Childless episode 2 & 3
Childless
Episode 2
PASTOR ADDO
(sadly)
Do not question God, girl. That will lead you to sin. But believe me, Akua, God has heard your prayers!
AKUA
Has He? I’ve only had a strange dream three nights in a row!
PASTOR ADDO
(calmly)
And what did you dream about? And you say it is the same dream?
AKUA
Yes, Pastor. In the dream it was raining, and I was lost in the rain. I could barely see where I was headed, and then out of the sleet of rain, a tall man appeared. He was wearing a dark suit with a white shirt and a black tie. I could not see his face well. In the first dream he seemed quite young, but in the second dream he looked like an old man with very grey hair. In the third dream, the one I had yesterday, he was young but had thick black facial hair. Anyway, he appeared and held my hand and guided me through the sleet of rain to the roadside where it wasn’t raining, and he showed me the entrance to the most beautiful garden I had ever seen!
Pastor Fiifi Addo is smiling broadly from ear to ear.
PASTOR ADDO
(beaming with happiness)
Thank you, Lord, oh thank you Father! There is none like You! Keep calm, Akua, God has answered your prayers. Your dream means that very, very soon, God is going to send a stranger into your life, and this stranger is going to show you the way back to God, and to a beautiful beginning filled with happiness! Now get up, it is time for us to pray, Akua!
Almost an hour later, Akua Dompreh drives through the gates of their beautiful house.
The Security Man closes the front gates as Akua drives up the driveway and parks under the beautiful canopied parking space to the right of the house.
Her husband’s car is already parked.
It is quite late now, past midnight.
She sits in the car for a long time, and then she sighs and gets out.
This is the day her husband’s cousin would be naming her daughter, and they will all go to the huge family house.
Akua knows the kind of reception she is going to receive, and the kind of hærd time she is going to have.
She says a quick prayer to God for bringing her home safely, and then she gets out of the car, locks it with the remote, and then she enters the beautiful house.
A huge house!
She and Kwabena had been filled with such great hopes of filling the house with scre-ming children and making it a beautiful home.
But that dream hasn’t materialized!
Akua is barren, evidently, and can never give birth!
Although the doctors have assured her that there is nothing wrong with her, as far as they can see, she hasn’t been able to conceive.
She has tried all methods available, used all styles but to no avail.
She has relied heavily on the love she has for God, and prayed incessantly and fasted steadily most of the ten years she has been married, but all to nought.
It seems to her God has closed her womb, and He is not listening to her.
Akua barely notices the luxurious living-room as she climbs the stairs to their bedroom.
Her husband is not in there.
She puts down her bag and goes in search of him.
She tries his study and the kitchen and the spare bedrooms.
Sometimes, more frequently nowadays, he will leave her and go and sleep in one of the other bedrooms.
He used to do that only after an argument with her, but nowadays he leaves her alone the moment he sees that she is in her menses.
This hurt her very much, especially when he explains that seeing her in her menses cruelly reminds him that they can never have children.
But he is not anywhere in the house.
She goes back to the bedroom and calls him.
The first ring goes unanswered.
She calls again, and he picks this time.
KWABENA
Yeah?
AKUA
(gently)
Where are you, my love? Your car is here but I’ve searched everywhere and can’t find you.
KWABENA
(coldly)
And you came in at this time?
AKUA
(sighing)
I called you several times, love, but you didn’t pick up, and then I sent you messages on text and on WhatsApp, and even sent you an email. I went to see the pastor, my love. So where are you?
There is a long pause, and then he speaks.
KWABENA
In the Boys Quarters. Getting a few things set up for Baaba and my son before they come in on Sunday.
It is like an arrow right through Akua’s heart.
She feels the searing pain, brutal and unbearable, and for a moment she feels so dizzy that her legs give, and she sprawls on the bed, fighting for breath.
The phone drops from her nerveless fingers.
As she lies in bed, gasping, tears of anguish falling down her cheeks, she knows that she cannot continue like this.
She will die if this torture is not stopped.
Akua doesn’t know how long she was in that zone of pain, but finally her heart stops its mad painful spirals, and her breath steadies.
She gets off the bed groggily and walks to her dressing table.
She sits down and looks sightlessly at herself in the mirror.
The image that stares back at her is the image of a dying woman.
With a trembling hand she rummages in her handbag and takes out a set of tiny keys.
She ins**ts one into the lock of the top drawer on her left, and unlocks it.
She pulls the drawer open.
Nestling there on a clean nylon cloth is a gun.
Episode 3
Akua looks longingly at the pistol, and then at the door.
She had bought and licensed it not long ago with the help of a friend, explaining that it was meant for robbers and self-defence.
She had purchased it at a time she had been feeling very suicidal.
And she is still feeling suicidal!
She can end it all now!
She can put a stop to her pain right now.
All it will take is the gun. She can sit in the bath, put the c*cked gun into her mouth or press it against her temple and gently squeeze the trigger.
Akua reaches for the gun, but as soon as her hand touches it she gasps and withdraws her hand. She pushes the drawer shut and locks it.
