Thorn between episode 14 – 15

TITLE: TORN BETWEEN

WRITTEN BY OGECHI ALABI

FAMILY LIFE 9…….

Eucharia was worried about not having a son. She was disappointed when she had Chinemerem. Why did God not compensate her with a son? Her doctor advised her to be patient. He wanted her to wait two years before having another baby. Two years was too long. She was going for Youth Service Corp, and after that, she wanted to build her career. She planned to try for a baby immediately Chinemerem clocked one year.

She went to see a specialist and he taught them how to use the Billings method to have a son. It was an innovation and it had remarkable success. Eucharia monitored her cycle and mucus discharge for three months before she conceived.

Eucharia was three months gone when Njideka had her baby. Peter and Njideka were blessed with a daughter. Peter was so happy that he moved accommodation to a three-bedroom bungalow in preparation for their return. When Adaure was six weeks old, they left Lagos for Port-Harcourt with Mama Njideka.

Njideka was not happy she had a daughter. She cried when she got the information she was having a girl. She felt more hurt when Eucharia confided in her about trying to have a son. She was not going to have the first son after all. It broke her heart. She lamented to her mother. Mama Njideka was angry and snapped at her, “Njideka, can you child create a child? Some women are crying and asking God for a child but have been barren. Are you not a girl, Njideka? Answer me! You have a healthy child, appreciate God for her. Do not be ungrateful to anger God and he takes his gift away from you.”

Njideka wanted to get pregnant almost immediately, but her husband refused. He told her he was in no hurry to have children, Adaure their daughter, had to be two years old before she conceived. He took her to the clinic to have an IUD inserted. It contributed to her agony. Her husband did not care about her plight. Well, she could not tell him she competed with Eucharia again.

Eucharia was posted to Lagos to serve. She went to camp, and she got posted to Island Maternity for her service year. It was perfect. She had free medical care from the hospital. She enjoyed her job, and everyone appreciated her hard work with her condition. She was light on her feet and carried the pregnancy well.

Her doctor requested for an x-ray to determine the sex of her baby and its well-being. Eucharia declined because she feared the radioactivity could affect her child. She was careful. The pregnancy was different, and she was certain it was a boy.

Paul came back for Adaure’s child dedication. He stayed in Port-Harcourt with Peter’s family for three weeks and then spent the remaining week at Adim’s. Prisca was with him. She was in the second semester of her final year. Unlike Eucharia, she started her university education immediately after her secondary school. She was young and Paul wanted her to finish in good time so she could join him in Germany.

The week they spent in Lagos was to process Prisca’s travel documents. They went to the embassy together, with both his and her international passports and other documents to prove they were a couple. They planned the pregnancy to make it easier for Prisca to get a spousal visa. A month after Paul left for Germany, Prisca was pregnant. She wrote to Paul to share the good news with him. She also wrote to Adim and Eucharia. She travelled to Port-Harcourt to tell Peter and Njideka. Two wives were pregnant at the same.

Eucharia observed her baby had been restless in her womb. She wondered what was wrong. She went to see her doctor, he checked her and said, “There is nothing wrong with you and the baby. You need bed rest.” He gave her a week of sick leave. The pregnancy was thirty weeks and heavy. Eucharia went home to rest. She felt nauseous and uncomfortable. It was so bad that she threw up. She could not eat for the rest of the day.

Adim did not like the way she felt. He took her to the hospital she had used for the other children. She did not have a fever but she was very restless, just like the baby in the womb. She was admitted for bed rest and later discharged the following day. The restlessness stopped at home alongside the nausea. She felt better and could eat again. The baby was calm; there was no activity from the baby.

A week later, she went back to work. As she resumed, she went to her doctor for antenatal. He checked her. As he did, she mentioned that the baby had not been active for the whole week. The doctor insisted she had the x-ray done. She was booked to have the x-ray the following day. The next day, the hospital went on strike. It meant she could not do her x-ray or see her doctor. She stayed home. After another week, she began to feel weak. It was strange. She waited for the strike to be over, but it lasted more than three weeks. She could not see her doctor. It was taking too long and Adim was tired of waiting. Eucharia insisted on seeing her consultant in her hospital when the strike was over. Adim refused, and he dragged her to the private hospital.

