Episode 2
TOO HARD TO LET GO.
I got home around 8 that night.. about 3 hours later, as a result of heavy traffic I met on my way that evening.
Lucy was sitting over a plate of jollof rice in the dining room, by the time I arrived. She has called me countless times while I was still on traffic.
“Welcome, sweetheart”. She greeted, smiling lovingly at me.
“How are you feeling now?”. I asked as I walked up to meet her.
“I’m getting better, that malaria drug is really working”. She replied.
I bent over and gave her a peck on the forehead before taking a sit beside her.
“I can see you’re able to cook. That means you’re much better now. Thank God. I got you the test result”. I said, placing the paper on the table before her.
She scooped a spoonful of rice into my mouth before replying.
“What did it say?”. She dropped the spoon to and started opening the envelope.
I studied her expression as she read through it. The smile on her face vanished and her jaw dropped.I could hear the sound of her breath.
“It says you’re a month old pregnant. I announced calmly
…. but I think they made a mistake. So, we shall be taking another test tomorrow in a different hospital”. I added.
She looked up at me and nodded gently.
She dished my food and we ate silently, with me wondering what could be going on in her mind at that moment.
That night, we just lied down with our backs to each other.
Why has she gone dumb after she saw the test results?. I expected her to at least, get angry with the hospital, curse them or even get mad at me for accepting it in the first place.
I just hope it’s not what I’m thinking.
The next morning, being weekend, we went to a laboratory instead. This time around, we stayed behind to collect the results before going home.
We collected it later on and had gone into the car before I asked her to unseal the sheet.
Please let get home first”. She pleaded
I agreed and we drove home again in silence, same way we came.
When we got home, she stood in the living room and started unsealing it. Her hands were shaking as she did and this caused the envelope to fall off two times. I picked it on the second fall and opened it myself.
I glanced through them and sadly, there wasn’t any difference between the two results…she was actually one month gone.
“Can you explain this?”. I asked, calmly and when she wasn’t talking, I looked up and saw her looking at me with eye filled with tears.
“I’m sorry”. Was all she could say.
“What are you sorry for?”. I asked.
She didn’t talk again, instead, she turned around and started going into the room. I thought, maybe she wanted to show me something, so I sat on the cushion handle and waited for her to come out.
I was sweating profusely, imagining all the explanations she was going to give.
When she didn’t come out after about 4 minutes, I went in after her.
When I got to the room, I found her removing some clothes from the wardrobe and throwing them into a box on the bed.
What is she doing?. I wondered, as I stood by the door watching in confusion.
She took one quick glance at me and looked away.
When she was done, she picked the bag and started coming towards the door. I made way for her and she passed, without saying any word to me… she was in tears.
I heard the sound of the entrance door as it clicked open and through the window, I saw her come outside. She walked down to the gate, opened the it and left the compound.
The whole thing seems like a dream to me.
I sat down on the floor and wept like a child.
Why has life chosen to be unfair to me?. What have I not done right?. What have I not provided Lucy with, that she had decided to treat me this way?. This and more questions I couldn’t find answers to.
When I was tired of crying, I laid down there and closed my eyes.
Could it be I’ve made the wrong choice in the only one my heart beat for?
Typing 3….
ยฉ Joy Ifunanya
