The Library Card

IT has been thirty-seven years since I borrowed a library card

At the Hezekiah Oluwasanmi Library at UNIFE (OAU)

From a shy, handsome, gap-toothed classmate

He came to my University for a degree

He left with his degree and something else

Three years later we walked down the aisle

A simple beautiful ceremony in London

The dress was from Debenhams

The suit was Italian

With wedding rings from H. Samuel Jewelers

And a lovely red and white cake that cost 90 pounds

No parents paid for anything and nothing was owed after

The party was supposed to end at 9pm

We gave the Jamaican Venue Manager a pack of beer

He beamed and said we could stay for as long we wanted

Our family and friends in London danced all night

On Monday we were homeless due to no fault of ours

That is a story for another day!

The seasons came and went

Thirty-four of them and still counting

As the good book says, there was a time for everything

A time to paint and decorate

A time to pack up and move

A time to settle somewhere new

A time to agonise

A time to organise

A time for sadness

A time to rejoice

A time to dream

A time to hope

A time to plan

A time to talk

A time for silence

A time for friends

A time for enemies

A time for tears

A time for laughter

Through it all there was one thing that defied time or circumstance

It was always A Time for Love

Thank you for all the wonderful years

Thank you for being my friend

Thank you for holding my hand

And for placing yours in mine

Thank you for being such an amazing father

Thank you in advance, for all the great years to come

Thank you for lending me your library card so long ago

Without it, I would not have had such a life of love.

‘The Library Card’ was first written in September 2019 and can be found in ‘Where is Your Wrapper?’ Bisi Adeleye-Fayemi, published by Prestige, Kachifo Limited, October 2020. This is an updated version.

• Bisi Adeleye-Fayemi is a Gender Specialist, Social Entrepreneur and Writer. She is the Founder of Abovewhispers.com, an online community for women. She can be reached at [email protected]