PART VII
I watched my husband, Festus, on the bed with no life in him. I couldn't stop crying because all these wouldn't have happened if I had not been so cruel. But then, it was already a spilled milk. What could be the remedy to this disgusting situation? My friend, I thought of different things. I was always alone with Festus, why don't I strangle him to death or something? I came up with a plan, but the doctor would have to agree to this plan.
"Mercy killing? You want me to kill your husband, Sis Grace? This is absolutely unbelievable! I can't believe this is coming from you, Sis Grace! I am so sure this is stress talking, certainly not you!" Dr. Wilfred looked on at me in bewilderment.
He continued, "And it is rightly so because you have been through a lot in the past two months, you have been here by your husband for the past two months. Spending so much time, and not to mention your in-laws' attitude towards you, I quite understand this, but what you need now is a break, especially for the sake of the baby" Dr. Wilfred said while having still that bewildered look on me. He had on the most perplexed look I have ever seen in my life.
I barked out at him with my eyes flooded with tears,
"That is not my point, Dr. Wilfred, all you have mentioned doesn't bother me. I am thinking about Festus, he has been lying on that bed for two months not responding to anything, Festus is no longer in that body, I can't afford to keep watching him lie there, lifeless with his skin peeling. He has suddenly turned dark skinned. It's just right to let him die and go to rest, innit? So this is not about me. Have you checked his weight of late?"
I broke down in tears having convinced Dr. Wilfred. "He looks a shadow of himself, so skinny. He hasn't moved an inch since we brought him here and it doesn't look like he will. Festus lived his life in pains and medications. Why do this to him again? I am sure in his subconscious he wants to wake up but he can't, so why this continuous torture? Doctor Wilfred!" I screamed!
"Sis Grace, where is your faith?" Dr. Wilfred asked, calmly.
"Do you know how many prophets I have brought here? Doctor, my faith is dead and it looks like I'll be dead soon as well, because the thought of seeing Festus in this state is driving me nuts, knowing I am the cause of..." I stopped talking before I said much and let the cat out of the bag.
There was silence in the office, enough to hear the footsteps of an ant. It lasted for about two minutes.
"I will do it" Dr. Wilfred said after giving it a long thought.
"You will?" I asked
"yes, but for a good reason, which is to preserve your life and that of the baby. I can't afford to loose the three of you."
"Thank you, Dr. Wilfred, thank you."
At this juncture, I felt I was running insane, I was literally at the hospital for two months on a daily basis with the hope that Festus would wake up. And with the refusal of Dr. Wilfred to abort my pregnancy, the baby was growing daily. Within two months, I had tried different hospitals but couldn't do the abortion at these hospitals because I was an obvious public figure, held in so much high regards, that served as the hindrance.
The moment I went into any hospital, I would be received by the nurses with prayers, praises and admiration. They told tales of how my music has inspired them. So how was it possible I tell them that I came there for an abortion? On the other side, I have been using home remedies for the abortion, but this baby was bent on seeing and touching the planet earth. For those two months, I never heard from Fabian. Like he never existed before.
There was a tap on my shoulder, I turned, it was Dr. Wilfred.
"I also need you to do me a favor, before I do the mercy killing, I need you to travel to somewhere nobody would find you, so that you will escape all the igbo rituals for widows, so as not to jeopardize the life of the baby. This baby means so much to me."
Indeed, if only he knew the true identity of the father of the child... I thought.
"So when will you be doing it?" I asked eagerly.
" Let's give him a few more days to see if he wakes up, but if not, I will do it on Sunday. That means you should take your trip tomorrow or next."
"Thank you Doctor."
Where I was going to go was the next question on my mind as I walked towards the door, then he said his last words...
"Sis, I have a feeling you are not telling me the whole or true story, but please, when this whole episode is over, go and seek the face of God."
Exactly! The prayer mountain I went when I was just 14 years old, where the Lord told me " I will use you as a light to many nations," that was the best place to go, to see if God can repair me, thereafter, live a life serving God. Possibly start a foundation in Festus's name.
No!
I have an unfinished business before going back to God, before my repentance. Fabian must pay for what he has done to me. And the only person who can help me is my mother. Mama agidi of Igala.
My dear readers, I am about to open another chapter of my life to you. A life I had lived and left in my past. I never thought I would return there. I left that life when I was 12 years old, I am going back to the life before going back to Christ. It's time for Fabian to taste the bitter part of me, since he already tasted the sweet part. I am going to Igala for revenge. Or shouldn't I?
My friend, what do you feel about me now? Hatred? Disgust? Pity? What would you have done if you were in my shoes?
So much pity. You missed it from the start.
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