia, why are you here? I hope nothing bad happened to Bolanle?

Her best friend of thirty years, Margaret asked in their vernacular of pidgin English, frantic at the sudden knock on her door. “Wey your granddaughter?” Where’s your granddaughter? Bolanle’s grandmother, Patricia asked, as she rushed into the house looking around for Iyunola.

Iyunola walked out of her room, wondering what all the raucous was about “Mama Patricia, wetin you want? Ah ah, I no fit sleep dis night?” Mama Patricia (in this context, mama is used as a sign of respect rather than in the literal sense) what do you want? Can’t I just sleep?

Patricia retorted, showing all of her rotten teeth “Sharaap! Abeg come siddon, Baba Orunmila and Baba Sango, dem tell me say na you wey go give Bolanle pikin. After you don born, you go rich well well." Shut up! Please sit down (close to me). The gods, Orunmila and Sango have told me that you will give Bolanle a child. After you have given birth, you will be very rich.

The thought of being rich enticed Iyunola and her grandmother Margaret and the thought of giving Bolanle a child equally enticed Patricia. The three women stayed awake into the wee hours of the morning, carefully concocting their plan.

Chapter 5

Iyunola, a middle school dropout, was a rebel who ran away from her mother’s house at fourteen because they banned her from using her drug of choice, cocaine. An average-looking girl, she was envious that most of her girlfriends were married or had children and so she focused on drugs and alcohol to soothe her pain.

She had learned the year before she ran away, that she was a product of rape. Her mother had been raped at sixteen, on her way to church, and as soon as she found out she was pregnant, she decided to keep the baby because abortion was an abomination in the land at the time. Iyunola wanted so desperately to have children, but the men she tried to seduce were not interested because she didn’t have ideal good looks or because she was not a virgin. She lost her virginity willingly, the day she dropped out of school, in the mop closet behind her classroom to her senile math teacher.

Finally, I would have a child and also be rich, she thought. Bolanle’s grandmother, Patricia continued to reveal her plan. Patricia had been friends with her grandmother since before she was born. She admired their close friendship so much that she wished she could share the same close bond with someone. She was not particularly close to her mother as her mother detested her rebellious attitude or to her father who was non-existent in her life. Her grandmother only kept her around for a potential suitor who she hoped she could reap the rewards of a hefty bride price from. And so, because she didn't have anyone in her life who she shared a close bond with, in her world, cocaine was her true best friend.

“Iyunola, you dey go Bolanle house tomorrow. No forget the plan o!" Iyunola, you are going to Bolanle’s house tomorrow. Don’t forget the plan! Patricia said to Iyunola, as she stood up to adjust her wrapper, ready to leave. “Yes ma” Iyunola replied, standing up as well to head to her room. She closed the door quietly and packed her bags for her journey the next day, smiling from ear to ear, as she excitedly thought of the start of her new life. A life of riches and luxury.

Chapter 6

Bolanle felt sick periodically. She attributed this as a potential side effect of the multiple rounds of in-vitro shots she received for the past two years and thought nothing of it. Today, she felt an unfamiliar pain, it was an excruciating and uncomfortable pain that squeezed her lungs, making it difficult to breathe properly.

She was alone in the house, resting in the master bedroom when she heard the doorbell ring. She walked to the front door to open it and outside the door was her childhood friend, Iyunola.

“Bolanle mi! How bodi? I don miss una o, I say make I come visit.” My Bolanle, how are you? I’ve missed you (and Edward), so I decided to visit, she said as she hastily walked into the house with bags in tow, faking concern. Her fake concern turned genuine when she noticed that Bolanle was having difficulty breathing. She immediately dropped her bags, rushed to the nearest pharmacy, and purchased medicine that soon eased Bolanle’s pain.

