Her Mistake

∆ FIFTY SEVEN ∆

Dedicated to DolapoOloyede

Grandma's health was deteriorating daily and the cost of maintaining the hospital bills were high. Last night, I overheard dad and his siblings arguing about disconnecting her from the life support. I strongly disagreed with that. It was bizarre to think two of grandma's children suggested cutting her off life support.

"Maami  is old already, let her go and join Baami." Uncle Bayo, dad's immidate younger brother suggested yesterday night. When daddy and Big daddy (daddy's older brother) disagreed with the notion, aunty Kike yelled, "it's because Tobi is staying with maami abi? Why don't you face the consequences of your failed parental responsibility and stop letting her hide away here." The next thing I heard was the jam of the door. Daddy left the house and there has been no sight of him since then.

The car pulled to a stop and I sighed. It was another day of women eyeing and staring at me with contempt. Reluctantly, I got out of the car with my purse pulled my dress to cover my cleavage. The fabric of the dress was white with sunflowers splashed on it. It was a sleeveless and flared from under my bust.

Mum got out of the car and with a tap on the car key, the doors were locked. She joined me by my side and we made our way into the maternity clinic. Just as we walked in, a familiar patient with a massive bump attached to her front at the front row seat nudged a man who seemed like her husband. He looked up from his phone and stared at my features particularly my protruding stomach.

I bowed my head and walked to the trig section trying to pretend the pregnant women in the waiting room weren't staring at me.

The nurse took my vitals and we were asked to wait to see the doctor. Mum and I sat back at the far edge of the waiting room. The stares were just as uncomfortable for mum as they were for me.

She dug into her black leather bag and dropped something on my hands on my lap. It was my spectacles. I had forgotten them in Lagos. I murmured thank you and wore them. My vision was a lot clearer.

Mummy was still not speaking to me. No matter how I tried. Even when we were in the kitchen alone or with aunty Kike and Motun , dad sisters, she never spoke to me. How could a mother go this long without speaking to her child? I hadn't birthed the one in my stomach yet I always yearned to feel it move. So, how could she live without cohabiting with me?

An hour later it was my turn, so we went into the doctor's office together.

"Hello, dear." Doctor Ernestina gave a warm, inviting smile. I retuned the smile as myself and mum sat before her. "I'm guessing this is your mum."

Mum and I nodded simultaneously.

"Nice to meet you." She gave a grin. "So, how are we doing?"

"I'm okay."

"Anything new or out of the ordinary?"

"The baby moved."

"That's nice." My gynecologist beamed with pride like it was her child. "Get on the stretcher." She ordered, hanging her stethoscope on her neck.

I moved to the bed and struggled to get on it. I pulled up my dress revealing my massive stomach after I successfully laid on the bed. Doctor Ernestina took the bottle of gel and pressed it on my stomach. I shivered, I still hadn't gotten used to the coldness after all these months.

She wore her gloves and pushed some buttons on the monitor. She picked the machine and started to move it round my stomach. The greyish blob appeared on the monitor but this time around I could make out a head.