CHALKY REAL LIFE
When Dymund Dina, 32, from Orpington, longed for the smell of rain during her pregnancy, she knew what would fulfil her craving…
Walking around my local area, Itook along, deep breath.
It had just been tipping it down in 2013 and the smell of rain lingered.
Rubbing my pregnant belly, the earthy smell made my stomach rumble.
Surely I can’t be craving the smell of rain? I thought.
Only, as Ithought back to my childhood, it all fell into place. When Iwas 11, my mum Maria, 56, was pregnant with my little sister Grace, now 22.
She’d pull out asmall plastic bag and take out agrey stick. ‘What is that Mum?’ I asked. ‘It’s mabele,’ she smiled.
‘Edible clay from Africa.’ It smelled just like fresh rain. Then, Mum took ahuge bite. Now, I realised why Mum felt compelled to chomp on it. It must have been a pregnancy craving, I realised. It was anormal part of my Congolese culture to snack on it during pregnancy.
Heading to the nearest African supermarket, Iwas drawn to the bags of mabele.
Wrapped in aplastic bag without alabel or expiry date, it felt abit dodgy –but weighing about two grams, the bag contained eight sticks of clay, costing £1.50.
Itucked into it as soon as I left the shop. Biting through the smooth outer texture, Iwas met with the perfect crunch.
As the clay turned into a thick paste, asalty flavour tantalised my taste buds.
It was like drinking aglass of wine after astressful day. That hit the spot! I thought. Heading home, I didn’t show my partner Jason, 39.
Being Congolese, too, he knew about clay cravings. Only, as Iwhipped out my clay, Jason started to gag. ‘That smells disgusting,’ he complained, walking away. Eating clay during my pregnancy, I ate abag aweek.
It even eased my morning sickness, too.
Jason even drove all over London sourcing the perfect batch of mabele for me.
But when my son Kamari, now 10, was born in June 2013, the craving faded.
At least until I fell pregnant with my twins Kai and Kylee, now seven, two years later.
I ate clay throughout my later two pregnancies, too, with my daughter Keziah, now five, and my baby Kiana, now one.
Iwent from eating one bag of clay aweek to five bags aday.
Spending £40 here and there, it was an ex