As Iyunola settled back into the house, Iyunola silently considered not following through with the plan. The sight of her friend’s frail body unnerved her, but given her desperation for a child, she buried her thoughts of pity and focused on the huge payout the plan might bring. “My dear, make I cook somtin you go fit chop. E no good if your husband no see meat for your bodi.” My dear let me cook something for you to eat, your husband would like to see some meat on your bones. Iyunola said as she darted to the kitchen to cook up a feast.

Edward returned from his business trip to the Philippines two days later. His wife had begged Iyunola not to mention her plight to him so as not to make him worry. After that incident, Bolanle did not experience any other signs of pain and life continued as usual. As the months rolled by, they welcomed Iyunola as part of their family. The three of them traveled the world together to experience its wonders. They wined and dined with friends and family and enjoyed the fruits of their growing success.

Chapter 7

Her advances were subtle at first but eventually became unbearable. Whenever Bolanle was away on a business trip or out to visit friends or her sister in Canada, Iyunola would become increasingly flirtatious; stroking Edward whenever he felt sore because of a stressful workday, offering to sleep on his bed to keep him company, offering to feed him and even kissing him once “by accident”.

Edward, who loved his wife unconditionally, declined all of her advances and warned her to stay away. However, he resisted sending her away or informing Bolanle about her friend’s flirtations in order not to upset Bolanle as he understood how close the two had become. So he stuck it out; being aggressively chased by his wife’s close friend.

Iyunola’s chase led nowhere, so she stepped things up “Oga welcome o, how work na?” Welcome sir. How was work? She asked Edward on a cold and breezy December day, as she suggestively helped him take off his sweater. “Good”. He replied curtly.

“My wife will soon be back from her business trip, so I suggest you stop this nonsense right now!” He said, raising his voice. “Okay no vex o Americana, e be my fault say you fine well well? Don’t be angry American, is it my fault that you are extremely handsome?

She asked with a smirk on her face. “You dey stress yourself too much, oya take” You stress yourself out too much, okay take this, She said, handing him a glass of wine. And as he slowly drank, her smirk turned into a huge grin.

The next day, Edward woke up with a burning pain in his head. His eyes were groggy, his lips were dry, and he was completely nude. He was facing the wall and backing the person he heard softly breathing beside him. “Honey, you’re back so soon? He asked excitedly. Ah last night was so… and as he turned his head to face his wife to continue talking about the passionate and exciting lovemaking of the night before, looking back at him instead was his wife’s friend, Iyunola.

Chapter 8

Bolanle’s body pain came back and this time in full force. Edward was worried sick, thinking maybe it was God’s way of punishing him for sleeping with Iyunola two months before. They sought different opinions of the cause of her debilitating condition, and all the doctors they saw reached the same conclusion. She had sickle cell anemia; a hereditary disease that she later found out killed her younger brother.

As each month passed, Bolanle’s condition worsened; she became weaker, her bones began to show, and she experienced many fainting spells. She no longer could go on trips to enlighten young minds about the medical profession, run her clinic efficiently, or visit friends and colleagues. Her physical pain became mental pain. Seeing herself deteriorate into a fraction of who she once was, was disheartening. Once or twice she thought about ending her own life but decided against it because of the one person who supported her from the beginning of her career, her husband Edward Smith.

Edward retired shortly after Bolanle’s diagnosis to be closer to her. Luckily his pension was more than sufficient and so he didn’t need to work another day in his life. They went to doctor appointments together, and he was always there to carry her just in case of a fainting spell. Through the troublesome time, their love for each other reached new heights.

As soon as Bolanle’s diagnosis had reached Iyunola’s ears, she was filled with immense guilt and returned to her grandmother. The original plan Patricia, Bolanle’s grandmother, concocted was for Iyunola to have Edward’s baby who would be made to live with the couple.

She would then blackmail Edward and Bolanle to give her a monthly stipend so that she would not falsely accuse Edward of rape. However, Bolanle’s sickness had thrown a monkey wrench to their plan, forcing Iyunola to back out and go back to where she came from.

