19/20
THE PACT
Me, you, her and him
-CHAPTER 19-
21:00, I walk into the house to find Jada and her husband in the living room, they are both typing away on their phones.
Looking up at me, Jada exclaims, ‘’Look what the cat dragged in.’’
‘’Good evening to you too Jada!’’
She stands up, ‘’what’s so good about this evening Lee? Tell me! Your wife is pregnant and sick, at a time when she nee-ds you the most you decide to fv¢k up? I trusted you dude, I gave Kristian my word that you would not hurt her and now this.’’
I shrug, ‘’what lies has Kristian been feeding you? Aren’t you supposed to be back home taking care of your husband and kids?’’
She laughs, ‘’you don’t want to go that route with me Lee, trust me you don’t.’’
‘’I think you should leave, whatever issues my wife and I are facing, we are able to sort them out ourselves.’’
‘’For the love of God Lee, plea-se man up and behave like the husband that Kristian deserves plea-se, she nee-ds you now more than ever. This pregnancy is doing the most, she can’t handle it on her own. If she offended you in any way plea-se forgive her, I am begging on her behalf, plea-se,’’ she pleads.
‘’plea-se man, don’t neglect your wife at a time like this, whatever issues you guys have can be sorted out later,’’ Abel says.
‘’Okay, I hear you,’’ I will talk to my wife.
‘’I just gave her some chicken soup and some medication, she is currently slee-ping plea-se don’t disturb her.’’
‘’Caleb?’’
‘’He is at his grandmother’s house.’’
‘’Okay.’’
‘’I think we should leave now, monitor her vomiting for me, if it doesn’t stabilize overnight, bring her to the hospital so I can run some tests.’’
‘’Great.’’
I walk them out of the house to the car, when they leave I enter the house and head straight to the be-droom to find Kristian sound asleep. She looks so pale and weak plus she seems to be losing some weight. I have been so busy hating my wife to notice the pain she is going throu-gh with the pregnancy, I honestly don’t know what’s been happening to me. I know I love this woman. I just don’t un-derstand why I have been feeling this way towards her of late.
‘’Dear Lord, help me to love her, the way you want me to,’’ I say, holding her hand.
After saying that it hits me that I haven’t prayed in a long time, I have been slacking in that area, maybe I just nee-d some prayers to get back to normal. Rising to my feet, I change into my pajamas, gr-ab my Bible and join Kristian in be-d.
Opening the Bible 1 Peter 5, I re-ad throu-gh verses 8 and 9 slowly, as I re-ad, my face suddenly feels h0t and my head starts pounding like crazy. I close my eyes for a moment hoping to feel better but to no avail.
‘’I think I am just tired,’’ I mumble to myself before lying down.
*
Hours later, I wake up with the sun shining throu-gh my be-droom windows. I feel refreshed and better this morning. I must say I haven’t sle-pt peacefully in a long time. Last night Jada made me some chicken soup and gave me some medicine. I dozed off immediately after I finished eating.
I am not working today, Daddy P gave me a few days off work. I terribly miss Caleb, I will probably pick him up from school at 12 so I can spend some time with him. Getting out of be-d, I shower and put on some shorts and a blouse then make my way to the kitchen. I am surprised to find Lee in the kitchen cooking and while singing along to the music pla-ying on the radio, he seems to be in a good mood, I haven’t seen this side of him in a long time. Standing by the door, I silently watch him wondering what’s been happening to him.
‘’Babe!’’ he smiles when he sees me at the door.
‘’Hey!’’
‘’How long have you been standing there?’’
‘’Long enough to notice that you woke up from the right side of the be-d.’’
He walks up to me, ‘’good morning,’’ he k!$$£d me tenderly and softly.
‘’Good morning.’’
‘’How is our little girl,’’ he asks, ru-bbing his hand upon my belly.
‘’She is doing fine.’’
‘’I woke up early to prepare breakfast for you.’’
‘’Oh!’’ I shoot him a quizzical look.
‘’You look like you have seen a ghost.’’
