By Bukola Ayinde
Some weeks ago, my husband and I planned a short holiday when the kids were home on Easter break. January to March 2024 was really packed with so many things to handle that we were both eager to get away for a little while. We arranged for my mum to stay with the kids and the carers. As parents of a special needs child, there is that fear of leaving your child with others. Will they be able to cope? Will the child be, okay?
Well, Lawrence and I decided to use the short break to find out. In the past, when one of us travelled, the other stayed back. When my kids found out, they screamed in shock. Pemi, kept saying, “You mean you are travelling without me?” We packed our bags, said our goodbyes and off to the airport.
When travelling as a family, we usually pack a minimum of eight bags, which includes Nimi’s bath chair. Travelling with kids, especially with a wheelchair, can be quite challenging and stressful.
On the trip, Lawrence checked in one suitcase while he kept his backpack and a small suitcase as hand luggage. I checked in my main suitcase and a small suitcase that should have been my hand luggage. I had with me a very small handbag. We cruised through the airport protocols and boarded the plane. I love my kids but going on a much-needed holiday without them was therapeutic. When we landed in London, we located our ride to the hotel, Hampton by Hilton.
From a temperature of 30°+ in Nigeria to 12° then 6° degrees Celsius. Ah! It wasn’t funny. I tried adjusting the room temperature but it wouldn’t go higher than 24° and it was still very cold. I asked the receptionist how to further adjust it and she promised to work on it from the main switch. With that, the room was warm.
We walked around the neighbourhood and found a Turkish Restaurant, Efes. It was really busy; the Muslim fast was on and from the look of it, some people came there to break their fast. We ordered lamb chops and rice. Delicious meal; I never thought a day would come that I would eat white rice without stew but I did and it was nice.
Knowing fully well that I am married to a man who loves adventure on holiday, I had to psyche myself to get ready to start walking all around London.
The following day, we began our adventure; we acted like typical tourists; we jumped on the hop-on and hop off-tour bus and decided to look around London. Sitting on the upper deck of the bus, listening to the history and other information about the city was nice. However, it was a rainy, windy and cold day. The sun shone in the sky with no warmth accompanying it but the wind was cold and biting. It rained, stopped, rained and stopped as though it were being timed. The English rain is different from the rain in the Tropics. The English rain is mild, friendly, almost as though caressing your skin. When it rains in the tropics, it pours. Like someone turned a dam upside down. I had on thermal wears, a shirt, a sweater and a winter jacket. I had on my head warmer, hand gloves, socks, and sneakers. I was fully dressed yet I was cold. (Yes, you can laugh.) Lawrence and I decided not to go down at any of the stops (tourists attractions) because of the cold and rain.
When we finally got down, my legs felt like plastics and I couldn’t feel them. I kept hitting them on the ground and I walked really fast. Lawrence asked if I was okay, and I told him I wasn’t, but there was nothing he could do about it. I couldn’t wait to get to the comfort of the hotel room.
The following day, I had planned to meet my friend, Marilyn and her family. Marilyn and I met on Instagram through my disability advocacy write-ups. I was so excited to meet her. We hugged like we had known each other for a very long time. I found out her husband and mine were from the same village in Ogun State. They took us to a Nigerian Restaurant on Oxford Street called Enish. I must say that the food was delicious and impressive as I sat down to a bowl of amala, ewedu, gbegiri, fried palm oil stew and well-seasoned beef.
After four days in London, we said our goodbyes to Hampton by Hilton as we checked out and started our journey to Liverpool.
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