CHAPTER SEVEN

CHAPTER SEVEN

Five months later, the news of Olaedo pregnancy spread like wildfire. Ikem could not believe it, even after Amadi called to inform him. Their kinsmen’s were happy to receive the good news. But to confirm what they heard, they sent two representatives to accompany Ikem to Lagos to find out if it was true. The representatives took gifts they will present to Amadi and Olaedo, but Ikem had no gift for them because he believed the news was false.

When they arrived at Amadi’s house, they beheld Olaedo with her baby bump. The kinsmen began to dance, giving glory to God. Ikem could not believe his eyes but he pretended to be happy. Amadi and Olaedo welcomed their guests with joy and entertained them with food and drinks. The kinsmen then gave Amadi the tubers of yam and roasted bush meats they brought for them. Amadi gladly accepted their gifts and used some of them to prepare delicacies for his guests.

The following day, when Amadi’s kinsmen were set to return to the village, Amadi lavished them with gifts and gave each a large envelope filled with money. But to Ikem, he gave nothing. Ikem was enraged but still pretended to be happy. He returned to the village with a heart full of evil.

———Ω——————

One evening, Amadi and Olaedo were at the sitting room, watching a movie. Towards the end of the movie, Amadi predicted how the movie would end. And just as he predicted, the movie ended that way. He started boasting about his prowess.

“You know I would have been a good prophet,” he told Olaedo.

“Then what stopped you?” she asked, laughing.

“I reserved it for my boy. He will be a lot of things that I couldn’t be.”

“You mean ‘she’?” Olaedo teased.

“Nooo, ‘heeee’” Amadi stressed funnily. “That reminds me, I will be seeing my lawyer tomorrow.”

“What for?” Olaedo asked.

“To make some changes in the Will. The rightful owner of everything is on the way,” he said and kneeled before Olaedo. Rubbing her tummy he began to speak to the foetus, “How are you today, my boy? Mummy and I love you so much. Hurry up and come out.”

Olaedo smiled and kissed him at the forehead.

———Ω——————

The last stage of the pregnancy was indeed a trial moment for Olaedo. She encountered several spiritual attacks. She and Amadi kept praying the little way they could, believing that God will rescue them.

One night, Olaedo had the same bad dream she had before. She was being pursued by a faceless man with a cutlass. Like in the previous dream, she ran with her all might, but fell down at a point and was unable to get up. Her pursuer came to where she lay and raised the cutlass, aiming her belly. Olaedo began to beg for mercy. As her attacker was bringing down the cutlass with full force, a man full of light suddenly appeared and dragged Olaedo out of the way. She immediately woke up, wailing in pain.

Amadi, who now sleeps in the same room with her, woke up too. “What is it?” he asked sharply.

“The baby, the baby,” she said, breathing heavily.

Amadi took her to the hospital that night and met the doctor on duty, who attended to her right away.

“She is very weak,” the doctor said. Olaedo was still breathing heavily.

“Please help her,” Amadi begged.

“We might need to operate on her,” the doctor said.

Amadi quickly signed the consent form and Olaedo was prepared for surgery. She was quickly rolled to the theatre room. The doctor and the nurses were still getting themselves ready for the surgery when Olaedo yelled out in pain. They checked her and saw the baby’s head coming out. One of the nurses put her two hands together and immediately, the child slipped into them.

Olaedo’s breathing worsened. She was getting weaker and weaker. They supported her breathing with an oxygen tank and connected a drip into her vein. Yet that did not change anything.

Meanwhile, Amadi ran back home to bring the baby things they bought. As he was hurriedly climbing down the stairs, he slipped, fell and broke his neck. He died on the spot.

Olaedo’s pulse was getting weaker by the minute. She could hardly talk. But somehow, she got the strength to ask for her baby. “Where is my baby?” she said faintly.

“You have a baby girl,” the doctor told her.

“I want to see my baby,” she said inaudibly. One of the nurses carried the baby and placed it on her chest. She touched her and smiled. “You have brought joy to my heart, Adaku,” she named her child and breathed her last.

The news of Amadi and Olaedo’s sudden death circulated around the village. People began to talk. They said the child was an evil one that took the lives of both of her parents the same day she was born. Ikem mourned for his brother’s death more than anyone else. He made a public show about it and his kinsmen sympathized with him. Amadi and Olaedo were later buried.