She slept off reminiscing about these things. She remembered what Mrs.
Danladi wanted her to do. It was unthinkable.
"What do you mean ma? Is there something you're not telling me?"
Tonia asked her mother in law.
"I will tell you if you want to pretend you don't know what I'm saying.
You need another man to mate with you so that you can have children for my
son." She finally said.
Tonia jumped up from her seat.
"What? Haba Mummy. I can't, and I won't cheat on my husband, not to talk
of bearing him a bastard. I won't do it!"
"Sit down." She snarled.
"I can't and won't cheat on my husband." She said, mimicking Tonia.
"Do you think I'm a fool? How can a woman survive without sex? You think I
don't see through you? All this lovely dovey you are forming with my son.
You
think I don't know? I'm only being quiet because you've been smart enough to
keep your affairs secret. And I suggest you keep it that way."
"Mummy! Why are you saying all these? You can choose what to believe,
but I've never cheated on my husband. I'm sure Usman won't agree to this
arrangement, neither do I. " she said politely.
"Whether he will agree or not is not your business. He is my son and
would do as I say.
Besides, the man I've chosen for the job is not an outsider,
neither is he a stranger.
This way, our secret would be within the family and
the child would have the Danladi blood flowing in his veins."
"This is ridiculous. You mean you're planning for me to have sex for
one of your male relatives? I will never do it." She said as she stormed
out of the living room and went out of the house.
She had been thinking of this conversation but couldn't find a way around
it. She didn't want Usman to hear about it from her, she knew sooner or later,
Mrs. Danladi would bell the cat.
____________________________________
____________________________________
"We need to talk." Usman said sternly, it's been six days since
Usman's mother had paid him a visit in the office.
The day she talked about
finding a means of getting Tonia pregnant.
"Hope no problem, my love?" She answered anxiously as she followed
her husband into the house.
Usman was coming from the family house and was very angry. He had gone there
with the intention to talk things over with his mum, about their last
discussion in his office, but the visit didn't go well.
His mother said a lot of things he wished he could "unhear".
She went on and on about how it would be convenient for Akeem, his younger
brother to have sex with his wife, impregnate her and all the likes.
Usman was mad. He was fuming. He couldn't help himself. He drove out of
there like a mad man and came straight home.
"What exactly did my mum tell you the last time she came here? He asked
slowly, trying to control his anger.
"Why do you ask?" Tonia responded, trying to weigh her words.
"Do not play with me Anthonia, I need to know everything she said to
you." Once again picking his words.
He rarely calls her by her name, not to talk of saying it in full.
"This is a bad sign" , she thought.
"Okay, calm down. She came to discuss how we could have children. She
was worried and understandably so."
"And then?" He asked impatiently.
"What is it again? That's the summary of all she said."
Tonia knew what Usman wanted to hear, but she didn't want to say it.
She had
since learnt that badmouthing her mother-in-law would not help her, so she
employed a strategy, which was to allow Mrs. Danladi "hang herself".
She allowed Mrs. Danladi show her true self everytime a matter arose. Tonia
always kept mute and never reported her to Usman.
When there was need for her
to respond to her insults, she did as politely as possible, but never did she
report to her husband.
That way, her mother-in-law did the story telling, hereby making her look even
more guilty.
"Did she tell you she had a plan to make my brother have sex with
you?" Usman asked his wife.
"Yes, she did." She answered quietly.
"What? And you didn't tell me? You just kept it to yourself. Why Tonia?
Why?"
His worst fear had been confirmed. He had planned not to tell Tonia at all
if his mum hasn't told her.
Now, it's too late.
"I didn't think she really meant it, and if she did, telling you would
have made you angry. I didn't want that."
"She has gone too far this time.
No one, I repeat, No one is sleeping
with my wife, least of all, my brother."
"But what do we do? We can't keep this up forever my Darling.
People
would start speculating very soon, when I don't have a child and you don't get
another wife as expected if I was the one with a problem."
"I don't care Tonia, I don't.
All I know is that you are the best thing
that's happened to me and I love you.
That's all that matters." He said,
holding her tight.
"But I've also been thinking, can't we adopt a child? A baby even."
She asked.
"I have nothing against adoption, but I'm sure you know that won't
pacify my mum, if she's the one you're striving to please. If that's what you
want, it's okay. Anything for you my love."
"Oh no. It's not because of her. I've been thinking if it even before
she came with that ridiculous idea of hers."
"That's good then, but I hear it's a long process, I think we should
talk to Dr. Ajewole too, in case there are other options we can exploit."
Usman answered.
"Okay then, please fix an appointment with him and let me know."
"Are you busy or going out now?" He asked her.
"No. Why do you ask?"
"If I call him and he's available now, I want to know if you are
available too."
"Oh, no problem. Call him then."
The Doctor was fortunately on duty at the hospital and was available for
consultation. He told Usman he was more than willing to see them, and if they
needed specific attention beyond his area of specialization which was
gyneacology, he would refer them to another specialist.
"Good evening Mr and Mrs Danladi. It's so good to see you. Hope there
isn't much problem. I was worried when you called." The Doctor greeted
them as they entered his office.
"There isn't much problem Doc, it's about us. As you know the
situation, erm erm......" Usman was trying to find the words.
"We desire children sir. We want to know our options considering the
situation on ground." Tonia cut in.
"Oh, I understand you perfectly. Does this mean there has been no
bedroom activities?" He tried to be diplomatic.
"No sir, but we are managing, but we want a child, we need a
child." Said Tonia again.
"In this situation, there are two options. Adoption and artificial
insemination. You can just adopt a child of whatever age you're comfortable
with, though a tedious process, but rewarding. Or Madam gets pregnant with
another man's sperm but without intercourse."
"But Doctor, the child still won't be mine. What's the point?"
Usman spoke up this time.
"True, the child won't be yours, but would be your wife's. S/he would
have your wife's DNA. That way, the child is not a total stranger. Also, it's
more convincing to the society.
No one except the medical team, who must not
divulge such information, and you, the parents would know how the baby was
made.
Madam gets to carry the pregnancy, experience that joy with you and you
both bond with the baby from conception."
"Hmm. I know about it, we just had to seek your professional opinion
and weigh our options." Usman answered.
"You've done the right thing, I suggest you go for the artificial
insemination except we discover Madam cannot carry a baby to term.
Even if she
can't, but she has viable eggs, we can also exploit the option of using a
gestational carrier, popularly known as surrogate." The Doctor explained
further.
"I read up on this stuff and came up with similar ideas, I think we
need to think about all of this." Tonia said to the Doctor.
"That's fine, I don't expect you to take a decision immediately. "
They left the Doctor's office and were quiet through out the drive home.
They both had some thinking to do.
"Usman, please wake up, we need to talk." Tonia woke him up around
3am in the middle of the night.
"What is it sweetie, is anything the matter?" He asked as he sat
up, half asleep.
"It's about our discussion with the Doctor this afternoon. I couldn't
sleep. What do we do my love?"
#fiction
#girlchild
#marriage
#fertility
#bekind
#fiction
#girlchild
#marriage
#fertility
#bekind
All rights reserved
Written By Tolulope
Fakayode-Faniran
31st May 2017
31st May 2017
No comments: