MARRIED
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VICTOR STEPHENš
āEPISODE_20š°
šVictor POV ā
“Suzy!”
The name I heard made me jump out of where I was having a conversation with Betty. What I saw next surprised me, and immediately made me run to her side. The baby was coming. Our baby was about to arrive. Betty c@mĀ£ beside me, and gave Suzy a hand to lean on, along with Victoria who shouted her name.
I brou-ght out my phone, and dialed Yomi’s number to get his car key. I turned to look at Suzy who was still calm, waiting for the next move. Betty looked so concern even though I found it ha-rd to believe, and thought she was pretending. Everyone knows she never liked Suzy. And having her support Suzy right now, calming her down with words of encouragement gave me a great concern. Can people change that way?
Is everything she told me true?
To be sincere, I still didn’t believe a word she said. About the child, and the issue of her dieing. I realized Victoria shouldn’t be here, because someone nee-ded to stay back, and attend to the guests at the hall. “Victoria you should go. Make sure everyone is satisfied, and has a nice time,” I instructed.
Victoria just stood there, not planning to move as she held onto Suzy, like I haven’t said anything. I had to remind her twice, and f0rƧĀ£ her to leave, before she finally left her friend, and not without saying many things I thought wasn’t necessary.
“Darling, you can do it again. I love you so much. Will make sure I call often to know how everything is going. Trust God, it’s gonna be a safe delivery,” she said before leaving.
In a minute’s time, Yomi’s car appeared as he drove closer to where we stood. We gently helped Suzy into the car, and before I could close the door, Betty joined me. “Are you sure you wanna do this?”
She nod her head in reply. “plea-se let me,” she added, and immediately, Yomi drove the car as fast as he could. Finally, the baby was about to arrive. So many thoughts were going on in my mind. How would he look like? Will he be adorable and cute like his big brother, and sister? Will he be a foodie like his mom, or be like his handsome Dad? I was so excited, and at the same time, I was extremely nervous.
Hearing Suzy starting to gr0@nbeside me, made me move closer to her for support. I couldn’t stand the pain she was about to go throu-gh. All of a sudden, she screamed, and beat my che-st, as she held on me for support. Her first pregnancy didn’t cause her pain like this, because the moment she was into labour, the nurses, midwife, and the doctor immediately attended to her.
I just wonder how women go throu-gh a painful moment like this, and immediately the baby is out, they become exceedingly excited, and forget the pain they went throu-gh. God is truly awesome. His ways no one can un-derstand. Beside me, Suzy was whimpering a low, and weak cry, trying to endure the pain. “Baby, we are almost there,” I tried to say if that could reduce her pain a little.
Thank God it was a Sunday morning, around past eleven. The road was free of traffic, and made it really quic-k for us. As Yomi drove in throu-gh the gate of the hospital, he went straight before stĀ©pping the car close to the entrance of the building itself. Betty got down before I could, and nurses c@mĀ£ out immediately to help Suzy. I really could not appreciate Yomi enough. He might be a little bit crazy, but he remains my very best cousin, and nigga.
After some minutes of waiting, hoping one of the nurses would come out to tell us if everything was going well or not… What I saw was something I wasn’t expecting. Suzy was brou-ght back outside.
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“Excuse me, what’s all this about!” I knew the nurse could detect how harsh my tone was.
“plea-se calm down sir,” the nurse replied very calm in return. “Mrs. Stephen nee-ds to walk around. She’s not dilating, and the baby is not in the correct position,” she said. Dialating! The last time I got to know what dilating is, means to expand, to enlarge,
or grow wi-de. I guessed she meant her v@g!n@ was not dilating or whatever. This shouldn’t be happening! Why would her water broke and the baby still refused to come? Is he not tired inside the cage he had been for several months?
For close to an hour, Suzy was busy walking around, sitting, resting on the wall, and definitely was in pain. I wish there was something I could do to help. She was later taken away, and I hope this time, the next time the fair, and slender nurse would walk out again, she would come out alone to give us good news. Calls were coming in, but I couldn’t answer them. Instead, Yomi did after I called Suzy’s sister, and her family about her re-ady to give birth.
Three of us were still there, and had waited for another thirty minutes without any news about Suzy. No nurse was re-ady to say anything as they pas-s us by quic-kly before we could even try to stĀ©p them. Right there where we were for about two hours, another pregnant woman was rushed in. The man claimed he took his wife from the hospital she was before because the doctors said they could only operate on her, and they’ve been warned about cesarean section.
You could see the man had alre-ady made up his mind with the way he was talking. I looked down at the woman who was obviously so weak, drained, and tired. How could she still push? It was obvious she had no energy left inside of her.