‘’You have been acting up the last couple of days, how do you expect me to react to this change of mood? Should I just pretend like the last couple of days didn’t exist?’’ I ask, feeling overwhelmed by painful emotions.
‘’I am sorry babe, I don’t know what c@m£ over me.’’
‘’You treated me like trash Lee, you were mean to not only me but our son too.’’
‘’I am sorry babe, believe me when I say I don’t know what c@m£ over me.’’
‘’The last few days were scary,’’ I say, allowing the tears to fall down my cheeks.
‘’plea-se forgive me.’’
‘’Maybe I am the one who nee-ds to ask for your forgiveness.’’
‘’You didn’t do anything wrong.’’
‘’But I felt like I did…’’
‘’No you didn’t,’’ he pu-lls me close to him and wra-ps his hands around me, placing my head on his shoulder. I break down for a moment.
‘It’s okay,’’ he says, ru-bbing my back. ‘’Shhh.’’
When I am finally composed I sit at the table and wait for him to finish cooking. I don’t know how to feel about all this but I am just glad my husband is back to his s-en-ses, I just hope this new attitude is permanent.
‘’What do you want to do today?’’ he asks as we eat.
‘’Aren’t you going for work?’’
‘’I took the day off so I can spend some time with you.’’
‘’’Really?’’
‘’Yes babe.’’
‘’I don’t even want to do much, I just want to spend some time with you.’’
‘’We can watch a few movies this morning then pick up Caleb at 12.’’
‘’Why are we picking him up at 12? Is he okay?’’
‘’He is fine, I just miss him and I want to spend some time with him.’’
‘’I miss him too, I nee-d to apologize to him for being a $h!tty father for the last couple of days.’’
‘’$h!tty is the word,’’ I laugh.
‘’I am sorry.’’
‘’It’s fine, I hope you don’t back to that state again.’’
‘’I won’t.’’
‘’Promise?’’
‘’I cross my heart and hope to die.’’
‘’I love you.’’
‘’I love you too.’’
THE PACT
Me, you, her and him
-CHAPTER 20-
Unedited
Caleb and I are watching TV and eating snacks, Lee has gone to get us some chicken wings and Greek salad, that’s what I have been craving for all day, since yesterday Lee has been amazing- I am actually tem-pted to believe the last few days were just a figment of my imagination because how can someone wake up with a bad attitude one day and get back to normal the next day.
I am in the midst of my thoughts when a knock at the door startles me.
‘’Come in!’’
The door creaks open and the last person I was expecting to see walks in.
‘’Mr. Msizi?’’ I shoot him a quizzical look as he walks towards me.
I don’t remember the last time I saw this man, he hasn’t gotten in t©uçh with me since the last incident we had at my house.
I think I have just made peace with the fact that this man and I will never have a relationsh!p. To me Mr. Msizi is as good as dead. I don’t nee-d him in my life at this point. There was a time I nee-ded him and he was never there. Mr. Msizi only started showing interest in me when I grew up. Then he offered me a job at his company as a way of ma-king up for his mistakes but that was never enough- the damage had alre-ady been made, there was no turning back.
‘’Child? How are you?’’ he extends his hand to me and I just stare at his outstretched hand.
‘’Mummy! He is greeting you,’’ Caleb says.
I f0rç£ myself to smile, ‘’Baby boy go up to your room, I nee-d to talk to him for a few minutes, I will call you back.’’
‘’Okay, don’t forget to pause the movie.’’
‘’I will.’’
And with that, Caleb rushes upstairs to his room.
‘’What do you want?’’
‘’I nee-d your help.’’
‘’I don’t think there’s anything I can help you with, you wasted your time coming here.’’
‘’Won’t you at least hear me out?’’
‘’I don’t think I have the strength to hear you out.’’
‘’plea-se Kristian.’’
‘’Five minutes, that’s all you have, start talking.’’
‘’We have been sued by the minister of Finance for a story that ran one of Msizi Daily Mail last week, the story alleges that the minister defiled and murdered his niece who was recently found buried in a pit.’’
