HE CALLED ME A CHEAT
Episode 7
After cleaning the compound of the school that afternoon, I went to Jeddy’s clas-s to pick him so that we would go home together. Getting into his clas-s, I was surprised to see my son lying flat on the floor. His teacher was pouring water on him while the other members of the staff were fanning him.
I ran to where he la-id, carried him out of the school compound and ran to the clinic which was very close to the school. The nurses seeing the state in which Jeddy was, collected him from me and admitted him.
After series of test, it was revealed that Jeddy has sickle cell anemia. A kind of shock pas-s throu-gh my b©dy when I received the information, I couldn’t bring myself to un-derstand how on earth Jeddy’s genotype would be SS when John is AS and I am AA.
To wors£n the situation, he was diagnosed with asthma. I felt my world crumbling, I was f0rç£d to ask the doctor if everything started in one day but he replied that the care he has been receiving before now suppress the manifestation of the both health challenge.
The doctor gave me ti-ps on how to help him live with the health challenges and also gave me a list of drugs which would help him survive the situation. The prices of the drugs was something that was too much for me to bear.
At first, I thought of going to plead with John but I had a rethink that going to meet him will make him believe I truly cheated on me. I bec@m£ fed up with life but I just had to keep strengthening myself because of my children.
In order to keep up with Jeddy’s new health status, I had to double my hustle. Despite buying drugs for Jeddy, we were still going in and out of hospital. I was warned never to run out of multivitamins if I don’t want to lose him.
Instead of eating, I prefer to remain hungry just for Jeddy to have food and drugs. Tears bec@m£ something I couldn’t do without. While crying one night, Jeddy moved closer to me and started comforting me.
‘Mommy, why are you always crying?’ Jeddy asked shocking me
‘Jeddy? I am not crying’
‘You are crying mommy, you always cry every night. You cry because Daddy s£nt us out of the house because he hate us, you also cry because I am always sick’ he revealed shocking me more
‘Oh no son, Daddy doesn’t hate us. He is just angry with mommy. Don’t worry, we will go back home soon. Just keep praying for mommy’ I sat him on my l@ps comforting him
‘Mommy, plea-se don’t cry again. I promise not to fall sick again, I will buy you a car when I become a Doctor’
‘Wow! I am so happy to hear that, I promise not to cry again. Thank you my son, I love you’
‘I love you too mommy’
I felt t©uçhed by Jeddy’s word and decided to always see the brighter side of life. He promised never to fall sick again but my little boy couldn’t help it.
Life went on and we kept living it one day at a time. My pregnancy was approaching it’s maturity, I was able to buy little baby things though it wasn’t close to what John would have gotten for the baby. I went for a scan and it was revealed that I was carrying a baby girl. I fell in love with her the moment I saw how she l@yin my wo-mb.
I was surprised to hear the doctor say she was very healthy despite the fact that I haven’t been eating and resting well. I told Jeddy that the baby we were expecting was a girl and he was so excited to meet his baby sister.
HE CALLED ME A CHEAT
Episode 8
Upon the completion of my ante-natal, the nurse who do attend to me gave me my card and instructed me to take it to the office of the midwife and have my card signed showing the completion of my ante-natal and the re-adiness to go into the labour room any moment from now.
With joy in my heart, I walked to the office of the midwife to have my card signed. Getting to the doorpost, I knocked and was given permission to enter.
‘Good afternoon ma, I was directed here to have my card signed as I have completed my ante-natal session’ I informed the midwife but instead of replying me, she was lost in staring at me
‘Hello ma’ I called out to her
‘Yes, what do you want?’ She asked angrily
‘I c@m£ to have my card signed ma, I have completed my ante-natal session’ I repeated to her hearing
‘Get out of my office and never come back’ she barked at me
I ran out of the office in fear wondering why she had to scream at me. I explained what happened to the nurse and she collected the card from me claiming she would ensure it get signed. She apologize to me on behalf of the midwife claiming that she might be in a bad mood.
After the encounter with the midwife, I keep asking myself if she knew me from somewhere as her behavior that day was uncalled for.
My day of delivery was drawing near and I kept buying the necessary things for my baby. God helped me, Jeddy didn’t fall sick throu-ghout that month so I was able to buy more things for the baby.
While cooking one evening, I started having signs that the baby was coming. I managed to finish up with cooking, I dress Jeddy up and together we both went to the clinic. Immediately I got to the Clinic, my water broke.
The nurses on duty collected Jeddy from me and took me to the labour room. The nurse in charge of me informed the midwife that there was a woman in labour who nee-ded to be delivered of a child.
The midwife ran to the labour room but when she saw that I was the woman who nee-ded to be delivered of a child, she refused to attend to me. I cried and pleaded with her to attend to me but she refused and went away. The nurse took pity on me and decided to help out.
She gave me Instructions and in no time, I was delivered of a beautiful baby girl. She was cleaned up and placed on my ba-re che-st, the moment I set my eyes on her, I loved her with every fibre in me. Seeing her on my che-st brou-ght tears to my eyes, she was the reason why I was thrown out of my matrimonial home.
She was the reason why I had to toil day and night, she was the reason why I laboured so much but I love her so much. For a moment, I forgot all the pains I went throu-gh. I requested that Jeddy be brou-ght to me and when he c@m£, he was so happy to see that his baby sister had been born.
After spending a day at the hospital, we were discharged. My neighbors were surprised to see me with a new baby as I didn’t tell anyone that I was going to the hospital. They congratulated me and as-sisted me with one thing or the other.
I named my baby Joy as she brou-ght so much Joy to my soul. I suddenly had a longing to see Jerry, I just wanted him to see his little sister but situations on ground won’t let that happen.
Life continued and my baby was growing, she keep resembling Jeremiah every day. Jeddy was still falling sick but the rate at which he fall sick reduce. I keep toiling just for my children to have their daily nee-d, I no longer cry as my children were a source of joy to me.
When Joy bec@m£ five month old, I c@m£ home and the landlady informed me that a woman c@m£ looking for me and dropped an envelope when she met my abs£nce. I appreciated her and collected the envelope from her.
Getting to the room, I to-re the envelope open and was surprised to see a cli-p, a letter and a receipt of payment. I took the letter and re-ad throu-gh.
Dear Mrs Jane,
I am sorry the pain I caused you but I want you to know that it isn’t my fault. I didnt want to suc¢v-mb to such wickedness but your mother threatened to kill the child if I didn’t.
Remember, you had twins at Corolla Hospital and I was the midwife in charge of your delivery. Your boys were adorable and identical that virtually all the nurses fell in love with them.
Your mother approached me and asked me to exchange one of the boys with a sickly child. At first, I refused it but she offered me the sum of one million naira to carry out the task, she further threatened to strangle one of the twins to death if i fail to carry out her order so I had no option but to carry out her order.
Over the years, I lived with the guilt of such wickedness. I s£nt you out of my office that day because I saw the past coming back.
Your other twin is with Mr. And Mrs. Da Silva, a popular family in this town. I know I have caused you much pain but plea-se find a plance in your heart to forgive me. In this envelope is an audio cl!pwhere our conversation was recorded.
WATCH OUT FOR EPISODE 9