Motherhood ππ Part 1
“Honey, my water just broke”. I said trembling.
I have always wondered how the day of my delivery would be. I have read of stories online and even heard from other women how painful labour pain is. This made me dread child bearing so much.
My husband frantically ran from the palour to the dining where I was seated.
At first, he just stood there looking at me confused and clueless.
“You have to take me to the hospital honey”. I cried out loud.
He jerked back to reality.
“Pardon my negligence”. My husband said as he assisted me to the car parked outside in the garage.
When we got to the car, we were faced with the puzzle of locating the car keys. My husband went back and forth looking for the car keys.
“Where did you keep the damn key????? Ohhhh it’s because you are not the one going through this pain that’s why it’s taking you forever to locate the key”. I cried out angrily.
“I’m sorry baby. Please hold on a little bit”. My husband pleaded while running up and down.
The pain was unbearable. It was worse than what I had read and heard.
I wanted to scratch my tummy when I noticed I was holding onto something so firmly. Lo and behold, it was the car keys. I had carried it earlier from the dining.
“Baby I’m with the keys”. I called out to my husband.
My husband rushed out with speed and drove me to the hospital.
Labour pain can’t be fully explained. It is something one need to experience first hand.
I was in labour for over five hours. I was completely drained of strength.
I was asked to push and push and push. I pushed till I almost fainted.
“I can see the head already. Ma please continue pushing, you can do it”. The nurse urged.
I don’t know where I found the strength from but I pushed with every strength I had left in me.
Voila! I heard the cry of my baby.
“It’s a boy”. A nurse said excitedly.
I tried to raise my head to behold the beauty I just brought forth but was interrupted by the doctor.
“There is another baby ma. You still have to push”. The doctor declared.
“How come? The scan didn’t indicate anything like that”. I said faintly.
My husband wasn’t even inside the labour room with me to know what was happening. He wasn’t allowed to go in with me. I just needed somebody to hold my hands and tell me I could do it.
I started another round of pushing. I was losing my breath.
“I would recommend CS ma. You look so weak and pale”. The doctor advised.
“I rebuke it. I shall deliver like the Hebrew women”. I said as I pushed with all my might.
“Are you sure, madam? The doctor asked.
I didn’t answer him. I just continued pushing.
“I can see the head already”. The doctor said.
To be honest, I knew I had already gotten to the end of myself. My body could no longer move and I was completely drained of strength but I was determined to birth my baby naturally.
I pushed till I passed out.
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I opened my eyes and saw my mother wailing uncontrollably. I opened my mouth in shock wondering what was making her cry.
Beside my mom was my elder sister who was sobbing whilst consoling my mom.
“My babies! My babies! Are they crying because of my babies?”. I wondered.
I stood up immediately in frantic search of my children.
I came out of the ward and saw my husband looking languid. He was speaking with someone on the phone. He was looking so sad and lost.
“Baby, what happened to our babies? Where are they?”. I asked crying.
My husband didn’t answer me. Infact, he stood as though he wasn’t even seeing me.
He was still on call when he burst into tears.
“Jesus! Jesus! My babies”. I screamed as I ran helter skelter looking for my children.
I ran back to the ward and approached my mom and sister to ask them what happened to my children.
“Mama what happened? Where are my children?”. I asked with tears.
Again, I got ignored. At this point, I got really mad and furious. I was about hitting my mom when my husband walked in with his mom and a nurse carrying my children.
I ran towards them with excitement.
“Let me see my baby”. I said to my mother in-law smiling.
She didn’t even notice me.
“Oh Magdalene! You couldn’t even stay to look after your children”. My mother said as she burst into tears.
“I don’t understand. But mama I’m here na. Where will I go leaving my infants behind”. I asked.
“Her body has been placed in the morgue”. My husband said with so much pain.
“She paid the ultimate price of motherhood. May her soul find rest”. My mother in law said with her head bowed down.
My mom broke into a very loud cry.
My husband rushed to where my mom was to console her.
I moved to my mom crying.
“Mama I’m here stop crying”. I said with tears.
I tried to hold her but couldn’t. I thought I was dreaming. I tried again but was still unable to.
I tried to touch my husband but couldn’t. I had passed through them like I was trying to touch the air.
I took two steps backwards. I raised my two palms up and stared at them in disbelief.
“Am I dead? No, I can’t be dead”.
To be continued
Judith Onyoyibo
