JEREMY
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Episode 15
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“According to the narrative, it rained on that particular day. My mother had been expecting me for a while, but for some reason, I had resisted emerging. For the last six days, she had been in labor. The physicians had warned that if by midday she still hadn’t given birth normally, they would be forced to operate. This was a first, as her two prior deliveries had gone off without a hitch. She had always entered and exited within minutes. She typically returned home before sunset, but during my pregnancy, things were very different. Most of the time I was inside my mother, she was in pain. When nine months had passed and the tenth was drawing near, the doctors had to start looking into other theories because they had initially thought the aches she had been complaining about had been pre-labor. Everyone was repeatedly reassured that there was no need to be alarmed. Yet, how could there not be?”
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“My mother had been in what she described as excruciating labor agony for six days straight and was well past her due date to give birth. For the past six days, my father has been missing. The physicians had earlier called him and suggested operating on his wife, but he brazenly declined their offer. He claimed that no one in his family had ever given birth using that method, and my mother would be no different. After six days, it became clear that unless something was done right away and quickly, my mother might not survive, and neither was I. When that happened, my grandfather was still living. He was the one who refused to back down, approving the cesarean section.”
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I was listening to Jeremy with my mouth open the entire time.
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“My mother couldn’t become pregnant again for eight long years after Diana was born. The other spouses have all given birth to at least two more children during the course of these eight years. Several of them had even given birth to twins. Yet other than the four sons that Diana’s series of pregnancies gave birth to, they never kept track of any other male births. But there was no reason to be concerned. They didn’t believe they needed to worry. Dad already has four sons. This meant he had options to consider when the question of a potential heir to his reign was brought up for discussion. Furthermore, his heir didn’t necessarily need to be the oldest of his sons. So picture his shock, fear, and repulsion at witnessing his four valuables perish simultaneously.”
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“Jeer, how? How? How did it happen? Is that even possible? How did all of them pass away on the same day?” I managed to lift my jaw off the floor to form the words to ask.
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Jeremy smiled and said, “The authenticity of this account would likely have been contested if it had been yet another folktale.” But nonetheless, babe, this isn’t just any narrative—this is my story.”
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Although I was curious, I couldn’t voice it at that time. I simply sat motionless in my chair, staring intently at Jeremy’s lips as they formed words.
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“My mother was finally taken into the theater to give birth, but she was too weak since she had been in such excruciating pain for days. A three-hour cesarean section was performed on her, a process that ought to have taken 45 minutes. At exactly 4:24 PM that day, the doctors announced my arrival—the same time and day when all of my stepmother’s male children passed away.”
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In disbelief, my eyes widened. In shock, my jaw fell back to the ground. I couldn’t believe my ears. What I was hearing was so unbelievable. I found it inconceivable that a mother would endure such suffering in order to give birth to a child. I found it hard to understand that a husband could be so callous and unconcerned with his pregnant wife’s well-being due to an antiquated notion, a family feature that needed to be perpetuated at the expense of a life. I found it incomprehensible what Jeremy’s poor mother had to endure all of that.
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Talking further about how these children were their greatest treasure, I can’t even begin to imagine how those women must have felt upon losing their child.
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Jeremy went on.
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“The following day, my mother was released from the hospital with a private nurse attached to care for her. When they arrived at the compound, they were startled to see the long, dejected faces of the crowd gathered inside the palace. She had initially believed that everyone had gathered to welcome her new birth, but she had never been more mistaken. The conflicted emotions were understood, but what wasn’t was what followed my mother for a very long time after those kids passed away.”
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“Jeer, you don’t even have to say it.” “They must have presumed she killed all the kids, I’m sure.”
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Jeremy smiled at my presumption before shaking his head in disapproval.
To be continued…
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Moshood Avidiime
