Neveah's Journey

You should be honored

              ''Let's go to the mall. I need new clothes. '' Lydia said immediately she walked into the parlour.

        '' I can't. My abdomen and waist are killing me . Just think, two weeks more and this is over .''

''Stop counting down. You should be honored to carry my niece you pauper. ''

''I would have gone with you but Neveah has an appointment this afternoon. ''Efya said coming around to give me a massage.

''I'll just go with Caleb then. ''
  

    Lyd left for the mall with her boyfriend. For some reason, I felt very restless and tired since I hadn't been able to sleep properly last night. Even though I felt serveral waist pains during my pregancy, these ones are the worst.

''Neveah, it's almost time to go to the doctor's. Come and have your brunch '' Efya shouted from the kitchen.

''I'm not hungry ''. I shouted back since I was too lazy to walk to her.

''You have to eat something. You haven't eaten since morning. ''

''Fuck off. I said I'm not eating. Leave me alone''

'' I know you are tired and cranky but I dare you to vent your anger on me one more time and see if I don't leave you in this apartment alone. ''

''I'm sorry, I just feel so uneasy ''

''Then I bet it's a good thing you have an appointment with the doctor this afternoon'' .

Efya finally forced me to down a bowl of cereal before we finally left for the hospital. When we got there, I explained how I was feeling to the doctor and she did a scan on me.

''Miss White, I think you are in labour '' Doctor Nicole said.

''What? How? '' I asked getting scared for my baby. I was two weeks early and I was worried it might affect the baby.

''You went into labour early. But don't worry, the baby is healthy and well developed. So that won't be a problem. You are still very early in your labour so we would be a while. ''

Doctor Nicole had detained me but I was allowed to walk around the hospital since it helped make the delivery come faster.  Efya and I finally went back to the delivery room when the contractions became very painful and my water broke.

After the nurses attached an IV and heart monitor to me, she asked me if I wanted to get an epidural.

'' I don't want to drug my baby. '' I answered. I read somewhere that epidurals made the mothers vision fizzy and that it drugs the babies.

'' It's safe for you both I promise. Plus you need to rest before you are fully dilated unless you might be too weak to push ''. The nurse's words made me rethink my decision. After another painful contraction, I didn't need any more convincing and I quickly took the epidural.

I asked Efya to call Lyd and tell her to go home and get my bags before she came here. The epidural had worked magic for me and I was relieved of my pain. I almost drifted off to sleep when my sister burst into the room, ranting.

''I can't believe you didn't tell me sooner.''

'' I wanted to be really sure this time. Plus the doctor said it would take a while so...  Don't worry, nothing exciting has happened. ''

I am 8cm dialated right now. The nurse threatened to kick out Efya and Lyd before they kept quiet and I finally had some rest.

It didn't last long though, because the doctor came in, checked me once more and said it was time to push. Lydia and Efya both held each of my legs and the nurse stood behind me, comforting me and telling me when to push.

Seventeen long hours of labour and five big pushed later, Tsunami Alexa Anderson was born. She was placed on my chest and even though she was covered in blood and God knows what else, I still couldn't resist kissing her head.

Lydia cut the baby's umbilical cord and while I was delivering the placenta, they sent Tsunami for check up.

By the time they returned with Tsunami, they had bathed her and dressed her in one of the cute overalls we brought from home.

When Lyd found out the bay had her middle name, she refused to call Tsunami by her first name and referred to her as Alexa instead.

We had to stay in the hospital for two days because doctor Nicole was worried about the hole in Tsunami's heart. I freaked out when I heard she had a hole in her heart but the doctor said most babies are born with holes in their hearts but it quickly closed in the first month.

Tsunami and I went home on the third day after she was born and I couldn't have been blessed with a better baby. She doesn't cry alot and even though she wakes me up in the middle of the night, she is easily palacated and she goes to sleep right after she is fed. The hole in her heart is still a problem but hopefully, it would close.

I was surprised when my classmates came to visit me after I gave birth. Even though I wasn't snobbish, I didn't really make any other friends apart from Efya so it was really shocking when people came to visit Tsunami with many gifts. I soon learned that this feature was also one of the many hospitable cultures the people here in Ghana practice.

Everyone was quite shocked when they heard that the baby's name is Tsunami. I understood their shock. After all, I was also showed that day at the rose garden when Truitt said he wanted his first son to be called Thunder, and his first daughter Tsunami. Even though I know he doesn't deserve the right to name my child, I did it because a small,stupid  part of me still loves him.

The only part of the Ghanaian culture I wasn't comfortable with, was the fact that everyone wanted to touch Tsunami and carry her. I didn't know where their hands had been and I was afraid she could get an infection. Long after every visitor had left, Lydia was still carrying Tsunami.

''Lyd, please put her down. I don't want her to get used to being carried or else she would never let me work. ''

''If Alexa gets used to being carried, it doesn't matter because her auntie would be here to carry her. ''

Even though Lydia was not willing to let go of Tsu, she still gave her to me so that I could bath and feed her before she slept. It had been a long day for everyone.