I sat in the armchair with my head in my hands. Hadassah just stood in front of me with her arms folded behind her. Her facial expression was of shock, disbelief, embarrassment, guilt. I could feel she had been crying her eyes out.
Oh Mary, Mary, where did I fail? God, why did You have to take her away from me when you know she would been the best mother for our little Hadassah? Why? I couldn’t think at this moment. Hadassah is still my baby girl. My baby!!
“Papi, aren’t you going to say something? I’m more scared with you being silent.” Hadassah quipped. I raised my head and eased in to the chair.
“Whose responsible?” I asked
“Gerald” she said in an almost inaudible voice
“What?! How? I thought Gerald was a responsible boy. I thought you two were as close as siblings. How, Hadassah? He was the only guy I trusted you with. He and Kuuku. You betrayed my trust, Maame Esi.” My voice was on top of the roof. I could hear my last statement linger in the air.
Hadassah was sobbing softly now. “Papi, you know we grew up together. Yes we were as close as brother and sister, but I began to feel something for him when I was in SSS 1, but I hid it. It was until we wrote our final exam that he also confessed he liked me too. Papi, we love each other, we truly do, but lust took over and we did it.”
I took a good look at my daughter. My beautiful,plumpy, eighteen year old daughter, harboring another life inside of her. The dream of being a grandfather thrilled me. But I wasn’t ready. Neither was she. She was hurting inside. I didn’t know whether to be harsh on her or pull her close to me and hug her, kissing her forehead, telling her it’s going to be alright when in reality it wasn’t.
I didn’t want to know how far along the pregnancy was. “Does he know?” I asked.
“Yes” she replied.
“Did he accept it?” I asked again.
“Yes. He told me he will tell his parents as soon as I told you. He also plans on coming to you to talk about marriage.”
I sat up. “Hadassah, marriage is out of the question! You are to young to understand how marriage works! Let alone get married! We won’t talk about marriage until your baby is born!”
“So you will accept this?” She asked.
“I won’t smile upon the mistake and the sin you have committed, but the baby is innocent!” I said, standing up. “Oh God! Why are we talking about babies now? Hadassah you have your whole life ahead of you. You would have been the best lawyer in this country! You are beautiful, smart, well mannered. Lord knows how much I wanted to walk you down the aisle, knowing you are a chaste woman and getting married to a man who knows your worth! How do know Gerald is the one for you? Baby, no one knows the future save God, but I love you still the same, even though I
am disappointed in you. Right now, I’m still baffled.” I said
Silence made the hall noisy. Hadassah took a seat in the loveseat. She looked as if she was going to break down. I dashed to her side and scooped her into arms. She sobbed quietly again and I rocked her back and forth. We sat there in what seemed like forever. I broke the silence.
“You will continue having your classes till your tummy starts to show. First sem will be over by then. I will arrange with your Aunt Felicia so you can have your baby in the US. No one has to know these plans. Not even Gerald.” My tone was firm, unrelenting.
Hadassah broke away from me. “No, Papi!!!” She screamed. “I don’t want be away from you. I need you, Daddy. And I also think Gerald has to know. Its his baby too.”
“We won’t discuss this any further. You need to rest. This is stressful.”
Hadassah stood up, looked at me, and turned for her room. I sighed. Hadassah was all I had. I can’t bear to see my baby girl with a big tummy, going through all the pains pregnant women bear. I saw Mary go through it. I felt the pain when Hadassah kicked inside of her. Hadassah was a kicker for sure. And Mary going through labor. Fourteen hours of labor and finally a cesarean section, Hadassah Maame Esi Turkson came into the land of the living. She was precious. I was the first to cradle my little precious gem. When Mary regained consciousness, she held her and told me to name her Hadassah, for she would become like Hadassah in the Bible, who later became Esther. And then Mary started bleeding. She was rushed back into surgery. Anticipation set in. I knew she was going to be fine. Or I felt so. I still cradled Hadassah in my arms. Her eyes were open and she made a suckling noise with her mouth. She was hungry. I told the nurse and she was bottle-fed. At that moment, I didn’t realize it was going to be that way throughout her infancy.
I started to weep. I hadn’t cried since Mary died. This time I cried for Mary, for Hadassah, for every time I was stressed from work, for every good time I had with Hadassah. Lord knows how much I love my daughter. I knew what to do……
3 weeks later
I knocked on her door. I held a tray in my hands.
“Come in” Hadassah answered.
I pushed open her door and set the tray on her desk. She was standing in front of her full length mirror, twisting and twirling around. I grinned. This is how she was suppose to be.
“I thought I’ll bring in some breakfast before you leave for school.” I said, sitting on her bed.
