My brother Baraka

Mama Imani, fondly known as Teacher Neddy, is expectant again. Her hair is full on her head and she is getting rounder by the day. She is ready for her bundle of joy, almost anxiously so. And she is not the only one waiting. Her little girl, Imani, the prospective big sister, has joy the size of Lake Victoria. And If you think you can stop her in her tracks, think again. Simply put, she cannot be contained. Since she found out about Mama’s pregnancy, she has had a new goal to pursue.
Each day, she’s stepping on it, rung after another; in the estate, at school, everywhere. She will tell it to anyone who cares to listen.
Her message? Loud and clear. “My brother Baraka will be coming home in November.”

If you didn’t know their family well, you will mistakenly conclude that her brother, who’s been away somewhere, is coming back home. But this little angel has been preaching the Baraka gospel for six months now. The kids in the entire neighborhood are now on the guest list for this my brother Baraka’s ‘homecoming’. It is the baby Mama Imam expects to deliver in November.

Teacher Neddy has been telling Imam how she will soon be a big sister to her baby brother Baraka. ‘But she’s only four,  you would argue. Yet she has clearly proven that even 4-year-olds are old enough to be prepared for an upcoming bundle of joy.

Teacher Neddy’s right. Preparing family members for the soon coming of my brother Baraka is an excellent idea whose importance cannot be overemphasized. She feels that Imani needs to know ahead of time that soon, there will be someone else in the mix. That soon, it will cease being just Mama, Daddy & Imam and start being Mama, Daddy, Imam & Baraka. She also needs to understand that the baby cot, the feeding chair along with some of her toys, not forgetting the baby walker, need to be handed down when that time comes. Looks like she’s going to have to give up quite a lot, including her baby pillow and stuffed animals; the more reason she needs to be prepared early enough.

Surprises are not often good as the other siblings may feel ignored or undermined. Some may have trouble coping, especially during the early months when they resent the newcomer for stealing the show they’ve been starring in. It is why Teacher Neddy finds it critical to prepare Imani for her little brother Baraka.

There’s also Daddy to deal with.
Now, we may think that because they have Imani, he must surely remember how to deal. Though that may be the case, more often than not. he needs a refresher. Mama involves him by shopping for baby clothes with him, choosing the hospital where Baraka will be born, and inviting him to join Mama in celebrating the milestones – the ultrasound, the prenatal visits, and prenatal classes or such things as he may be interested in.

It is worth noting that some of the things may not excite him half as much as they do Mama, and that’s perfectly alright. After all, even in normal situations, women’s and men’s reactions to things vary quite often. It is however important to let him be the one to decide whether to attend or pass. Mama, sometimes they could use a little encouragement, right? & Daddy. Mama could always use a little support here and there.

Mama need not tell Imam all the nitty gritties of Baraka’s coming. Obviously, at the age of four, discretion is only wise. Nevertheless, Teacher Neddy will have Imam listen to Baraka’s kicking every once in a while. Imani is now so used to listening to the kicks that each time she hears them, she repeats her Daddy’s joke that Baraka is already practicing for the World Cup. Imam takes Mama shopping for baby’s clothes. She is overly fascinated by the ‘difficult & fancy’  (she says) names of the layette pieces. Her favorites are the bib and the bonnet. She can correctly write bib and now a bunch of kids in her neighborhood has to write bib or ‘bonnet’ thanks to Imam.
She doesn’t give up, now, does she? Poor kids! Once she overheard daddy telling Uncle Bill, while he was opening the trunk of his old Datsun, that he’d need to ‘fix this bonnet’. To this day, he is at pains trying to explain to Imam the relationship between the car and the piece of baby’s clothing. Other days. Daddy has to draw the item in question, and we all know who else will be subjected to this assignment – those poor kids!

Imani looks forward to gladly passing down one of her treasured possessions, her Bedtime stories book. She is so eager for my brother Baraka, that she has already decided which one of the stories he will like most.

As the countdown continues; so does Imani’s guest list for my brother Baraka’s homecoming. Mama and Daddy often laugh at how animated Imani has become, especially telling her playmates about the new baby her Mama will bring home in November!

END: PG35/