MARGARET ANNE HORAN (Mrs Rufai) May 1928 by her daughter ANN
We used to have some good laughs, me and my Mum. She was a very earthy person who loved plants and nature. She loved to dance, do painting and was an avid reader. She loved to cook and was a fantastic baker, and she sewed and knitted. By god she was a grafter, yeah, she worked really, really, hard. Mum also had a raging Irish temper. (Laughter) She was about 5ft 4 inches, very slim, very blue eyes auburn hair and a raging temper (Laughter). My parents had two children before me: Samuel Kolawale and then David Olrewaju. Mum told me Samuel had Spina Bifida and for a mixed-race child he was very dark and absolutely beautiful. I think she was only able to hold him for about three days and then he went into the hospital where he died. I can imagine some of the nurses’ comments when she lost her first child. ‘Probably for the best love’ David was her favourite, always. I think David was about eight months old and he was light skinned. She said he had an extended navel and they pressurised her to let him have the navel treated. He was discharged with gastroenteritis and died at home. Her mother didn’t bother much with her when she lost the babies. But her father did, my Irish granddad; she was close to him. Grandad never liked my Father: one, because he was Black and two, because of the way he treated my Mother. In turn my Father didn’t like my Mother’s father - they didn’t like each other. So, it was difficult. I was born on the top floor of 34 Shakespeare Street, Ardwick. Mum’s sister Pat, and her husband my Uncle Samuel George lived in the middle floor. My cousin Barrie was born there too. Barrie’s father Uncle George was gentle, just a lovely, lovely man, an absolutely lovely man. He was Igbo and my
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