‘’How could you run such a story without verifying the information.’’
‘’I don’t know what was running throu-gh Kenzie’s mind.’’
‘’Oh so your princess has failed you?’’
‘’I admit I shouldn’t have allowed Kenzie to take over, she should have worked un-der you.’’
‘’Well, you made your decision and there’s nothing I can do about it.’’
‘’Will you help?’’
‘’How can I possibly help you, the case is alre-ady in court.’’
‘’We risk having our license revoked if we lose this case, you know much I have worked ha-rd to put the newspaper on the road map, it will break my heart to see it crumble right in front of my eyes, plea-se help us out.’’
‘’How am I supposed to help you? The case is in court there’s nothing I can do at this point.’’
‘’You have a great relationsh!pwith the minister, I was wondering if you can talk to him to drop the case.’’
‘’I am not doing that, I am sorry.’’
‘’plea-se child.’’
‘’I can’t do that, it could compromise my job.’’
‘’Just think about it.’’
‘’I will think about it,’’ I say.
‘’Thank you,’’ he stands up. ‘’And if you ever think of returning, we would be more than glad to welcome you back.’’
‘’I am never coming back.’’
‘’Sure.’’
‘’Okay.’’
‘’Bye.’’
‘’Bye.’’
When he walks out, I call out to Caleb and he comes running into the living room.
‘’Let’s continue with the movie now shall we?’’
‘’Yes.’’
We continue watching the movie until Lee arrives. Excitedly, we eat the food he has brou-ght before watching some more movies, by the time we are done, I am exhausted and just want to sleep. Heading to the be-droom, I change into my night clothes before sliding un-der the covers, Lee puts Caleb to sleep before he joins me in be-d. As soon as he holds me, I doze off.
That night, I wake up feeling deathly ill- weak and dizzy, getting out of be-d I become nauseated and I vomit all over the floor.
‘’Babe!’’ Lee says, sleepily. ‘’Are you okay?’’
‘’I feel sick,’’ I respond, trying my best to control the nausea but I am helpless.
I try to be strong and tough it out but things eventually get even worse, I keep throwing up and the more I throw up, the more painful it becomes. I spend the entire night throwing up and by morning the pain in my ribcage, shoulders and throat is unbearable. When Lee takes me to the hospital, they run some tests and give me some anti- nausea medicine which works for a couple of days before the vomiting kicks in again. I vomit for three days straight after that until I am severely malnourished which causes me to pas-s out only to wake up later in the Emergency room with a drip trying to get fluids back into my system.
I have never been so sick in my entire life, I am actually scared for my child, I have lost so much weight in the last couple of days, my throat is so-re and there is even blood in my vomit.
*
‘’We have the test results,’’ Jada says that morning.
I am sitting in the hospital next to Kristian wondering what is happening to her, she has lost so much weight due to the vomiting and lack of eating, since she can’t keep in any food or fluids, she has been refusing to eat. The last couple of days have been rou-gh on us. Caleb is currently at his grandmother’s house. I haven’t brou-ght her to the hospital because Kristian doesn’t want him to see her in this state but he has been asking about her a lot.
‘’What is wrong with my wife?’’
‘’Kristian has been diagnosed with a case of Hyperemesis Gravidarum.’’
‘’And what is that?’’ I ask.
‘’It’s an extreme form of morning sickness that causes severe nausea and vomiting during pregnancy. It requires hospitalization and treatment with IV fluids and anti-nausea medication.’’
‘’But will she get better?’’
‘’She will nee-d a lot of be-d rest and monitoring.’’
‘’And the baby?’’
‘’Since she is losing weight so fast, there is an increa-sed risk that the baby may be born smaller than expected. But like I said to Kristian, I will make sure she and the baby are in perfect condition.’’
‘’Thank you.’’
‘’I will have to keep her here for a couple of days though.’’
‘’Sure.’’
‘’We will get throu-gh this together, I promise,’’ I whisper to Kristian who is slee-ping.
*
Tbc