Thankamony was conceived again after a gap of five years. Since my sister and family had gone to India for permanent settlement, we had decided to have the delivery at Ogoja. We had experienced the same excitement and was thrilled about the coming of the new baby. Thankamony delivered the baby on the night of 25th February 1987 at the Maternity hospital, Ogoja. I was really tensed as there was no doctor available at that time. It was a group of nurses who took the delivery. This time it was a nurse who came with the baby from the labor room and announced 'it's a boy'. He was handsome and precious, healthy and strong. It was the proudest moment in my life. I knelt on the ground and thanked God for the smooth and safe delivery. We called him Sherry (means, dear one or darling).

Ukpo family was one of the most prominent family in Ogoja. The eldest brother, Bishop Joseph Ukpo was the first indigenous bishop of Ogoja and the patron of Mary Knoll. We used to visit him at the Bishop's house on special occasions. His brother, Col. Anthony Ukpo was appointed as the military governor of River State. Their younger brother Mark Ukpo became a senator at the national assembly. During Mark's wedding, Seany aged four years was chosen to serve as a flower girl. She wore a peach colored silk dress, and carrying a basket full of petals proceeded down the aisle just before the maid of honor, scattering the rose petals along the bride's path. The wedding was attended by several state governors and bishops. After the wedding the governors were very appreciative of the young flower girl and was seen taking photographs with her. Bishop Ukpo had kindly agreed to baptize Sherry on the 28th of March at the Mary Knoll church. Raju's sister Kunjumol and her husband Johnny had travelled from Jos of Plateau state to officiate as the godparents. It was a colorful celebration in the church attended by many people in the community with lots of singing and dancing. We were elated by the gracious gesture of Bishop Ukpo, the priests and nuns who followed him for the occasion.

Nigeria's economy had started to deteriorate from 1986. It is the 12th oil producing country in the world and the largest in Africa with a production of 2,000,000 barrels per day. But corruption at every level had brought the country down. It was ranked as the 172nd worst among the 215 nations surveyed by the Transparency International. Corruption in Nigeria is rampant and endemic. Nigeria does not depend on taxpayer's income and so the government is not answerable to the people. There is no investment in infrastructure of the country. The country's leaders siphoned of its wealth to offshore accounts. Mr. Umaru Dikko, the minister of transport in Shagari government fled Nigeria in 1984 to the UK with a stolen money of one billion dollars. A team of Nigerians and Israelis tried to kidnap and repatriate him in a specially made crate by air was foiled by a customs officer at the airport. This was one of the many examples of looting the economy. There were ghost workers in every arm of the government. It was very disheartening to see how a prosperous country where honey and milk were flowing had suddenly become a country of paupers. The change we had seen was dreadful and shocking.

In October 1988 at the expiry of my contract appointment, we had decided to leave Nigeria for good. We had loved the country and its people so much that it was a painful decision to take. It was here that I and Thankamony had shared some of the most precious moments in our lives. It was in this country my children were born. It was on this soil my children toddled. Mary Knoll and Nigeria had become part of my soul. It was time to say good-bye. I knew that I'll never see them again. They knew that. The Principal and the teachers were emotional and hugged me when I bid farewell to them. I kissed the land, my second home, before I left. God save Nigeria.