The smell of the hospital kicked right into my nostrils as soon as I woke up. My surroundings looked blurry, but my nose informed me of my whereabouts. Seeing my eyes open slowly and trying to adjust to the lights in the room, Winston jolted. He rushed to call the doctor, who didn’t hesitate to follow up and check my vitals.
“How are you feeling now?”, the doctor questioned.
“What’s happening?”, I responded with a question.
“Madam, your husband said he came home to meet you lying in a pull of blood by the staircase. Did you trip and fall?”, He asked calmly.
I looked in the direction of my husband. He had a deadly look. I gulped and nodded. Winston really knew what he was doing as he exhaled after my response to the doctor.
“Your husband said he had no idea you were pregnant. Did you know you were already pregnant?” My change in expression was enough for an answer. I was shocked. He went ahead to break the unfortunate news in the best way he could and expressed his regrets after.
He even commended Winston for rushing me in early enough to save my life.
I was dazed. My chest tightened more as I turned to meet Winston’s eye. He looked on, indifferent. Tears gathered in my eyes. I had lost not only my pregnancy but also, hope in this marriage. I couldn’t recognize the ‘Winston’ who would shyly walk up to me anytime we saw each other whilst dating. Why didn’t I just die?
After the Doctor gave me some pills, I slept again and woke up to faint voices in the room. This time, I didn’t open my eyes. I pretended to be asleep because I had to know what the other party would say. Who else could it be? Winston’s mother.
“Mom, this is not the right time to suggest a divorce, you know she just lost a child and even if I hated her, I still wouldn’t have done that”, Winston interjected.
“What did I tell you? Very soon she’ll have control over you and destroy everything you’ve toiled for. Winston, listen when I talk. Pastor Eric has seen this and vividly described what will follow if you don’t flee. Remember what I taught you: A woman is to be controlled and not be controlling. She’s burnt her own mother’s house and paralyzed her mother. After that she’s made sure a house you put in so much to build has been emptied of its ornaments. Not just that, she even ate her children, Winston, She – ate – them. Read my lips. What else do you want to see before you believe she’s a …”
“She’s a what?”, I interrupted. “Tell me.” Hatred oozed out of the woman’s eye as she glared at me. I didn’t back down in fright. No. I met her at that level. Perhaps even higher than that level, glaring at her with the same energy she looked at me with.
Pain raped my entire being, causing me to shake uncontrollably. But what was pain when the real pains were right before me? I just wished I could shred her into pieces. As if her son wasn’t making my life hard enough, she wanted to join the parade.
“Is that what you taught your son? That women are to be controlled?” I laughed. It all made sense now.
“You both are pathetic”, I spat out.
In seconds, she walked toward me and slapped me across the face. Could this woman be a mother? My hearing went numb. As though my head has been reset.
Simultaneously, a voice came from behind us. “I dare you to touch her again”
In came my mother and an attending nurse who stared at my mother-in-law and my husband in disgust. “So this is what “till death do us part” means to you? No, you want to kill her before her time”, my mom angrily barked.
“Oh Winston, you’re also here?”, She sarcastically added as she tilted her head in his direction. Winston hid behind his mother like a dog that had lost a fight. I found the scene interesting. Indeed he’s a ‘Mummy’s puppet’!
To be continued…
The irony is striking… this Winston has some real nerves.