“Fay, what is wrong with you?”. Seating
next to her, I touched her arm around the
muscles and then her neck. Her
temperature was on the high side.
“My God, Fay you are seriously sick!” I
said as she then turned towards me
grabbing my hand. Looking at her face I
saw tears running down the sides of her
eyes.
“Baby what’s wrong with you” I asked
worried as I held her hand
“Fury!!!” she paused, heaved a deep sigh
and continued calmly “I’m pregnant”.
To say I was scared is an
understatement. A million thoughts ran
through my head as I tried to come to
terms with what she had just said. What
would Frank think of me? Their parents?
Mine? The strain I had just put on the
beautiful relationship that had existed
between us. Her own fiancé.
But then again, my mom right from my
childhood had always told us to take
responsibility for all our actions. And
again, I’ve always told myself for a lady
to get pregnant for me, meant I have no
problem getting married to her in that I
slept with her without protection and
should expect anything.
Shaking my hand lightly, she brought me
out of my trance saying “what do we d?”
Don’t know where I found my voice but
taking her hand in both of my hands, I
started calmly bending towards her “Fay,
come what may, I’ll be with you through
this. But right now, your temperature
ain’t looking too good. You need medical
attention”
I saw the tears flow even more and I
made to clean them with my hand as she
asked “Are you sure? Promise me you’ll
stand by me” still sobbing.
“I promise” I said meaning every single
word of it. “But firstly, we need to take
you the the hospital or something.
Lemme go call mom” I said standing up
to leave the room as she held on to my
hand and whispered “don’t say anything
to anyone about it yet”. I guessed she
meant the pregnancy part.
Stepping out, I heard frank flushing the
WC. I waited for him to come out. “Why
are you standing here?” he asked rubbing
his stomach.
“Favour is sick, her temperature is
something else” I said calmly avoiding
his eyes while trying to stay composed.
“Just saw her now, wanted to go call
mom”
“Haa, dis her malaria don start again” he
responded entering her room. I followed
closely behind him and stood close as he
nursed her. Then standing up to go call
his mom he said “she has a phobia for
drugs and injections and usually prefers
to lock herself when she feels sick hoping
to get better when she wakes up”
I said nothing as he left the room and
then moved closer to her knowing this
wasn’t one of her “malaria” this time
around. Minutes later mom entered the
room followed by Frank and then Dad.
Frank turned on the brighter light as
mom sat next to her surprisingly
scolding her in their local dialect. All I
noticed was she kept shedding tears. Dad
was rather calm as I noticed him dial a
number. He also spoke in their local
dialect for some seconds before ending it
with “ok, they’re on their way”
Turning to Frank he said “Go and get the
car keys and take her to XYZ Clinic. Fury
help mom take her out. Mom wanted her
to walk while we both supported her, but
I just put an arm around her waist and
the other around her neck and lifted her
up. I took her out of the room while I
noticed dad return their own room. Mom
walked behind us as we went outside.
Frank opened the back door and I placed
her in the back seat and got in next to
her. I was expecting mom to get in the
passenger seat in front but she instead
held the gate open as Frank drove out.
“Is she not coming?” I asked him
referring to mom to wish he answered in
the negative saying it wasn’t something
we couldn’t handle. Fay then rested her
head on my lap. We got to the clinic a
few minutes to 9pm and frank asked
me,to wait while he went in. All the while
as we made our way to the private clinic,
I ran my hand through her hair as I was
deep in thoughts wondering why things
always happen when one least expected.
When Frank left the car, I gently bent
down and gave her a peck while also
reassuring her I was gonna be with her
till the end. It wasn’t love, I just knew
living up to my responsibility was the
right thing to do. She in turn just
squeezed my hand in approval. Minutes
later Frank returned with a nurse and
then I helped her get out of the car
before lifting her up as the nurse led the
way to a private ward and room.
A young doctor came in with an elderly
matron who began to speak their local
dialect with Frank and Fay. Minutes later,
she was already placed on drip because
of how weak she looked in just a matter
of minutes from the house to the clinic.
In all these, I just stood aside buried in
my own thoughts of possible scenarios
and whether to open up to Frank on our
way home or just relax. I decided I’ll wait
since she asked me not to tell anyone
anything yet. We left the hospital after
about 40 minutes there. She was already
asleep when we left.
On our way back Frank started “when
ever she just starts thinking, she becomes
depressed and fever kicks in”
“what does she think about” I asked
pretending to be interested in the fact
that he might know why she’s feverish.
Deep down I knew what was happening
“Her parents and siblings” he said as he
angrily honked for a pedestrian who was
walking on the road.
“So what about them?” I asked showing
genuine interest this time around
“They died in an accident when she was
10. Her dad, mom and twin brothers
aged 3. She was here on holidays and
was about to begin secondary school.
Her mom was mom’s younger sister. And
since then none of her dad’s siblings
have ever bothered to know where she is,
if she went to school, or if she’s still
alive. Sharing his few belongings was all
they did. So once in a while when she
starts thinking about the fact that for
over 15 years none of them have looked
for her, she becomes sick”
“Wow” I though to myself. So all I
thought I knew about her was wrong?
Example being that she was a distant
relative (I began to wonder where I even
got that from again). Then it began to
bother me all the more. Truly despite all
what Frank’s parents had done for her,
she disappointed them by being pregnant
for someone. Worst still not her fiance.
“So what will happen now? How long is
she gonna stay at the clinic?” I asked not
sure of what to say as I was deep in my
own thoughts
“She’ll return tomorrow. The matron is
our aunt. That is, she’s my mom’s
youngest sister. The last born of my
grandma.” he said as we continued the
journey home.
“so what about her fiancé” I asked when
we got to the gate
It was at this point I saw Frank smile
ever since I notified him of her fever
earlier in the evening “Don’t mind her,
she doesn’t have a fiancé. She broke up
with her boyfriend from uni during
service and she’s been single since then.
That’s the excuse she gives so as not to
be bothered by guys”
“I don die” I thought to myself as I
alighted to open the gate for him to drive
in.
TBC
