NKEM 4
When she woke up, she found herself in the hospital. The nausea returned and along came that irritation written on her face as soon as she saw him. He was holding her hand and his eyes doing the begging. She hated him and loved him too. She chided herself for having a tender spot for a man that just cheated on her. She took her hand away from his and turned towards the wall. Just then, a pretty nurse breezed into the room with a friendly smile directed at Nkem. When she saw this, she felt a pang of jealousy creep into her bloodstream, causing the veins on her neck to bulge.
"Are you here to treat me or to smile at him". The question caught the nurse off guard. For some seconds, she fiddled uneasily with the file in her hand, the smile gone from her face and her voice broken into stammers. Nkem came to her rescue when he cleared his throat.
" Sorry, madam", she apologized. She cleared her throat and continued.
"The test result shows that you are two months pregnant".
Nkem's face broke into a smile, his own way of expressing joy at the news. Gladys smiled too but the memory of the lady he caught Nkem rammed itself into her mind and the smile vanished.
Nkem saw it and he knew he was going to explain how he ended up sleeping with the girl.
They just finished their performance that night at a club in Owerri and were getting ready to go to the hotel when the girl came from nowhere to him. According to her, she was a fan and has been looking for the opportunity to meet with him. They talked all the way to the hotel. It was after they got to the hotel that the girl left. He forgot about her until he heard a knock at the door and it was the girl. He never told her where he lived.
"Won't you invite me in '', she said. He stepped aside but couldn't utter a word. The provocative dress the girl wore took away every question he wanted to ask. He grabbed her at once and carried her to the bed before Gladys caught them.
"I can't raise my child with a philandering man", she said, eyeing the nurse as though she was the man in question. The nurse walked out at once, casting a last look at Nkem as though to keep the memory of his face in her heart. Nkem was brought back from his thoughts. He seemed not to have heard what she said and so she repeated herself. "It is better to abort the pregnancy than to raise it with a philanderer".
All the veins in his neck shoot out when he heard the word abortion.
"Please, Gladdy, '' he said as he usually called her anytime he was trying to win her over. I don't know what came over me... I"
"I know what came over you, they call it lust", she retorted. And I am sure this wasn't the first time. You have been doing it with her.".
"No! Gladdy. That's not true".
"So how many times have you done…".
"Ah! There you are", the doctor announced putting a stop to their conversation.Nkem was glad about the interruption, it afforded him breathing space. The doctor checked her pulse with his stethoscope. He nodded his satisfaction and announced:
"You are good to go but you mustn't stress yourself", he advised.
"That is if my philandering man will not give me hypertension". Nkem smiled that she called him her man. That, to him, was the end of the quarrel. The doctor smiled then quickly excused himself.
THE END
Welcome to a new month and thanks for stopping by. Till we meet again, keep doing you. I am Yours Truly,
Julius Topohozin.
