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Kelvin and Tosin moved to the end of the hospital reception and actively prayed for Jumoke. They prayed in low but firm tones.
” Father you said in the book of Exodus 23:26, that none of you shall cast their young and that there shall be no barren in the land…Lord please honour your word in the life of Jumoke.”
” For the thought you have for us is of good and not of evil, to give us an expected end. Lord! Jumoke’s pregnancy shall not end in sorrow in Jesus name.”
” Your word says that the expectations of the righteous shall not be cut short. Your daughter has waited long on you for the fruit of the womb. And now that her dream is becoming reality, she will not lose this pregnancy in Jesus name.”
They continued to travail in prayer. Sweat like rain drops fell from their bodies as they poured out their heart to God. They decreed that Jumoke’s baby would stay until it is time for it to be delivered.
At a point, Kelvin opened his eyes and whispered.
” In Jesus name we pray.”
” Amen.”
His wife looked at him curiously.
” I think we should call Kola to intimate him of what has happened,” Kelvin said.
“I also thought of that before now,” Tosin replied and raised her eyes to the wall clock. “I dropped the idea because it is not yet morning. Getting the news in the middle of the night might get him too worried. There’s nothing much he can do.”
” It’s true, but he still has to know. We will not make it look as if it is serious. The reason why I’m insisting on him knowing NOW is for him to join us in prayers. He shares a unique bond and covenant with her since he’s her husband. The baby in her womb belongs to him. His prayers for her will give ours more weight.”
” You are right. I didn’t look at it from that angle. Please call him.”
Kelvin picked his phone.
” I’m still wondering at the kind of business he went for,” Kelvin said while dialing Kola’s number. It couldn’t be from the office anyway. I would have known. I’m beginning to doubt some of Kola’s activities and movement. Just look at what he told his wife the other day. When I confronted him, he gave a lame excuse that his wife only misunderstood what he said about the auditors. I knew Kola was lying. I also sensed that he was hiding something from me. I just pray that he’s not into a shady deal or something that will ruin his life and home.”
” We must keep praying for him.”
Kelvin tried Kola’s number for the fifth time. He sighed disappointedly. ” It is still not connecting.”
” That’s serious. Please try again,” Tosin advised.
Kelvin gave another try without success and dropped the phone in frustration. ” Let’s resume praying. I will try later.”
Someone came out of a room marked emergency. He was in blue scrubs. ” The doctor.” Tosin pointed.
He walked to them.
” I guess you are the ones that brought the pregnant lady.”
” Yes. Yes.” Tosin answered eagerly. There was palpable anxiety written all over her.
” Please doc, how’s she?” Kelvin asked.
” She’s stable.”
” Praise God. The pregnancy?”
Tosin waited with abated breath.
” Well.” The doctor said as he walked away. They trailed after him
—-
That was around 2am. 9 hours later, Kola barged into the hospital reception hall, asking for his wife. It was by divine Providence that he got into town in one piece. A journey of averagely six hours was made in four hours. So many times, he nearly crashed the car. Against all odds, he arrived the hospital intact, and was directed to Jumoke’s room.
He got the news of his wife’s accident by past six; that was when his number connected. He had just woken up and was planning on how to make the day fruitful. First thing first, he wanted to call Jerry so that they could plan the day. The doubt of the night before was gone. The remorseful and guilty feeling had also been pushed to the background. In place of that, he had a feeling of needing to carry out the act urgently. He knew that either they carry out the abortion or not, he had personalities to answer to; either man or God. He choose to rather face God than man. Once the mess is cleared, he would go to God in total repentance. Like David, he would cry out to him to forgive and have mercy. That would be all. God would forgive him. His track would be covered. There would be no child born out of wedlock. His wife would be protected from a disclosure that might make ever lose trust in him.
When Kelvin’s call entered his phone, Kola knew that something was wrong. It was unusual for Kelvin to call him at such an early hour. His mind went straight to his wife. Something bad must have happened to her. He felt an immediate guilt. He shouldn’t have left her alone in her condition. He was supposed to be at home protecting her, instead of being in a hotel room, doing God knows what. His hand shook as he picked the call and his voice quivered. ” What is wrong with my wife?” He asked.