The hospital discovered no foetal heartbeat or movement. Eucharia said the baby had been calm for over a month now. They calmly broke it to her that the baby had died and they needed to induce her into labour. Eucharia went ballistic. She could not believe what she heard. The nurse induced her and she gave birth to a stillborn six hours later. The next battle was for her life because the baby died for over a month in her womb. He had defecated in the amniotic sac and had decomposed there. When the water broke, the stench was like a rotten body was inside her. His body showed different stages of decomposition.

Eucharia was hysterical when she discovered the baby she lost was a boy. She cried uncontrollably and was inconsolable. Adim did not know how to console her. He needed help urgently so he sent a message to her mother to come to his rescue. They both came to take care of her. She was in the hospital for two weeks after the delivery. She fought for her life due to some complications. The doctor advised her to stop having children. He calmed her down by telling her that her son tied the umbilical cord in knots in several places which stopped the flow of oxygen from reaching his brain. He told her she was lucky the baby did not survive; otherwise, he would have had a major deformity and be a burden to her for life. His words were supposed to cheer her up, but they had the opposite effect.

When she came back home, she was a ghost of herself. She was weak and could not get out of bed or so she said. She no longer cared for herself and her home. She did not wail openly and did not allow her mother and mother-in-law to know how she truly felt. She was advised to have a son by every means possible. If she did not have a son, she had no children. This was a huge setback for her. Why would she get pregnant and have a son only for him to die even before he was born? She cried day and night.

Her mother did not help matters. She told her in secret, “This is not clear eye. Why is it the boy that died and almost took your life? It must be somebody that does not want you to have a son. I will go back home, make consultations and come back. We have to find a solution to this.”

“Consultation from where? Do you want to visit a native doctor? I am not in support of that.”

“Native doctor? I do not need a native doctor. There is a church in the village, the woman sees. She will tell us who is responsible.”

“Ah! Mama please o, I do not want anything that will bring discord between me and my husband’s people. Please, do not bother.”

“Eucharia, you are blinded by love. You spent two weeks in the hospital fighting for your life because you wanted to have a son. How does a baby in the womb tie the cord in many places? Why would a baby want to kill himself in your womb? Be wise.”

Eucharia allowed her mother to travel. She was away for two weeks and came back. When she returned, she waited for Adim to go to work before she entered Eucharia’s room with a bag. “The woman said one of your in-laws does not want you to have a son. She belongs to a coven and has sacrificed all the male sons the family will have to that coven. Even Njideka had a baby girl and was expecting a son. It is someone that is doing it.”

“Who is the person? Did she see the person? How did the person do it?”

“Stop asking me stupid questions. She gave me this bible and candles for you to use. Every midnight for seven days you will pray. She wrote down the prayer points. You can read what it says. She said you should pray against any coven that wants to steal your heir. She even saw death for you. She said you pray against untimely death.”

“God forbid! Mama, what kind of seer is this? She only sees negative things.”

“It is what is shown to her that we will expose. She has given you her message. It cost me good money to see her, you have to refund me.”

Eucharia read the paper. Everything was about doom. She read that her in-laws want to leave her children as orphans. So Adim would be affected too. Adim was the breadwinner of her family, how would they cope without him? She wondered who could conceive such evil against them. It was only Flora she could suspect but with all she did to Flora, she did not do anything spiritual to her or Adim. So why now? Wy with her son?

She decided to do the prayer. Every midnight, she would sneak into the sitting room, light the candles and pray for thirty minutes against her in-laws who do not want her to have a son and wanted to kill her and her husband. She was also fasting while doing the prayers. The fasting was from 6 am to 6 pm. Eucharia did not bother about getting back in shape, she did not work on her pregnancy belly as she did for the other children. She stopped eating but her belly was still big. She dragged herself out of the bed to bathe in the mornings and remained there until her husband returned. She was depressed and sad. She asked God why he allowed such evil to happen to her. “They will mock me. They will ask me, where is your son? So you could not give Adim who loves you so much as a son? They will not know I tried and some evil people took the child away from me. Who did I offend, Lord? Tell me so I can beg the person.”

