29/06

The noise was faint from outside but anyone could easily tell what song was being played. Activities were bubbling from one end to the other. Women in colourful native wear were stomping in and out of the hall. They went in carrying trays with different kinds of dishes in them and came out with plates of leftover food; some with empty trays.

From a glance, you could tell that food and drink were available in surplus. People were using soft drinks to wash their hands after finishing their food and it was easy to spot people who had eaten more than once. They had their eyes bulging out as they chewed greedily.

Approaching the hall, your ears will be filled with the sound of merriment. The electric music blasting from the heavy speakers at different corners of the hall was very welcoming.

The hall itself was well decorated. To the west, there were men and women, adults and children sitting at round tables, wearing cultural outfits that reflected different shades of wine colour. On their tables, there was everything you could see at a party; food, drinks, fruits, souvenirs, mention it, everything was present. The people seated were moving their bodies from side to side following the rhythm of the music playing. The vacant seats were occupied by people who were now dancing recklessly in front of the hall.

The people on the east looked more relaxed. From their outfit, it was easy to tell that they were probably from the eastern part of the country. They wore large beads on their necks and hands. The women among them also wore beads on their heads and waists too.

Looking in front of the hall, you could see some of them also swinging their bodies showing traditional dance steps.

In the middle of this crowd at the front, it was easy to spot the bride and the groom all dressed elegantly. And from the look of the environment, a reception ceremony had just come to an end. The dance continued for long till the groom tactfully stole his beautiful bride from the crowd and drove off to their newly rented apartment in the suburb of the island.

The man was tall and well built. He had a strong face that masked his lovely personality. His wife on the other hand was a plump beautiful looking young lady with an adorable smile that revealed her front teeth and dimples on each of her cheeks.

They had met some years back and even though they were distant parts of the country, they were so close to each other and loved each other recklessly. They spent every day of their lives like it was their honeymoon.

A few years after they tied the knot, they welcomed their first child. The birth of their son brought a cascade of emotions and indescribable feelings. They were so glad. Families and friends, neighbors and well-wishers, and even the people from their local church, everyone came with gifts to congratulate them. Before leaving, they had a prayer or advice to give the couple.

Their son grew up fast and as he grew, they tried to conceive another one. Several efforts were made and after what seemed like forever, the bride conceived again four years after the birth of her son.

There was no doubt that both the man and his wife were so happy about the news of the pregnancy. She quickly enrolled for antenatal and her husband made sure that she did not miss an appointment.

One particular Thursday, in the early hours of the morning, painful groans from his bedside woke the man from his sleep. He saw his wife, obviously in pain, covering her mouth not wanting to make a sound. Startled, he swung out of the bed and rushed to her side of the bed. "Honey, what’s wrong?", he asked. It was at that moment that she let out a loud cry, holding her stomach with one hand and shaking her wrist with the other.

She wasn’t due to delivery until another couple of weeks, so he wondered what the problem could be. A horrible thought came to his mind but he quickly discarded it. The thought came back again and he had to refrain himself from looking at his wife’s laps to make sure he didn’t dwell on the thought. He couldn't bring himself to think that it was a miscarriage.

A few minutes later, they were in the car driving to the hospital with two neighbors who had heard the noise from their apartment and came out to help. They had called the hospital on their way and preparations were made ahead of their arrival.

She was taken into the labour room and he was with her throughout the night. At the break of dawn, he left to prepare their son for school. When the son asked about his mother, the man replied that mummy is about to give him a brother.

On their way to school, the excited son couldn’t stop talking about how he and his brother would play with his toys. He asked if he could see the brother and his father promised to take him there after school.

The man called his office to explain the situation and was on his way to the hospital again. He also called members of the family to inform them of the issue and promised to give them an update as soon as they hear the child’s cry.

On getting to the hospital, he was asked to see the doctor first when he approached the labour room. The way the nurse sounded made him a bit worried but he paid little attention to that.

He knocked on the doctor’s office and opened the door without waiting for a reply. He couldn’t help but notice the gloomy countenance on the doctor’s face the moment their eyes jammed. After exchanging pleasantries, he asked after his wife and the doctor made a deep sigh before he spoke.

"Sir, there’s something you need to know...", the doctor began. "We did an ultrasound for your wife and discovered that the baby is a breech." With a puzzled look, the man asked the doctor to explain. "It is caused when there is little or excess amniotic fluid in the uterus. The baby is positioned upside down in the stomach so we cannot take the delivery the normal way. We can try a caesarean or External Version(EV) where we try to force the baby into a correct position by manipulating the baby with our hands through the stomach. Now, the chances that both mother and child will survive in both cases are slim. Only 5 in 10 EVs are successful and a caesarean can block the baby’s oxygen supply before we’re done which will result in stillbirth. All these exclude the possible casualties that the mother, your wife, might experience. I’m sorry to put you in this condition but you have to choose so we can attend to your wife as soon as possible."

The man sat there in the office of the doctor and as the words came out of the doctor’s mouth, it pushed his soul out of his body. He was literally unconscious after the doctor’s speech.

He had a four-year-old who couldn’t wait to close from school to come and see his brother. How would he tell his little boy that the brother wasn’t coming? His parents and in-laws were waiting for his call. Where would he muster the strength to tell them that the life of their daughter and grandchild was at risk?
Tears trickled out of his eyes. How was he going to return home with his wife and a dead child or a child and his wife’s corpse. This was not what he had expected. The doctor, moved with compassion reminded him that he had to make a choice. He went for the External Version. "If this doesn’t work, then we can try the caesarean", he said.

The doctor got up and gave him a sign to follow. They both walked down the hospital corridor till they got to the labour room. As they strolled, series of thoughts flashed through his mind. He thought of the worst things that could happen and he couldn’t control his tears anymore. He wept like a baby.
As the doctor entered the labour room, the doctor asked the man to wait outside. " Sir, you’ll have to wait outside while we do our job. We can’t have you crying inside."

After what seemed like a painful eternity, the doctor came out, looking heartsore and mournful. "I’m sorry, sir...", he said with a low spirit. "... you have a bouncing baby boy and your wife is sound. She’s a strong woman I must say", he ended with a smile.

The man tried to shout but was quick to remember that he was in a hospital. He rushed in to see his wife and child. She was holding the little boy in her arms when he breezed in. He gave her a big hug, collected the child, and held him close to his heart. He took another deep look at his wife. " Thank you", he said as tears rolled down his cheeks.

One this day,

Decades later,

That little boy is in your hands.

If you are reading this, I am that little boy.

Being in your hands today and having you read my stories, I can’t be more grateful.

Thank you for staying with me.❤

Thank you for coming here.❤

It’s my birthday today, say a prayer for me.🤲

Thank you.❤