Minutes after Patricia heard of Bolanle’s diagnosis, she dropped to the floor and died. Margaret attributed it to heartbreak, and Iyunola assumed she died of guilt. They held a small burial ceremony in the nearby village and among those in attendance were Mary, Bolanle’s sister, Bolanle herself, and Edward. They lay Patricia to rest beside her grandson Ayo and her daughter- and son-in-law, Bolanle’s parents.

Chapter 9

It was the middle of the night when Edward’s phone rang. Bolanle, now fragile and wheezing, was sleeping in the guest bedroom, with her sister by her side, who had returned from Canada to help with Bolanle’s care. “This is Edward” Edward answered the phone after the fifth ring. “Mr. Smith, you are needed at Obafemi Awolowo Hospital.

Your baby’s mother, Iyunola Bello is in labor…” and as the voice on the other end of the phone continued to speak, Bolanle walked into the room with her sister behind her, wondering about the mysterious call. Edward hung up with his head hung low and in almost a whisper revealed that Iyunola was pregnant with his baby and in labor.

He told them how she made countless sexual advances at him whenever Bolanle was away; advances he declined until a fateful day when he was drugged and woke up the following morning to find that he had slept with her.

After he had finished speaking, there was silence. With her bony fingers, she caressed her husband’s hair and with tears rolling down her face, uttered “I forgive you. Let’s go to the hospital and bring this innocent child to the world”. They drove in silence for an hour until they reached the crumbling building located in a depreciated area on the other end of town; reminiscent of Edward’s dreams.

They rushed into the room where Iyunola was trying ever so hard to push the baby out. Her screams and wails could be heard a mile away, Bolanle, weak in body but not in mind or spirit, assisted the rookie doctors to bring the child into the world. Finally, after three long and arduous hours of labor, a child was born.

It was a boy. Iyunola gave up her parenting rights immediately after the baby’s birth, as she still was guilt-ridden, and concluded that she could not provide for the child on her own. The bouncing baby boy had Edward’s silky hair, caramel-colored skin, and was as cute as a button. Bolanle, with a heart of gold, adopted the child as her own and raised the boy until he was ten days old.

Bolanle died in her sleep the tenth day after the baby was brought home from the hospital leaving the heart of Edward Smith, shattered into a thousand pieces. “My love, what would I do without you?” He asked as he looked at her lifeless body beside him. The days following her death, the pain he felt was uncontrollable as he could not eat, sleep, or do regular activities. He saw her face all around him. He became extremely depressed.

They buried her a month after she was presumed dead and per her wishes, was put six feet under in a place where they had both celebrated the beginning of a life together; the island of Mauritius. Friends from all walks of life were in attendance. Her life’s work as a hardworking doctor who fought to make a difference in the world was celebrated.

Mary flew back to Canada after her sister had been put in the ground to be with her family, leaving Edward alone with a month-old child who reminded him so much of Bolanle and who had not yet been named.

It was October 1st 1960. Nigeria had just gained her independence from Great Britain and festivities and jubilations filled the air. However, Edward was in no mood to celebrate. In an empty house, he was alone with his baby boy and his mind raced back to that night, years earlier, when he dreamed of carrying his child, a child not born of his wife Bolanle; a dream which he hoped to not be a premonition but was indeed.

He looked down at his child for the last time and said, “My baby boy, I will name you Atewologun, after my dead wife’s maiden name which means your inheritance is in your hands. I hope that someday you get to know about your father, Edward Smith who migrated to Nigeria from the States to pursue his dreams and to escape racial injustice. I hope you inherit from me, the ability to follow your heart and pursue your dreams. I hope that one day you hear about a beautiful woman he married called Bolanle, who he cared deeply and passionately for and who cared deeply for you until you were ten days old. Remember son, that I will always love you”

And with a heavy heart, he slowly set out for the orphanage to drop off his baby boy.