“Oh Papi, thank you so much. You didn’t have to do it.”
“Anything for my princess.” I replied
She ate the plate of sausages and eggs, toast and fruit salad. Then she washed it down with a glass of orange juice and sipped some water.
“Thanks again, Daddy. I love you” she hugged me.
“Its for your own good, my dear. Love you more.”
Hadassah broke away, picked her bag, and started for the door.
“See you later.” She said as she went out the door. I sat on her bed for a few minutes and when I heard the front door shut, I took my cellphone out of my pocket.
“Hello Albert.” A deep clear male voice answered.
“Good morning, Joojo. How are you?” I asked.
“By the grace of God, I’m fine. You?” He replied.
“I’m fine. Did you make sure you are on duty today?”
“Yes I did.” Joojo paused. “Albert, are you sure about this? Its dangerous!” He exclaimed in a whisper.
“She took the last one this morning. Its going to be okay.” I assured him
“OK. I’ll be here.” He sighed
“Good. See you later.” I said
I left Hadassah’s room and veered into my bedroom. I waited………
Later that day
I was dozing off in front of the large screen TV. Then the cellphone rang.
“Hello.” I answered groggily
“Albert, she’s here.” Joojo said
“OK I’m on my way.”
I quickly changed my house clothes into something more appropriate. I grabbed my keys and dashed out of the door……….
I rushed to the Sykes Memorial Hospital. The timeframe was rather short. I calculated she would be in the hospital by early evening. The earlier, the better. I entered the main entrance to see Dr. Joojo Tieku waiting for me.
“How is Hadassah?” I asked.
Joojo quickly pulled me aside to a corner. “Albert, she lost a lot of blood for a normal miscarriage. I just can’t pass it one. If other medical officers come around her, they would pursue an investigation into the supposed miscarriage. Do you understand how serious it?” He was breathing fast.
“Joojo, calm down. Hadassah is a strong girl. She will get through this.” I said, but deep inside my stomach was churning. What if he was right? “What is her condition now?”
“She lost a lot of blood, but she’s stabilized now. We got a donor for her. We also had to perform a D&C. She will need lots of bed rest and fluids.” Joojo quipped.
“Can I see her now?” I asked.
“Yes, but she’s been sedated. She got hysterical when she realized what had just happened to her.” Joojo wiped his forehead. He lead me through the winding corridors of the newest hospital in the country. Clean white walls and everything looked modern. Joojo stopped in front of one the numerous blue doors on the left. The number 501 was on top of the doorpost. Joojo opened the door.
Hadassah lay on the hospital bed with the covers up to her chest. She was asleep, almost peaceful. My stubborn heart softened. My baby girl going through such an ordeal. I dragged the chair towards the bed and sat on it. I leaned towards her and lifted her hand, placing it in mine. Hadassah, my baby girl, my princess. Those were the words I kept repeating to myself.
Then she began to stir. “My baby, my baby.” She whimpered. Turning, she opened her eyes and saw me. “Papi, my baby. I lost my baby! My baby.” She sobbed quietly.
I sat on the bed and cradled her. “Shush. Its okay, sweetie. We thank God you are still alive. It’s going to alright. I promise you.” I smoothed her hair and kissed her forehead. She slipped back into sleep.
Hadassah was in the hospital for a week. Silence hung above In the car’s atmosphere.
“Home sweet home.” I remarked as I opened the front door.
Hadassah said nothing as she entered the living room. She went straight for the couch and crouched in it. I headed for the kitchen and pour two glasses of grape juice.
“Here you go, my princess.” I offered her a glass.
“Thanks.” She paused. “I wanted a baby girl. I would have named her Alberta. I would have wanted her to be as strong and firm as you are.” I squirmed in my chair.
“God knows what is right. He knows what the future has for you.” I chirped in.
“Maybe.” She said. “I want to rest for a while. Hospitals never give the comfort of a home.” She sauntered into her room. A force prevented me from following her.
Instead, I went to my room and paced the length of the room. I snatched the empty unlabeled bottle off the top of the dresser. You have run your course of three weeks, I thought to myself, its time you disappear. I threw the bottle into the trash can in the corner. My cellphone beeped. It was a text message.
“Pharm. Albert Turkson, you have been confirmed by the Board of this year’s conference as the speaker of the 20th Annual Pharmacists Conference on the 4th of February. Details of the venue and time will be available later. Topic: The Role of the Pharmacist Against Drug Overdose. We hope to see you there.”
I looked into the trashcan and saw the empty prescription bottle. Surely, this was a joke
RACHEL AMA BIRAGO
UENR.
i love this.
ReplyDelete