Unwavering Faith
By Sophia Okehie
Episode 8
There’s this joy that can’t be properly explained until you experience it yourself. Do you know how it feels to be declared barren by people for over five years of your marital life with your ex-husband, only to find love again and get pregnant in less than one month of remarrying that special someone that picked the pieces of your broken heart? I tell you that I personally can’t fathom and put to words how Susan felt when the doctor broke the pregnancy news to her.
At that moment, the ability to even breath properly was hard for Susan because her heart kept beating faster that normal. She was utterly dumbfounded and shocked to the brim. There’s no word suitable enough to describe how she was feeling at that moment. What a memorable day it will always be for the once barren women; she didn’t even know when tears of joy started descending from her eyes.
“Doctor please tell me you aren’t joking, am I truly pregnant? I’m shaking, please tell me the truth sir?” Susan said with tears falling off her eyes. The doctor couldn’t stop smiling because her reaction was touching and all shades of beautiful. “By your reaction, it seems you have been trying for a long time, right? The doctor inquired, “Yes I have sir and felt I was a barren women when I was still with my ex-husband. My inability to bear a child after over 5 years of our marriage was what broke my home. I found someone else that accepted my ill fate and just remarried few weeks ago, now I’m pregnant. I am greatly shocked because I got in a few weeks, something(pregnancy) I have been looking for in the past 5 years even after several IVFs. God is too good and I can’t fathom his ways because I have already accepted my husband’s son as my own child and left everything in God’s hands. Thank you so much doctor, God bless you” She soberly said.
When Susan was done talking, the doctor shared in her happiness and told her that God had visited her. However, the doctor also pointed out the chances of her ex-husband being the main problem of her past failed inability to conceive. He made Susan understand that her ex-husband could have been the fault of her marriage failure. The doctor also inquired if they both went for check up to know where the problem was from, and she told him that whenever they went for such check ups, the focus and concentration was always on her and not her ex-husband. It was there and then that it dawned on Susan that Raymond could have even been the cause of her childlessness.
It’s really sad that these kind of things still happen today in our society. The woman is usually the prime suspect when the cry of a baby isn’t heard in a home after few years of marriage. The sad thing is that people don’t see the fact that the man could be the main reason his wife isn’t conceiving. It’s always better for both couples to check themselves when having fertility issues in marriage, because the fault can be from either of them.
It was such a blessed day for Susan that she couldn’t wait to break the good news to her dear husband. After the hospital appointment, she excitedly entered her car and headed straight home. While on her way, she called Williams to inquire if he was home and he told her that he left for an appointment and wouldn’t be back till in the evening. She didn’t want to break the good news to him on the phone and preferred to wait till he got back home.
With Williams away, Susan knew she had to first make a stop at Jojo’s school to pick him up because it was already closing time. She arrived just on time to pick him up from school and Immediately Jojo’s saw her, he ran towards her and she happily squat down to catch him because he was running with speed. When he finally got to her, they hugged each other tightly and Susan didn’t know when she started tearing up.
“Why are you crying mummy?” Jojo’s innocently asked and Susan looked into his eyes; “I’m crying because mummy is going to give you a sister or brother soon” she said with tears on her eyes. At the mention of a playmate on the way, Jojo jumped for joy even though he didn’t understand what Susan was talking about. “Where’s my friend mummy? Will you buy my sister and brother?” He innocently asked and Susan smiled warmly. She took his hand and placed on her tummy and told him that’s where his friend was going to come from.
It was such an overly emotional moment between mother and son. They drove off afterwards and headed home. While Susan waited for Williams to get back, tears of joy didn’t cease from her eyes. Jojo was fast asleep by then so she sobbed as much as she was moved to. Who could blame her for being overly emotional? I mean this was something she had waited a long time for, so it wasn’t going to be that easy for her to digest the new reality in front of her.
At around passed 8pm, there was a knock on the door and Susan ran to open the door because she knew it was her dear husband knocking. When the door opened, Williams was looking extremely exhausted from all the appointments and meeting he attended throughout the day.
The first thing Susan did was to plant a soft kiss on her husband’s lips to ease his stress. “How do you feel now baby?” She asked smiling and he blushed, “I feel great babe” he said. However, Williams was quick to notice the glow and happiness that overshadowed his wife and had to inquire what was going on. “Babe, is there anything you want to tell me? Because you look so happy and excited” he happily inquired.
Susan was saving the great news for last; she took her husband to the dinning table and fed him with assorted delicacies. Williams was overjoyed seeing his wife that happy; he ate till his satisfaction and headed upstairs to go drop his briefcase and freshen up. Immediately he opened the bedroom door, the first thing he saw was the boldly written ‘Baby Number Two Loading’ decoration with roses on their matrimonial bed, with the pregnancy test result beside it.
It took Williams over ten minutes to wrap his head around the message Susan was trying to pass across to him. When it finally hit him, he gently muttered “Oh My God” and broke down in tears. As he was about to turn and run out to confront Susan, there she was! Standing at the door frame behind him and crying too.
“Baby…. Baby….is this true?” Williams soberly asked and Susan nodded ‘Yes’, with tears falling off her eyes. He sat on the floor afterwards and started crying and she immediately joined him too. They cried and held each other tightly because that new reality was hard to digest.
Williams was overly emotional because he was truly happy that his wife gets to carry her own child in her womb. In as much as Susan treated Jojo like her child, he knew that there was still a part of her that wanted to personally experience the joy of carrying and bearing her own child. He was glad that he gave her what her ex-husband left her for. It was a thing of great joy indeed and the to-be parents couldn’t wait for their bundle of joy to arrive.
The good news was broken to family members and friends a week later. Everyone couldn’t believe at first because it was too good to be true. Susan’s mother danced for joy and was the happiest amongst all. Everyone prayed for the expectant parents and wished them nothing but the very best.
Few months later, Susan’s baby bump started showing for all to see. Those that mocked her earlier started chewing back their words and became ashamed of themselves. Susan flaunted her bump well and glowed through her pregnancy. Raymond wasn’t still aware of this new development in his ex-wife’s life, but was about to shamefully find out soon.
It happened one fateful day that Williams took Susan for outing. They went to the cinema and other fun places to relax themselves. Jojo couldn’t come with them because he was having extra lessons with his teacher and nanny at home. The couple wanted a little break from their busy workdays schedule.
Turns out that Raymond was at the restaurant Susan and Williams made a stop to have lunch in. Unfortunately, Raymond was in the restroom when the couple entered and by the time he was out, Williams had stepped out to redraw some cash at the ATM in front of the restaurant. Susan was majestically seated alone and surfing the internet with her phone when Raymond suddenly caught sight of her.
“Isn’t this Susan?” Raymond wondered as he looked at her intensely. The only reason as to why he kept doubting she wasn’t the one was because the lady he saw was heavily pregnant.
After looking for a little while still in doubt, Susan raised up her face to check for Williams and bent it afterwards. Immediately she did that, Raymond almost collapsed because his doubts were confirmed.
Confused and shocked, Raymond walked towards Susan to know what was happening. When he got closer to her, he tapped her shoulders; “Susan is this truly you? Wow! Are you pregnant?” He shockingly inquired.
Before Raymond could utter another word, Susan cut him off and bluntly said; “I beg your pardon, it’s Mrs Williams now and Yes! I’m heavily pregnant”…..
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