This is the way Christmas has been since I was like 11, and we moved to Bayelsa. Me, Boma and Karin- the younger children clean up the house for hours with my mom who simultaneously cooking. We'd do this till like 11 o'clock. Next thing you know were running around trying to have our baths and dress up to leave the house, which confuses me, you spend so much time arranging the house just to leave it behind.
Then we'd get to Azikoro Estate to be with our cousins, our aunts and uncles and most especially our grandmother. She is the most incredible woman I ever met. So peaceful, so observant. Her insight into the future is hard to find.
The laid on the bed most times, except when she did her old lady exercises round the house. She used to be able to do it on her own but as her eyesight got worse, she would need assistance. Her voice had reduced from whispers to crooks in phrases.
Karin was digging through old pictures at the corner and came to her bed that evening while we were saying goodnight. You know little kids are. She ran shouting, waving a picture in her hand “Ma see! You're so fine” It was obviously not apparent to her that our grandmother wouldn't be able to see that picture.
Everywhere went quiet for a moment. We heard grandma whisper “What is the color of the dress?”
Karin say's blue
Grandma had a huge grin staring blankly at the ceiling. She said “that was when I finished secondary school.” Then she described every detail about the dress.
Obviously, the dress meant more to her than we thought.
