CHAPTER SIX

CHAPTER SIX

The long-feared moment finally arrived. Dr. Sylvester, Amadi’s family doctor, confirmed that Olaedo has entered her menopause. Now all hope was lost. Olaedo could not believe she will never be a mother in her life. She was miserable and unconsolable.

“Oh God, what was my crime?” she cried out. “Why have you deserted us?”

Amadi comforted her. He tried his best to be strong for her, yet his eyes watered. Throughout that day, an unusual silence descended between Amadi and Olaedo. Both of them wandered far into their thoughts.

So the lies against me will now be told as the truth? Olaedo thought. So I, Olaedo, will forever be remembered as the witch that ate her unborn children. What then is the point of living? Where can I find death so it will take this miserable life of mine? What am I still living for? She sobbed silently.

Even though Amadi loved his wife so dearly, he could not help wondering about his future.

Who is going to take over from us at old age? he asked himself over and over again.

He remembered all the advices he received about taking a second wife and waved them off immediately, resolving the matter wasn’t worth considering. He has already made up his mind never to go for another wife.

At the height of the internal conflict, Amadi took his wife to Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, so they can clear their heads. On the second day of their vacation, they decided to visit a popular beach in the town. They met several roadblocks on their way because the town was having a carnival that day. They alighted from the taxi when they couldn’t pass through the road again and decided to walk to their destination.

It was when they alighted from the taxi that Olaedo noticed that the road was filled with a lot of young children in tattered clothes. She drew the attention of their guide and realized that those children were all beggars. She took pity on them and walked over to where she saw a cluster of those children and gave money to each of them.

“Thank you, mama,” one of the children said gleefully and hugged her.

Immediately tears filled Olaedo’s eyes. She hugged the children one after the other before they continued with their journey to the beach. Throughout her stay in Rio, Olaedo’s encounter with the little children tore through her heart. She started nurturing the desire to set up a foundation that will cater for orphans and the less privileged. She told Amadi about her dreams and he gave his approval. Amadi’s support brought unexplainable joy to Olaedo because she has found another way to become a mother.

———Ω——————

Two months after they returned from their trip to Rio, Olaedo and Amadi set up the organization. They began to help the orphans and the less privileged. They provided food and clothing for them. They sent some of them to school and some were sent to learn skills like sewing, shoemaking, soap making, pastries, and many others. All the orphans receiving help from Olaedo and Amadi addressed them as Mummy and Daddy. They treated these orphans as their own children and made them forget their predicament. Both Amadi and Olaedo understood what life was truly about and, therefore, lived every day to its fullest.

———Ω——————

One faithful morning, Olaedo woke up and felt feverish.

“You must have overworked yourself. Go and take your bath, so we can go and see a doctor,” Amadi said.

Olaedo managed to drag herself out of the bed and headed for the bathroom. But she threw up before she could reach the bathroom door. Amadi helped her back to the bed and then called Dr. Sylvester to come over to the house.

The doctor arrived later that morning. He checked Olaedo’s temperature, eyes, mouth, pulse and blood pressure.

“These are symptoms of malaria. She will be fine. She needs some rest,” Dr. Sylvester said. He prescribed some drugs for her and told Amadi to inform him of any changes. Amadi bought all the drugs and she began to take them as directed by the doctor.

Later that day, Olaedo regained her strength. She started feeling bored and decided to walk around the compound. Akpan saw her through the window of the security house and quickly came out to see if he might help her to do some work.

“Madam, good afternoon,” Akpan greeted.

“Akpan, how are you?” she asked, turning around to meet him.

“Madam, I dey fine. You wan make I help you do something?”

“No, but thanks. How is your family? I hope you are communicating with them?” she asked.

“Madam, dem dey fine,” Akpan said.

“I hope you are sending them money,” Olaedo said.

“Ah! Madam, that one don tire me. Madam, I no dey sleep again. It’s either dey ask for money for house rent, or money for school fees or money for chop, or money for the light, or money for this and money for that. I go kill myself for them?”

“How many children do you have?” she asked, laughing.

“Madam, na only twelve o!” Akpan said.

“What! Twelve?” she asked and started laughing again. “What do you need twelve children for?”

“Ah! Madam no bi my fault o! My papa born fifteen of us. And I don talk say I go pass am, at least let it be wetin I achieve for this earth.” Akpan paused as Olaedo continued laughing uncontrollably. “Madam the thing wey dey concern me now is the way dem dey ask for money. See I don dey get white head.”

Olaedo wiped the tears running down her cheeks as she laughed. “You mean white hair?” she asked still convulsing with laughter.

“Madam the thing don tire me. Even for my dream, dem go ask me for money.”

Olaedo felt entertained by Akpan, but she did her best to advise him on how to manage his family.

______———Ω——————

“Rise and shine sleepy head,” Amadi said, as he walked into Olaedo’s room.

Olaedo woke up and smiled up at her husband, her eyes revealing the love in her heart.

“Good mor…,” she could not finish her greeting because she felt vomit coming up her throat. She quickly covered her mouth with her palm and ran to the bathroom, vomiting all the way.

Amadi ran after her, concern plastered all over his face. He felt her forehead and neck with the back of his palm. “You are burning up,” he said.

Olaedo felt weak and struggled to breath. Amadi helped her to change and supported her as they went downstairs. He did not bother calling the doctor to come to the house so he drove her to the hospital.

Dr. Sylvester examined her once again and took samples of her blood for lab tests. The samples were sent to the lab in the hospital and within a few hours, the results were sent back to the doctor. Meanwhile, Olaedo was taken to a ward, where she was receiving intravenous drip to regain her strength.

When Dr. Sylvester saw the lab result, he went to Olaedo’s private ward and collected another blood sample. He sent the second sample to the lab demanding for a confirmatory test. He believed the first result sent to him was somehow mistaken.

Shortly afterwards, the second results were sent to him and the findings were the same as the previous one. Dr. Sylvester couldn’t still agree with the results but he decided to relay the information to Olaedo and Amadi.

“Well, according to the lab results I received,” the doctor began. “It confirmed that Olaedo is pregnant.”

Amadi and Olaedo burst into laughter at the same time, as if they planned it.

“Don’t you think it’s too early for such an expensive joke,” Amadi said to Dr. Sylvester.

“In all my years as a medical practitioner, I have never seen a thing like this. You are pregnant Olaedo,” the doctor said again.

At that moment, they realized that the doctor was serious.

“How could this be? I have passed the age of childbearing. My menstrual cycle had ceased long ago,” Olaedo asked no one in particular.

“I cannot explain it, I’m sorry,” the doctor said, feeling lost.

Amadi needed this news to be true, but he was afraid of accepting it. He told himself there might be a mistake somewhere and so decided to verify it first before accepting the news.

Olaedo was discharged later in the day. She and Amadi drove from the hospital to another one in order to conduct another pregnancy test for her. To their greatest surprise, the result came out positive. Olaedo and Amadi stared at each other, dumbfounded. Then Olaedo had to let go of the tears that have been tearing down her heart.

“The Almighty God has remembered me in my old age. All praises to Him. And now the whole world would see His mighty deeds in my life and shall call me blessed,” Olaedo continued to pray as tears ran down her cheeks.

Amadi now believed the doctor’s report and was so grateful to God.