The Divorce Episode Ten
It took almost 24 hours before Diana gave birth to her baby. It was very difficult for her since it was her first baby. She remained in the labour room until 6 pm the next day. At some points, the nurses asked her to walk around the hospital premises to ease the pain and to make the baby come faster. At about 7 pm, Diana’s baby arrived.
Tekena was outside the labour room, waiting. After the baby came out, Diana was too tired to stand up, or to even look to see the face of the baby. She doesn’t know if the child was black or white. She just lay there catching her breath as the nurses bathed the baby and wore her clothes. It was a baby girl. When the nurses were done, they brought the child outside the labour room and handed her over to Tekena.
“Here’s your baby girl sir. Congratulations!” One of the nurses said as Tekena took the child from her.
“Thanks very much.” Tekena said. He held the baby gently like a fragile egg. He sat in a chair under a very bright light. It was already nightfall, so he needed the light to see the baby’s face properly. He told himself he would not celebrate until he was sure the baby was biologically his. Immediately he looked at the child’s face, Tekena saw that the child was half-cast. She was white, just that she took a little bit of black skin from Diana, her mother. Her hair was curly and long right from birth. Even from the child’s face, it was clear to Tekena that the child was not his own.
“Jones got my wife pregnant. And now, he has been transferred out of Nigeria. Well, thanks to God that I took the decision to get married to another woman. I’m not in a disadvantaged position.” Tekena said.
The next morning, Tekena took Diana home without making any mention of the fact that her baby was white. He acted as if everything was normal. He even went shopping himself and purchased a lot of nice baby items for the new born child. The baby looked so beautiful and it broke Tekena’s heart that the child doesn’t belong to him.
Diana gradually recovered from the pain of childbirth and regained her abilities. She was still heartbroken that Jones left her alone when she needed him the most. She wondered why Tekena refused to talk about the issue when it was clear to everyone that the child she gave birth to was a product of cheating on deceit.
“I’m sure my husband is aware that I cheated on him. The baby clearly resembles Jones. She is white, and even a blind man could see that I cheated and got pregnant for another man while living under my husband’s roof. What am I going to do?” Diana asked herself one evening while breastfeeding her baby.
“The most painful part is that my husband is keeping quiet about the whole thing. I don’t even know where I stand right now. I don’t even know what he is planning against me. I’m not happy, to be honest. I’m even scared.” Diana said.
That evening, the house maid fell seriously sick. Everyone thought it was a simple malaria, but she soon became unable to move around the house or to do anything. Tekena came back from work and saw the condition of the house maid and he immediately became worried.
“When last did you see your monthly visitor?” Diana asked the house maid.
“I have not seen it for this month.” The house maid said. She lay in the bed in her room. Diana touched her body and noticed she was not running temperature. She looked into the house maid’s eyes and then drew her conclusions.
“I think she is pregnant.” Diana said to Tekena who was also in the room.
“How do you know that?” Tekena asked.
“I’m a woman. Besides, she just said she has not seen her monthly visitor, which means she has been put in the family way. Do you have a boyfriend? So, you have been opening your legs for men? How dare you do that in my house?” Diana asked angrily.
“You are jumping into conclusions. I think what we should do is to carry out a pregnancy tests first. I will go and buy the pregnancy test strips. You people should wait here while I drive to the pharmacy and come back.” Tekena said as he left the room.
When he was driving to the pharmacy, he said a silent prayer in his heart, hoping that the house maid would be truly pregnant.
“I hope she’s pregnant. I will be so happy. I can now truly become a father. As it stands now, she is the only wife I have.” Tekena said to himself. Soon, he was driving back with the pregnancy test strip.
When he got home, the house maid was told to go into the bathroom and bring a sample of her urine in a small cup. She stood up and did as she was told.
When she came back, Diana dipped the tip of the pregnancy test strip in the urine and it came out positive.
“I said it that she is pregnant. I said it. Who got you pregnant? Start talking immediately before I will deal with you.” Diana said. As she was talking, Tekena knelt down and lifted his hands up and started praising God.
“God I thank you for making me a father through this beautiful and well-cultured lady.” Tekena said right in the presence of Diana.
“Honey what do you mean? I don’t understand what you are saying.” Diana said with surprise.
“I’m saying I’m the father of the baby. I’m the one who got her pregnant. I got her pregnant because she is my wife. I married her properly and paid her bride price. And since she came into this house, I have been browsing her website and now, she is carrying my baby. I’m so happy.” Tekena said as he stood up and hugged the house maid tightly.
Watch out for the next episode