“Look here,” the midwife who attended to them said. “We can’t accept her because this woman I’m looking at right now must have been in labour for about three days!”
What!
Yet the man did nothing!
“The only way to save her, and the child is cesarean section. And from your speech, you’re against it,” the woman was straight forward and clear. Just then, a woman ran inside. “Where is she?” Her voice was shaking, and you could see how nervous, and scared she looked. Before anyone could say a word, she saw the young lady and ran to her side. The man was still insisting he wouldn’t allow the wife to be operated.
The next thing I heard shocked me. “What kind of stubborn man are you! You’ve got to take your wife away if you’re not re-ady to save her. Nurse Badru!” The nurse beside the midwife shouted. Sometimes, when Nigerian nurses displ@yfor you, your next prayer point will be, nothing will take me to the hospital again! That is how harsh they sometimes are.
The woman who ran in was alre-ady crying. “My God will punish you!” The woman said angrily. “How can you let her be in labour for three days, when a solution has alre-ady been provided!” From her speech, she claimed to have travelled, and was just informed yesterday.
“You know-” the man trued to defend himself, but…
“Know what!” The woman shouted in tears. “I have all my two kids throu-gh cesarean section, and here I am. She’s just having her first child, and you want her to die? She has no strength, and can’t you see how weak she is. Why? Ehnn!” She faced the nurses. “plea-se, I’m her elder sister. I will sign. I’m in full support. plea-se get us a doctor, and I will pay right away.” Immediately she said that, a stretcher was brou-ght to as-sist the woman who could ba-rely move.
Immediately the lady was taken away, the same nurse who I had been expecting to bring good news rushed to my side. “Mr. Stephen, your wife can’t give birth to that child alone. We nee-d to operate on her before it’s too late,” she said in a hurried tone, waiting for my response. Yomi c@mĀ£ beside me immediately.
“Call her Mom,” he said.
I did, but the line was not going. God why! I was getting frustrated, and tired of the whole thing. I expected her sister to have reached here, may be it would have been a lot easier. Her number was not going either. I couldn’t take any decision without her family member knowing. I decided to call my Mom.
“Praise God!” She said before I could say a word. “A boy or a girl?” Excitement showing in her voice.
“Mom!” I knew my voice was shaking alre-ady. This wasn’t my first, and my first wasn’t even like this. I guessed my mom knew immediately something was wrong.
“Darling what is wrong?” Concern snowed in her voice, and very obvious she was eager to hear my reply.
“Mom, she’s having difficulty giving birth alone. The doctors suggested cesarean section for her, and none of her family’s number is going throu-gh. I can’t make this decision alone.”
“Calm down,” mom said. “Go ahead and sign. You’re her husband. I’ve been praying for this day, and I know God will perfect the rest for us. Nothing will happen. Don’t make her go throu-gh the pain for long. Be strong. Don’t hesitate to call me when there is any news. Now go,” she ended the call.
Just after I signed, Suzy’s sister rushed herself in. “I’m really sorry I couldn’t call back to know how things are going. Mom had been talking me, and really really nervous about the while thing,” she said before she sat down. “How is she?”
I explained everything to her, and she thanked me, before her phone rang again. “plea-se excuse me, this is how Mom can be,” she said, before picking up her call.
It was more than three hours alre-ady. I stared at everyone, and they were all looking unsettled. Immediately we saw a doctor heading towards our direction, everyone stood to their feet including the other family with us. The doctor heaved a de-eply, and scary sigh, looking at the two families, with his eyes holding no emotions. I could feel the ra-pid beating of my heart. My sweaty palms, and my bĀ©dy shaking alre-ady. I knew everyone at that moment, were eager to hear what the doctor has to say.
The doctor looked at me, and also looked at the other man ma-king me nervous than I’ve ever been. He sighed again. “We are really really sorry. We tried our best, but we lost them both.”
When you heard something that doesn’t sound like what you’ve prepared to hear, you won’t believe it at first.
My breathe seized for a second.
My br@in stĀ©pped working at the moment!
My knees bec@mĀ£ weak even though I was still standing on it. A tear dropped, and at that moment, everything bec@mĀ£ dead to me. I could tear the Doctor into two if I realized he was still there.
“Mr. Victor are you here!”
“Victor!” I finally heard someone called me this time, followed by a tap.
“I just said congratulations for welcoming another set of twins.” The Doctor smiled at me.