One night, while she was praying and lamenting as she had always done, her mother-in-law sneaked into her bedroom to wake her son. Adim was startled when he saw his mother. She told him to keep quiet and follow her. He went with her quietly. His mother would not have entered the room if it was not important. She directed him to the sitting room where Eucharia was praying in the dark with only the lit candles. “Do something about this, she is losing her sanity. She needs help.” She snuck back into her room.

Adim entered the sitting room and turned on the light. Eucharia was still praying when he shouted at her, “What is this, Eucharia? When did you start praying with candles against your family? This nonsense has to come to an end. Your baby died, no man or woman has the power to take a life without God’s approval. Why then can you not trust the same God? Dumebi, Mmesoma and Chinemerem are not blessings from God? What makes a boy superior to them? I do not want any more children; my girls will inherit after I am gone. I will write a will and it will be executed. Is it not why you wanted a son? That is my promise to you, our daughters will inherit from me when I am gone regardless of their age or marital status. Will it put an end to the brooding and continuous prayers against invisible enemies? Have I stopped loving you because you do not have a son? Have I failed in my responsibilities?”

“No, you have not” she replied tearfully.

“So why are you doing all this? Why are acting like the world has ended? Some women are praying to even have a baby regardless of the sex. You have three beautiful daughters, and yet you want to have imaginary enemies for a son you did not even know. I know it is painful, but this is not you, Eucharia. You are a smart woman and you should know better than to believe anyone is behind what happened. I love you and our girls. I do not want any more children. I do not want a son that will compete with my daughters for your love and attention. Are you not a girl? Have you not made your family proud? Stop this thing. No more children; let us train the ones we have well.”

Eucharia blew out the candles and joined her husband inside the room. She was still crying as she lay on the bed. Adim tried to console her and he said, “This isn’t the girl I married. What are you afraid of? Who can ask you questions? Tell them Adim said he wants only girls. And I mean it. Please go back to being my beautiful Eucharia everyone loves. Biko, my love.”

In the days that followed, Adim proved his love for her. He spoilt her. She began to bounce back to life. She did not tell the two mothers what she had agreed with he husband. They just saw she was in high spirits and was living again. She took her mmiri ogwu religiously so she could lose some of the belly fat. She started strolling again but this time with the children. They walked long distances. She inculcated jogging to it. Her husband openly displayed his affection for her. His mother was ecstatic for them. She was ready to leave. Mama Uk asked if she finished her prayer, and Eucharia assured her she did. She added she had surrendered the matter to God and now she wanted to be happy. She went shopping for the two women.

In two weeks, the home was back to the status quo. Eucharia resumed work. Everything was back to normal.

Read – Pregnant for the enemy episode 72

TITLE: TORN BETWEEN

WRITTEN BY OGECHI ALABI

FAMILY LIFE 10…….

Prisca graduated from the university. Her pregnancy was not conspicuous yet. Adim and his family, Peter and his family, their parents and hers were present at her graduation ceremony. Immediately after, she moved to Port-Harcourt to stay with Peter and Njideka. Their home was closer to her school and easier to get her call-up letter. She had worked her Youth service to Lagos. Paul wanted her to be with Eucharia in case there was an emergency.

While with Njideka, she heard her complain about her husband. She talked about wanting to have a son, but her husband insisted on Adaure clocking two before another child. “He forced me to do family planning and he checks to know if it is still there. I want to have a son as soon as possible. I do not want to be like Eucharia who waited until her fourth child before having a dead son. I do not want that to happen to me.”

Prisca listened to her without uttering a word. She did not realise she competed with anyone or that Njideka could say something nasty about Eucharia after all she did for her. Prisca decided to leave for Lagos earlier than planned. Before going, she went to the village to see her parents and parents-in-law. She confided in her mother about her plan to move to Lagos. Her mother wanted to know the reason for her sudden change in plans. She did not want to tell her, but with more persuasion and an assurance it would not leave the room they were in, she told her mother what Njideka said.