She sits there weeping bitterly for a while.
AKUA
(forlornly, weeping)
Oh, my God, Lord! You’re all I have! Why won’t you just help me out here, my Lord? But unto you I give all my troubles, Lord! Your will, and not mine be done! In all things, even in my great affliction, I give you the praise and the thanks and the honour!
Akua finally stands up and enters the bathroom.
She takes a long shower, and goes to bed.
But sleep will not come.
She takes the phone and calls Kwabena’s number again, but he has switched off the phone.
She walks to the window and looks out across their beautiful lawn, and sees him through the window of one of the bedrooms of the Boys’ Quarters.
He is stretching, and after that he sits down on the bed and lies down.
A moment later the light goes off, and Akua knows immediately that her husband is going to spend the night at the Boys Quarters as he awaits the arrival of the woman he had cheated on Akua with, and the son that has resulted from that act of adultery.
Akua turns away sharply.
She opens the drawer again, and this time she picks up the heavy pistol lying in there.
She lies down on the bed and puts the tip of the barrel into her mouth, and a few minutes later she takes it out and presses it against her left temple, and her finger curls around the trigger.
A moment later she takes it off, and puts it under a pillow.
She coils herself into a foetal position and weeps bitterly.
Thankfully, Akua Dompreh falls asleep not long after that.
And she dreams again of that bearded stranger in a black suit and white shirt taking her hand and leading her through the blinding storm.
The next day KWABENA DOMPREH, looking resplendent and handsome in his nicely-designed all-white attire, enters the bedroom and sees Akua sitting morosely at the dressing-table.
He scowls as he locks a chain around his neck.
KWABENA
(exasperated)
C’mon, Akua! What are you waiting for? The programme is at ten! We’re running late! Let’s go!
Akua turns a tortured face to him, and she tries to smile.
AKUA
Darling, why don’t you go? Tell them I’m not feeling well.
KWABENA
(getting angry)
We’ve already talked about this, Akua. What’s this? I told you my father wants to discuss something with us. We need to be there!
AKUA
(desperately)
What can your father have to discuss, darling, except me being barren and he looking for his grand-children? You know how he gets whenever there’s a function like this, especially a naming ceremony!
Kwabena sighs and grits his teeth, and then he smiles tightly.
KWABENA
I don’t think he’ll do that this time, dear. I spoke to him. Everything is okay. Come, you’ll be pleasantly surprised. I’m waiting for you in the car.
He turns and leaves the room.
Akua stares at her reflection for a long time in the mirror, and ten she sighs miserably.
She stands up and heads for the door, and then she pauses.
She takes a deep shuddering breath, and then she turns, walks to the dressing-table, opens the drawer, takes the loaded pistol, and drops it into her handbag.
When they arrive at the breath-taking house of TUTU DOMPREH, her father-in-law, she sees that there are a lot of cars around.
Many people have come to grace the occasion, as usual.
Those ceremonies are usually carried out in the incredible backyard of the edifice that is Tutu’s home; the backyard is also a lovely garden artistically crafted.
The flowers are lush and well-tended, the lawn so green that it hurts the eye.
There are replica figurines of exotic animals around the garden, done with stunning accuracy so that at first sight it appears to visitors that they are actually looking at a live lion, or tiger or a rhino!
There are white tents er-cted, and under them are comfortable cushion chairs.
On a raised white podium is the head table.
Mouth-watering food, tables and a delectable bar with assorted drinks complete the magnificent set-up.
It reminds Akua painfully of how it would have been if she had been able to give birth.
There are a lot of people around, and soon Akua is drawn into a conversation with some of the family members she has not seen in a long while.
Kwabena’s mother died just after Akua’s marriage.
She had been Akua’s ally, and she misses her so much!
Presently the handsome, middle-aged Tutu Dompreh appears.
He is in a beautiful kente cloth, thrown majestically across one shoulder.
Chains, gold bracelets, a stunning Rolex and expensive ahenemma sandals complete his apparel.
He is the Chairman for the occasion, and so he sits on the middle chair at the high table, picks up the microphone, and begins calling guests to sit with him.
First he calls Kuukua, who has given birth and being honoured, and her husband. He then calls Kuukua’s parents and her husband’s parents.
He calls the Clan Head of the family, an aged man, and then he finally calls Kwabena.
Each person that is called is received with applause and laughter.
Kwabena stands up and looks at Akua.
KWABENA
Come on, Akua, let’s go.
Akua looks up at her husband and shakes her head once.
AKUA
He hasn’t called me, Kwabena.
KWABENA
(impatiently)
Stop being childish, Akua! Of course there are two seats left, for you and me. Come, let’s go.
Akua stares at her husband for a moment, and then she gets to her feet.
That is when her father-in-law’s voice arrests her.
TUTU DOMPREH
(scornfully)
And where does that barren woman thinks she is going? I don’t remember mentioning your name, so you better sit down!
Akua feels dazed.
For one horrible moment she almost keels over with the force of the humiliation, shock and pain, but with a herculean effort she slowly lowers herself back into her seat.