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Everything turned into a dream that I found it ha-rd to believe. The first thought that c@mĀ£ to my mind was… Are we acting a movie? But seriously, the Doctor would turn out to be one good actor. I turned to my side and saw Suzy’s sister smiling excitedly. “I can’t believe it’s another set of twins!” She laughed a little, exhib!tt!g happiness. “Congratulations to you both,” she said. Till she was done talking, her smile refused to run out.
I looked ahead, and saw Yomi walking towards where I stood. He moved closer to me, drew me to him, and hvgged me. “Congrats bro! She’s fine, so stĀ©p looking like those fried fishes in the market, and cheer up.” I knew his purpose was to make me smile, and get out of my shocked state, but at that moment, I nee-ded one more person we c@mĀ£ together to confirm what we just heard was true.
Betty raised her head, with a little smile displa-ying on herl-ips. “You’re one lucky man Vic. She made it!” And that was all.
Suddenly, everything registered in my br@in. Suzy made it, but the other woman never did. A happy, and gracious smile finally graced mel-ips. I heaved a sigh, and a tear I couldn’t control dropped as I wiped it away. How would I have survived? Trust me, we are done with kids. Have always wanted three kids, but God whose plan was different from mine, gave us an additional actor to join the
Stephens home drama every blessed day.
I was more than ecstatic. Another set of Twins.
Another additional drama. Sometimes, scan can be so deceiving, and can be so right and true most times. We were expecting just one. The same Junior that made Suzy to almost finish the whole food we have in the house. But instead, it was a double blessing! Two boys… I stĀ©pped all my thoughts, when I realized people were waiting for me. The Doctor had gone, but the nurse stood waiting.
“plea-se I’m really sorry for the wait.” I apologized. The nurse laughed a little in return. “Mr. Stephen, it’s all right. I can un-derstand.”
“Can we see the boys then?” I asked, and suddenly the nurse laughed again. I got everyone to start smiling, and at that moment, I felt like I said something funny, which I knew I didn’t. The nurse smiled at me. “This happens when the husband is over excited,” she joked. If that was a joke though.
I wasn’t sure of that. If a sudden blocked ear
means overexcited.
The nurse graced her oblong face with a smile again. “It’s a bouncing baby boy, and a beautiful baby girl,” she announced. I chuckled to myself. The
same style again. That made it two boys, two girls.
“plea-se follow me,” the nurse moved, and we all followed behind. We got there, but she went in first before telling me to come in. Quietly, I walked in with Suzy’s sister to enable her see her nephew and niece. Suzy was the first person I saw, and as much as I was eager to see the twins, my wife was dear to me. I saw one of the lectures she once gave me on cesarean section. Why people prefer v@g!n@ delivery to cesarean section. For v@g!n@ delivery, once you’ve given birth safely, the next day, or day after, the patient will be re-leased.
But for cesarean section, it takes months, and I wondered how many months she would have to go throu-gh this. Especially the bleeding aspect which takes some weeks. She la-id there, bĀ©dy covered with a wra-pper, with a long, white, transparent tube pas-sed throu-gh her v@g!n@ . She was also taking a drip, and was fast asleep. Beside her, I finally found the the ones I’ve been waiting to meet.
Suzy’s sister stepped back for me, as I moved closer to the two cribs. Faces so cute. Hands so small, and looks so alike. I fear these two would be so identical, unlike Emmanuella and Emmanuel. Eyes fully closed as they enjoyed their sleep. At this stage, the only work they can do is su-ck, cry, sleep, su-ck, su-ck, su-ck, and su-ck. I could hear Yomi’s voice from outside as he shared the good news with everyone calling to ask about Suzy.
The babies were looking so big, and that made me guess it was one the reasons why Suzy could not give birth to them on her own. I couldn’t recognize the girl or the boy, but Suzy’s sister c@mĀ£ closer, and differentiate them for it. Of course, after we were done staring at them, she brou-ght out her phone, while I collected my phone from Yomi, taking pictures of the new celebrities in Stephen’s family.
“Mr. Stephen, I think you will sĀ£nd me the ones you took. That your c@mĀ£ra is dhope. Stars don’t appear in blur ph0tos,” she joked, and I laughed.
“No problem ma,” I said, and we all left the room. I sĀ£nt her the pictures throu-gh xender, and sĀ£nt them to Yomi as well. I pleaded Yomi to take Betty back because evening was starting to come. Suzy’s sister also informed me their parents had taken a plane coming down to Lagos, and would have to rush down home to receive them, and bring them to the hospital.
After they all left, I sat down on the iron chair, feeling better, and relaxed. In my mind, I prayed nothing would stĀ©p the children from growing. Not even sickness. I prayed for Suzy’s safety, quic-k recovery, and strength to take care of the children.
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āāāāāā
To_Be_Continued