Sisterhood episode 52

TITLE: SISTERHOOD

AUTHOR: OGECHI ALABI

CHAPTER 52

FUNKE

Funke was worried about their childlessness. She had spoken to her friends about the problem, especially Nkem. She wanted to carry the pregnancy herself and have the baby. That had been a bone of contention between Ebuka and her. He didn’t care who carried the pregnancy as long as they had a child.

When the issue became overbearing, Nkem got involved. Funke needed her advice. Nkem suggested she gets someone she could trust to carry the pregnancy for her. But because they didn’t want anyone in the family to know about it, they couldn’t tell them. How would she get someone they could trust to help them carry the pregnancy and also afford to pay for it? They had some money but needed more.

Nkem discussed this with her mother about Funke’s predicament. Her mother was interested. There was a young widow in the village who needed help. She also needed a place to stay. Since Nkem had insisted her sister would study in Unilag as she did, she recommended she comes with the widow for the preliminary tests.

“You are so confident she would do it. You have to discuss it with her first,” Nkem told her mother.

“She will do anything to raise capital to leave the village and start life again. Her husband’s brothers want to sleep with her before she is given money to tend to her two children. Their wives hate her because they feel she is seducing their husbands. I have told her never to accept sleeping with any man during her mourning period. We prayed just before she removed her black cloth that God will send a helper to help her and he just did.”

“Talk to her first; she must agree.”

The woman was immediately interested in being a surrogate. To ensure she had a good bargain, Nkem researched how much surrogates were paid; it was expensive. She was scared Funke and her husband would not be able to afford it and the procedure.

She told Funke she had found a surrogate for her. She told her the going rate (which was cheaper than what was obtainable abroad) and asked her to discuss it with her husband and come up with a figure.

“Nkem, thank you so much. You always find a solution to my problems. The next problem is raising the money. Once we ask our parents, they will suspect. Ebuka is willing to wait until he has enough money for everything. But, I am desperate. I want to get this done now I am excited. I was thinking of taking a loan. I don’t want to take from Esther again; it would look like I am living off her. What do you think?”

Read – My ugly face episode 3

“Pray about it, a solution will come. The surrogate prayed with my mum that help will come her way once her mourning period is over and you came. You are an answer to her prayers. Also, pray that God will make a way in the shortest possible time. He will perform a miracle.”

“Pray? Nkem, this has never been your solution.” She paused for a few minutes and continued, “I have been praying but nothing is happening.”

“How can you say that? Many things are happening in your favour, and your prayers are being answered. What you need is extra money to add to what you and your husband have and then your miracle is complete. It is a process and it will work. As a show of faith, you should invite the lady to Lagos for preliminary tests. We have to be sure she is suitable.”

“Start spending money when the money we have is not complete?”

“Start spending money in faith. What you need will be provided by God, watch and see.”

Funke ended the call and was heavy in thought. She went through the conversation she had with Nkem and then called her back. She said, “Nkem, please ask your mother to pray for me too. Maybe God will answer her prayer faster than I, a sinner.”

“Funke! What is wrong with you? Take charge of your emotions. It is just money remaining for your dreams to come true. Stop sounding like this. I will tell her to pray for you but not like this.”

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Nkem had a conversation with her mother. She told her the challenges Funke was facing raising money for the procedure and also the surrogate. Before she could bring Funke’s request forth, her mother replied, “What of her uncle, Tobi? Has she spoken with him? He is a sensible man and I believe he can be trusted. She should speak with him or maybe I should talk to him. I will mention to him that his niece needs his help and he should step forward to help her.”

“I don’t think Funke will like that. She doesn’t want her family to know.”

“Whatever she tells him concerns her. She should find a way to convince him to part with the money without giving him the real reason. Telling the truth is better.”

Nkem thought about her conversation with her mother. Uncle Tobi can afford to part with the money without blinking an eyelid but Funke was particular about family not knowing. But uncle Tobi is closer to Funke than any other member of her family. Nkem decided to talk to uncle Tobi herself to see if she could get the money for Funke.

She sent a message to uncle Tobi requesting an audience with him on a sensitive matter. She had not dropped her phone when the call came through.

“That was fast.” Nkem thought as she answered the call. “Uncle Tobi, good evening.”

“Good evening. I got your message.”

“I had something to discuss with you.”

“Go ahead.”

“It is not a phone discussion.”

“Do you need something?” he asked.

“Yes, I need a favour.”

“What do you need?”

I didn’t know how much she needed but I mentioned an amount.

He paused and asked, “What do you need the money for? Are you being blackmailed?”

“No, I need it to help a friend in dire need of it.”

“Are you sure you are not being pressured for the money? I can resolve the issue for you.”

