Munachi

|Chapter 13|

I slowly walk into the bedroom and fling myself onto the bed. Tears of anger, hurt, disappointment and regret flows copiously down my cheeks. I do nothing to stop them. I must allow them flow or they will choke the breath out of me.
I hear Nate come into the bedroom and hear him leave. I hear Doris ask if she should serve Nate his lunch. He decline and says he is going out immediately.

After ten o'clock, I walk to the kitchen and tell Doris she could go to bed. I speak as calmly as possible.

“I'm waiting to serve Master his food once he comes back,” Doris says.

“Never mind, I'll do that,” I say. “I'll eat with him once he returns.” My eyes are still bloodshot with crying despite my attempts to erase all traces of tears from them.

After Doris left for her room, I return to the bedroom. I lay on my back staring at the ceiling, my hands clasps beneath my head. I'm trying to think.

Dr. Samson said I'm three weeks pregnant. But hold on. The rape incident only occurred two weeks ago. Does it mean I've been pregnant before I was raped? I sit up, putting my hand to my chin as I continue to ponder. Does it mean this child belongs to Nate after all? But I saw my mestral cycle during those period. I can't possibly be pregnant at that time?
I come to the conclusion of revisiting Dr. Samson tomorrow for more and better explanation.

Minutes on, I get out of bed and walk to the living room. An hour and a half on, I hear Nate drive in. I open the front door for him. He didn't speak to me. He hasn't spoken to me ever since what happened this morning. I carefully bolt the front door, and walk up to him in the dinning room where he stopped to drink some water, keeping a distance.

“Nate . . . we need to talk.”

“There's nothing else to talk about,” he says, dropping the empty glass onto the table and making his way up into the bedroom. I trail behind him.

“Nate, please don't act like this,” I say, entering the bedroom along with him. “I expect you to understand me. Do you know how traumatized I am ever since that incident.”

“What incident, Muna?!” he screams in my face and I yelp, immediately backing away. “Just stop with the excuses.” He storms out of the room, slamming the door shut.

Nate leaves the house and in a few minutes I hear him drive away, and only to return at past midnight and spending the night in the living room.

I find it difficult to sleep. In my loneliness the blow of the whole incident become painful and unbearable. I begin to plan about tomorrow. I will wait for Nate to leave for the office and then go see Dr. Samson.
Towards the early hours of the morning I fall into a tired slumber.

♣♣♣

I arrive at the Meridian Hospital at about half-past seven in the morning. I see handful of patients in the waiting-room. Even some are standing round the clinic's clerk. I make my way to the clerk demanding to see the doctor. Despite having my hospital card, I'm told to wait for my turn to see the doctor. Well, that's what I get for not booking an appointment earlier. 

In spite of my early arrival I will be the twentieth patient to see Dr. Samson.

“That will mean a long wait,” I mutter under my breath as I collect my number card from the clerk.

I walk past patients who are sitting dejectedly on a couple of long settees until I come to three empty armchairs at the end of the room. I sit on one of the armchairs to wait for my turn to see the doctor.
Seconds on I'm lost in thoughts, oblivious of the bustle in the waiting-room as more patients arrives and nurses strutting in and out.