“Njideka acts like a child. O wu Chukwu (Is she God) that gives children? Please do not compete. Every family indeed wants an heir, but what if that is not God’s purpose? Some people have had heirs who died before their prime. Some have had sons, and they all died in one day. Is it not how Mazi Uchechukwu had a stroke and died? Philomena had six girls for him. He married Maria, who had three boys and two girls. Philomena’s six girls grew up, got married and left home. Maria’s sons were in their early twenties. They sneaked out with their father’s vehicle for a party one night, and three of them died in a ghastly motor accident. He said he preferred if Maria’s girls had died instead of his sons. The girls were heartbroken when they heard it. He was very sorrowful at the loss of his sons that he had a stroke. The stroke killed him because Maria’s children refused to take care of him. He had fallen out with Philomena and her daughters when his sons arrived. The girls took their mother. Mazi Uchechukwu’s corpse lay in the mortuary for months. No child agreed to stand by his grave. They had to make peace before they could bury him. Maria never recovered from the loss of her sons. I had to call the daughters to take her away for treatment when she was walking and talking to herself. Who is occupying that big house now? He had sons, but God took them from him. His burial was like a carnival when his eight daughters came with their husbands and children. People appreciated what he never did. Do not join them.”

“I will not. I asked Paul what sex he wanted and he said whichever God gives us. He wants only two children. I want more than two. I would like to have both sexes; that is my prayer. But if God gives us only one sex, who am I to complain?”

Her mother advised her to stay with Njideka until her call-up was out, and then she could travel to Lagos. She told her not to fall out with her or argue about anything. Most importantly, do not contribute to anything negative said about anyone. She should keep quiet and walk away instead. It was good advice that Prisca adhered to. She tried to avoid conversations that involved negative things about anyone or telling anyone what Njideka or whoever said about them.

Prisca went to Lagos as soon as she got her call-up letter. Njideka was not all bad, but she enjoyed bragging about what she had and then castigating others. Njideka had made friends in Port-Harcourt. She had damaging information about all her friends. She gave Prisca their story. She was still close friends with them, and they hung out together. How could she talk trash behind them and smile in their presence? Prisca declined to hang out with them. It was one reason. The other was because they looked down at her, especially her dressing. Njideka had a big clothing shop in Port-Harcourt. She claimed her father gave her the money to start, and Peter gave her more money to make it big. Prisca could not be bothered about the information. She was happy for Njideka. She was moving to Germany soon, and that was all that mattered to her. The papers were still being processed. She hoped she would not have the baby before she travelled.

Eucharia welcomed Prisca with a sumptuous meal. It felt like she had gotten home. She was heavy and would be due in less than two months. She was glad she was with Eucharia in Lagos. She felt safer. She never mentioned her discussions with Njideka to Eucharia. She did not want a strain on their relationship. Njideka sent clothes, dried fish and crayfish to Eucharia. She also gifted Njideka some clothes for after she had the baby. Njideka was not a bad person, but she exhibited some flawed characters. Prisca decided not to judge her on her flaws but to focus on her good nature.

Prisca stayed with Eucharia’s family for a month. She went back and forth with the embassy. They demanded several extra documents from Paul. It was always one thing or the other. It looked more likely she would have the baby before she got her papers to travel, so she enquired about what happens when she has the child. The embassy advised her to put her baby on her passport after birth, and their documents will be issued together. She relaxed when she heard the solution.

When she was thirty-eight weeks pregnant, she went into labour. It started towards evening. She knew she was a first-time mother and that labour would take longer. She managed it until Eucharia returned from her duty. Immediately Prisca told her the signs she had seen and how far apart the contractions were, Eucharia rushed out to get a taxi. She left a message for her husband and took Prisca back to Island Maternity. She used her influence to get her quickly attended to. She was only six centimetres dilated already. She made her walk around. Prisca was strong and agile. The pains were bearable for her.

The Consultant came into the ward to check on the patients in labour. He checked Prisca, and she was fully dilated. The nurses moved her from the labour room to the delivery room. She insisted on Eucharia being there with her. They did not know Adim had arrived and waited patiently at the reception for the good news. He did not want to distract Eucharia. Within five minutes of settling in, Prisca gave birth to a bouncing baby boy. When Eucharia saw it was a boy, she screamed for joy and announced, “You have broken the jinx. Now we can have sons. Thank you, Prisca. We have a son. Thank God.”

