A Pregnant Pause

(by Crystal Scott)

Whether it is physical or spiritual, being a mother is a full-time, non-stop activity. You are The Source for your child. You nurture, you advise, you cook, you clean, you warn, you cry, you worry. You parent.

As if this was not a task and a half, Corona comes along to increase the stress levels. For me, a 22-year-old mother-to-be, the flutters in my belly slowly turn into kicks, and I am reminded day by day that the walls of my uterus can only serve for so long as a shelter from Corona’s hazardous claws.

Corona beat me to the finish line of motherhood; it has taken over any concept of control. I’m not sure if it was the most appropriate time to have a baby. In my fifth month of pregnancy, I remind myself daily, that I indeed can do this, that the world is still whole for my child and me. I prepare meals like Nigerian plaintains and eggs (a craving that was amplified when I became pregnant), knowing that I’m nourishing two lives. Like all mothers, we created and therefore we own, so I will resist being bullied by a disease that has no bearing or soul.

The recipe to survive is hope, strength, and love. They are a constant reminder that the planet is our home, and Corona is an unwanted visitor. I have feared that, come August, I will no longer be able to shield my beautiful child, who will be skin-to-skin with the physical intrusions of the world. I hope that I can serve as the bridge between my baby and Corona. It’s an uplifting thought. Motherhood is an armor.

Hope, strength, and love have been added to each of my meals these past few weeks. They have mixed with the salt and sugar in my meals. I’m certain they have been extended to the amniotic fluid in which my precious child will form his first tastes. As I whisper to my belly, “Eat, darling, eat,” my child will be reminded of the taste of hope, strength, and love during this tough period.

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Crystal Scott is a lawyer and aspiring writer who grew up in England and recently moved to Alpharetta, Georgia. She can be found on Instagram.

Nigerian Plantains and Eggs

(adapted from Cookpad)

2 ripe plantains

7 pinches of salt

2 oz. olive oil, divided

1 green pepper, chopped

1 onion, chopped

1 tomato, chopped

pinch of freshly ground black pepper

2 eggs, beaten

Cut plantains into 1/4-in. thick pieces, round or oval.

Apply a little salt to the cut pieces.

Heat some of the olive oil, and shallow fry the plantains until golden brown.

In another pan, add the remaining olive oil, and sauté chopped green peppers and onions for 3 minutes.

Add chopped tomatoes, and sauté for 2 more minutes.

Add salt and black pepper to taste.

Add eggs, and cook completely on both sides.

Serve hot with the fried plantains.

(Tastes good accompanied by onions sautéed with sesame seeds, salt and pepper.)