“Someone very dear to me needs it. I can’t afford it. I believe you will be our saving grace.”

“Who needs it?” Nkem was quiet. He asked again, “You need it? You have to be open with me if you need me to help you. And, be truthful.”

“Funke.”

“O, no wonder you contacted me. Why didn’t she ask me herself? I will send her the money.”

“Without asking her what she needs it for?”

“She doesn’t want me to know that’s why she sent you.”

“She didn’t send me, I came myself. She is not aware.”

“O really? Well, I will send it to her and let her know you asked me to send it to her. Is that all or do you want something too?”

“That’s all, sir. Thank you.”

“You are welcome.”

An hour later, Funke called Nkem. She sounded so excited and could not contain her excitement. Nkem knew uncle Tobi had either talked to her or sent her the money. It was both of them.

“He said you asked him to send money to me. I was surprised. He told me to talk to him directly next time I need help. He didn’t even ask what I needed the money for he just sent it.”

“Hasn’t your prayers been answered?”

“Your mother’s prayers have been answered.”

“She didn’t even pray. She told me to ask you to talk to uncle Tobi. Instead, I talked to him myself. He thought I was being blackmailed. I didn’t tell him what you needed it for.”

“I should have thought of him. Thank your mother for me. I got more than I needed. Thank you Nkem, you are a lifesaver. What will I ever do without you?”

“You have stepped in to help me when I needed it the most, I will forever be grateful to you for it. Never forget you extended the hand of love first and I reciprocated.”

With the finance available, Funke and her husband could start the procedure. The young widow travelled with Nkem’s sister, Uloma to Lagos for it. Mama Nkem negotiated very well with Funke and her husband. The amount agreed would set the widow up in Lagos. The widow left her two children with mama Nkem before coming to Lagos. She was to stay in a boarding facility provided by the hospital. Everything was working out perfectly.

They successfully implanted two embryos in the widow. She was to carry the twins, a boy and a girl. They were happy when the embryos were declared viable. It was like everything was falling into place. Uloma left their home and went to university. She stayed on campus. She visited Funke every other weekend to help out in the house and in return, she went back to school with food.

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It was a wild nine months. Funke had to make a decision. Should she tell the world the truth or pretend to be pregnant? She asked her husband. He was willing to go with whatever made her comfortable. She didn’t want to appear pregnant and stop her mother from touching her belly. Her mother might even want to see her naked and it would be a problem. She knew she had to tell her mother before they were found out.

She invited her mother to their home and told her. She showed evidence of her medical diagnosis and how she could not carry a child to term.

“Why didn’t you tell me about this since you found out?” her mother asked.

“We wanted to handle it ourselves,” Funke replied.

“Are his parents aware?” her mother asked again.

Ebuka replied, “I haven’t told them and I don’t intend to tell them. Any how the babies come doesn’t matter to them as long as they are born. I don’t want them to know too much. You never know what might happen in future.”

“You are a wise boy. Pretend to be pregnant and then you will go away for seven weeks. You will have to travel abroad to have the baby. I will make all the arrangements, my first grandchild will have dual citizenship. I will fly you and the woman abroad. If Ebuka wants to join you, then let him. If not, he will come a week before the delivery date. Is that ok?”

Ebuka and Funke agreed it made sense. The mother said she would arrange for the false pregnancy bump for different stages. It was concluded. Even her father was not to be informed about the plan. The couple couldn’t believe their luck. They had the support of the most important person who could expose them.

It wasn’t that they wanted to be deceptive but society always judged them wrongly without understanding why and their predicament can be used against them or their children. What people don’t know would never hurt them.

When the pregnancy was six months, Funke’s mother and the surrogate travelled first. Funke stayed until the pregnancy was thirty-three weeks before she travelled to join them. Her husband arrived three weeks later as they had an elective caesarian section. Their twins were delivered in America. There was excitement everywhere. The two families were filled with praise. Friends and family members called and sent their wishes.

The surrogate stayed for the six weeks post delivery appointment after which she returned to Nigeria. She rented a self contained apartment in Lagos. She furnished it with necessities and then came back to the village to take her kids with her to Lagos. Mama Nkem advised her. She told her to leave men and focus on making sure her children are successful so they would be able to take care of her in the future. They agreed on the business she would do. The surrogate also wanted to help other women who could do what she did to make money. She said surrogates were in high demand but some women were fraudulent. If she could bring women from the village to do it, she would make a good commission. She wanted to rent a bigger space to board the women she commissions and she will get paid. This was apart from the other business she wanted to do. She went ahead to do it in collaboration with mama Nkem. Mama Nkem handled the negotiation while she handled the rest.

Tbc