The nurses moved Prisca to the ward. Eucharia went to share the good news with Adim. Adim was so happy. She then added, “Maybe we should try again for a son.”

“My love, no more children. I do not want a son, I love my daughters. Let them mock me and say I am not man enough, it is on me. If they mock you, tell them Adim wants daughters only. I will repeat it.”

“It is not fair.”

“It is very fair; that is what I want. What if we try again and it is a girl? You will start your prayer and fasting against unknown enemies. I want you and my daughters.”

Eucharia accepted it. She stayed with Prisca for the night. Adim sent a message home announcing the birth and asking Prisca’s mother to come for omugwu. There was no means to call his brothers that night He had applied for a Nitel line but the bureaucracy was not encouraging. He decided to talk to the Engineers in his office to see if they could fast-track procurement of the line. He had to wait until he got to work to break the good news to Paul and Peter.

Paul called every day until his wife came home from the hospital. He was so happy and was glad Eucharia was there with her. The baby had to stay a few extra days in the hospital because he had jaundice. Prisca’s mother arrived before their discharge. She appreciated Eucharia for taking good care of Prisca. They all went home together from the hospital.

Paul informed Chief and Flora that his wife had given birth. Flora asked him the sex of the baby and he said a boy.

“At least this one had the sense to secure her place in the family. She has given birth to the first legitimate grandson of the family,” Flora replied.

“Yes, but he is not the first grandchild. I know what you are trying to do. Do not bring discord amongst mates living together in peace. I now know why Adim does not want you in his house.”

“Stop talking rubbish. Tell your wife to move to my house, I will take good care of her and your son. I will be honoured to host them.”

“Her mother is there now. She is happy staying with Eucharia and her mother.”

“In that matchbox they call a home? It is too small. I have a bigger and more comfortable house than them. Consider it.”

“Well, she prefers to sleep on the floor in Eucharia’s house than stay even in her parents’ house. And I do not have money to give you to care for my wife and child. Nda Adim does not ask me for a dime to pay for anything. Euchariah used the money she had left over from the last time I was around to pay the hospital bill. She knows how to manage money. I would prefer Prisca to be there. Also, because Eucharia is a nurse and works with a hospital.”

“You give Eucharia money but you would not give me. Why? Why hand your family to Eucharia when your Ada nne (the first daughter of your mother) is here? How did I offend all of you?” She pretended as though she was in tears.

“Ok. Let me ask Chief if they can come and spend a week with you.”

“No o! Do not tell my husband anything. Let her come with her mother, he will not chase them away, they are family.”

“I cannot do that. Do you want me to appear as an irresponsible man? How can I send my family to my brother-in-law without telling him first? That is a sign of disrespect and I am not a bastard. I will tell him.”

“Ozugo (It is ok)! Let them stay where they are, he will not agree.”

Paul knew he would not. Chief had warned them about exposing their wives to his wife. She was good with his family members but destructive with the women in her family. She wants to have complete control. That control belonged to Eucharia while they gave her respect as the daughter of the soil. But she was out to sow the seed of discord instead of togetherness that Eucharia had succeeded with.

Peter announced the birth of Paul’s son to Njideka. She was heartbroken and could not hide her hurt. She was almost in tears. Prisca did not tell her she was expecting a male child, why did she hide it from her? The hurt turned to annoyance and disappointment. She wanted to have the first grandson of the family and here she was with only one daughter, all thanks to Peter. But, she did not tell Peter. Peter observed her countenance had changed and he could guess why. She wanted to have a son but he stopped her. Now Prisca has had a son, she would not allow him to rest until he fulfils her desire.

She had been an excellent wife since he separated her from negative influence. He knew she was not used to doing chores so he got a maid for her. He was away for two weeks every month due to his job. When he came home, she pampered him. At least she learnt something from Eucharia. It was easy to reciprocate the affection. She made his meals and waited for him. She was always excited when they had to spend the night together each time he returned home. It was a special bonding moment for them that she did not take for granted. He looked forward to it because she always had something up her sleeves. He was quiet but expressive physically. She was both verbal and physical. He did not want to be with any other woman but her. He had to pacify her by allowing her to have another baby soon.