She waited anxiously and managed the pressures from family members for 31 years
of matrimony and childlessness. God finally answered her prayers with bouncing twins two weeks back. Also curious is the fact that she delivered her babies without any medical complications at the age of 56. Who is this woman?
The No 6 Akinsola Ooreofe Oluwa home of Mr. and Mrs. Jacob Olubunmi Ajayi has become a Mecca of some sorts. Neighbours,
relations, friends and well wishers of the family have been trooping in since Sunday, September 29, 2013. The only mission of the visitors is to rejoice with the family that has
just broken the chains of years of barrenness and childlessness at an incredible age.
On the said Sunday, Mrs. Mary Anike Ajayi gave birth to a set of twins. And the family spared nothing to celebrate the christening of the children on the eighth day of their birth.
Gaily dressed admirers in large numbers from all works of life, came in droves to catch a glimpse of the bouncing twins. The pleasant
aspect of it all was that the twins had just arrived the family, after 31 anxious years of wedlock.
Thus, Mrs. Ajayi , aged 56 and her husband, Ajayi aged 64, the proud parents of the bouncing twins, christened them Goodness and Mercy.
Weekly Trust gathered that the couple tied the nuptial knot on December 18, 1982. Until now, both had vainly waited on the Lord for the fruit of the womb. And for those trying years, she lamented, it was so challenging. "I was traumatized psychologically and felt like giving up hope of ever carrying my own children," she said.
However, Mrs. Ajayi, who teaches at the Muslim College, Oke-Ila, Ado-Ekiti could not hide her joy on September 29, when she entered the labour room and after 15 minutes of labour, he became the proud mother of twins.
The highly elated mother said: "I got married to my husband on December 18, 1982 and since then I have been waiting on the Lord
for the fruit of the womb but to no avail. The experience of 31 years is not a joke. It is through the grace of God that I was able to sail through it.
"At times, I would be unhappy and depressed, even in the midst of my colleagues and friends when they are rejoicing for one thing or the other. But in the Church of the Lord
where I worship, they would call us out and pray for those of us looking for the fruits of the womb. That gave me the courage to trust
in God that one day God in His mercy would answer my prayer and it happened," she recounted.
To ensure that she had children for the marriage, Mrs. Ajayi recalled that she went to different hospitals, herbalists' homes, drank different concoctions, but none solved the
problem.
"You know as an African woman from Yoruba land, if a married woman delays in giving children to her husband, they will not like it
at all. Even when the husband is not worried, the relations would make him worry. I went to hospitals and herbalists' homes. I ate different kinds of herbs, but I got fed up and decided not to do anything again, but to have hope in
the Lord, since there is no impossibility in His dictionary.
"There was a time, it came to my mind to go and adopt a child, but my mother was against the idea. She insisted that I would have my
own children. My husband, too, was against it. He said 'no', that God would do it, because he too believes it, so I discarded the idea of adoption," the new mother said.
She expressed gratitude to her husband, who stood by her during her period of tribulation, saying despite having children from another woman, due to pressure from his family, he has not allowed the second wife to take her
position.
"When my husband realized that I got pregnant, he was very happy and started praying that God will see me through, and that he will see my children," she added.
But how did she manage the period of pregnancy and combining same with her job
as a teacher and a house wife? Iya ibeji, as she is now being called, said she drew her strength from God, adding "It did not disturb
me from doing my primary duty. But you know that during pregnancy one would feel discomfort."
"I would pray and place my hands on my stomach and prophesy on it that I would deliver safely; and God granted my prayers,"
she recalls. Responding to why she named the twins Goodness and Mercy for the boy and girl respectively, she explained that "because it is through the goodness and mercy of God that I
was able to have children at this age."
Mrs. Ajayi advised couples waiting on the Lord to have faith and not to lose hope, saying God
"has no limitations."
"They should be prayerful and not allow doubt to come to their minds. Even when temptations or things they could not explain come, they should have hope in God, it is
only God that can give children."
Mr. Ajayi expressed his appreciation to God, saying he was happy receiving the new gifts
from God.
"I was rolling on the ground praising God when the nurse invited me into the ward after
delivery. She delivered on her own without any surgical operation. I was expecting one, but God decided to make it two, it is a
marvelous thing from God."
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