Kelvin assured him that his wife was okay. He just needed to be informed that she had a minor domestic accident in the night and she’s in the hospital.
He needn’t hear no more. In a jivy, Kola was ready to leave the hotel. He presumed that if he could get to the park on time, he would get an almost full car. He wouldn’t mind paying for empty seats if the need be. He must get home in good time . If anything happened to Jumoke, he will not forgive himself.
Kola remembered that deaconess was in the other room but shrugged. He planned to call Jerry later and tell him to carry out the abortion in his absence. Whereas, it’s not a must that he should be there.
As he opened the door to exit the hotel room, deaconess also opened her door at the same time. She was fully dressed. Both of them starred at each other. Deaconess found her voice first.
” Morning.”
” Morning…ma.”
” I was about to knock on your door so that we could talk.”
Kola frowned. ” Talk about what?”
” About what we came to do.”
” What about it?”
” I…think…” Deaconess began to say. Kola interrupted her.
“I’m afraid we can’t talk now. I got a call a while ago that my wife is in a critical condition. My attention is needed at home.”
” Oh. So sorry. That means we should be heading back.”
Kola looked at her quizzically and asked. ” We? What do you mean by we? We are yet to do what we came to do.”
” But you need to leave.”
” I can as well leave alone. I will call Jerry so that he will come pick you and proceed with the flushing.”
Deaconess cringed at Kola’s choice of word. He spoke as if the baby wasn’t a living entity. Like it is a Pooh that could just be pushed down the toilet. She frowned and placed a palm on her belly as if telling the foetus not to worry, that no one would flush it out. She wanted to argue with Kola, but felt a restraint within her. She decided to allow him go. Infact, she would aid his movement. With him out of the way, she would have enough time and space to think and proceed on whatever action she would take; apart from aborting the pregnancy.
” A minute,” she said and opened the door to her room. She returned almost immediately and handed her car key to Kola. ” Here. You can go with my car.”
Kola was taken by surprise. He couldn’t collect the key.
” Please take it,” deaconess pleaded. ” Going to the park might delay your journey. I’m planning to stay here for a while after the…must have been done. I won’t need the car. You can drop it in my house when you get to town. I will look for a way to get the key when I return.”
Kola collected the car key. He felt ashamed of himself. To think that he disconnected a wire in the car the night before, so that Deaconess wouldn’t escape from the hotel. He could hardly mumble a thank you.
Deaconess watched his back as he left and smiled. Thank God he’s out of the way, she mumbled. All I will do now is check out of here and look for a place to hide my head and think.
She looked down at her tummy, placed a hand on it and spoke. ” Baby, you might have come in an unusual way. Someone in same kind of circumstances would call you a child of shame. To me, you are coming as a special and highly favored child. Because of you, I’m ready to be rejected and humiliated. I’m ready to face the wrath of men. Just stay well for me, because I will love you till my last breath. Even if your father will not love you.”
Deaconess became emotional and dropped few tears. She dropped to the bed and picked her bag. Moving to the restaurant, she ordered for an early breakfast. She was just settling for a meal of chips and eggs when she felt a shadow above her.
She looked up to find a man of about Kola’s age starring down at her. He was dressed in track suit and seemed to be returning from an early morning jog. Without asking, he picked a chair and sat opposite deaconess. ” Morning madam.” He greeted. ” I guess you must be Mrs. Beatrice.”
Deaconess nodded. ” How did you know my name. Please who are you?”
The man smiled. ” Kola gave me your description. I was earlier at your room and met your absence. I just guess that you might be here. You know, pregnancy makes people do odd things, like eating too early.” He looked at his wrist watch. 7 on the dot. ” By the way, I am Dr. Jerry.”
TO BE CONTINUED
Let’s talk about Kola…he still wants the abortion.
Deaconess has made up her mind that she’s keeping the baby.
And Kelvin is beginning to suspect that Kola has a skeleton in his cupboard.
I’m still wondering at how Jumoke will behave if the secret gets to her from an outsider.
Let’s keep reading.
