Pregnancy Test - A story about 21st century teenage girls

Every evening, at about seven , the Family of four gathered in the modestly furnished sitting room to watch Africa Majic on Mnet. This was understandably so, since both parents had to leave for work as early as six every morning, while their two daughters, both still in senior secondary school, also had to leave for school some thirty minutes later when the school bus pulls up into the neighbourhood by six-thirty.

The evenings were the only time when the small family had to spend together. Although both daughters, resented the idea of spending their spare time watching boring indigenous movies with their 'outdated' parents, however making an appearance by seven every evening was not negotiable. It was a family rule, enacted by Mum and ratified by Dad, so, no one dared go contrary to this. 

Although both girls suspected that even Dad himself somehow did not subscribe to the idea of spending his evenings with the trio of a wife, who had refused to bare him male Children and 'her' two daughters, whom although were admittedly beautiful, but were nonetheless females who had never shared his passion for football or knew the tiniest bit about politics.

Mama Nkechi, as she was fondly called by the neighbours, got her name from the coinage of her status as a mother 'mama' and the name of her first Child 'Nkechi'.
She had been married for twenty-five years now.
The first two years of her marriage bore no offsprings, but after what one would call a slow start, she finally took in and delivered her first daughter whom she named 'Nkechi nyerem' meaning 'the one that God has given me'. Two years later, she was delivered of another girl child named Chisom.

Although she was grateful to God for the gift of both daughters, her husband on the other hand would have preferred a single male child to a football team of girls. He did not make this standpoint very obvious, however it would be stupid of a wife not to be able to decipher the unspoken thoughts of her husband. It had been nineteen years since she birthed her second daughter, Chisom, and it seems that the doors of procreation had been shut on her. She desperately wanted to bear her increasingly disgruntled husband a male Child, whom by Ibo custom, is the only recognised heir to all his possessions. Usually an absence of a male heir meant that the Man's property reverted back to his brothers in the event of his demise.

It was a Friday morning and the day had started off on a sunny note. Although it was still February, rains had persistently poured everyday. However, the only interpretation for the Sun's haste to make an early impression in the eastern skies today was the promise of a sunny day.

That morning, everyone had woken up on a happy note and had consequently left for their various daily routine. However, by seven that evening, instead of the usual convergence at the sitting room, every member of the family was gathered in the Girls room.

It so happened that during the course of the day, Chisom had developed some symptoms akin to one suffering from Malaria. Her condition however worsened later in the day, after she had returned from School. By Seven that evening, she had vomited three times and visited the toilet once. Her skin burned at 45°C and the weakness in her bones, combined with her lack of appetite effectively ensured that she could not eat any food that evening. That evening, everyone kept a Vigil around her.

As early as seven, Friday morning, the ailing teenager was loaded into the back seat of her Mum's Nissan, for the family hospital.
Papa Nkechi had decided that ordinary malaria could not ground the whole family's activities for the day, therefore he ruled that Nkechi would proceed to school as usual, while he would regularly call-in from work to check on the sick daughter.

By Four Friday evening, Mother and daughter drove into their residence. At the Hospital, Chisom had been injected twice, received a bag of drip and an array of drugs which She was to take home with her.
The Doctor had even suggested admitting her at the hospital for closer observation, but Her Mother had refused such an idea, so they were summarily discharged when the last drop of drip eased into her veins by three-thirty that afternoon.

Following her strict adherence to the prescribed routine for the intake of her drugs, Chisom was feeling better by Saturday morning. Although she was still unable to regain her independence from the bed, but she had regained some appetite and could eat a little at a time. The vomiting on the other hand persisted. By Saturday evening, the only significant problem was just the incessant vomits. She was strong enough to find her way around the house, the fever and headache had disappeared, but the vomiting persisted. For no matter what she ate, it was bound to end up in the toilet sink.

Sunday morning meant Church, so everyone dressed up for Church, but not before the only sick member of the family had a bout of vomiting to deal with.

With the constant reoccurrence of the vomits, another visit to the hospital was overdue by Sunday afternoon.

This time around, the Doctor demanded to speak to her patient privately, therefore the other members of the Family had to excuse them. After thorough examination and questioning, the Doctor recommended Chisom for a pregnancy test. She was to bring a bottle containing her first urine on Monday morning for the test.

Her Mum was scared to death, upon hearing 'pregnancy test'. She trusted her daughters and was sure they could not be so callous as to become teenage Mothers. However, here the Doctor was, convinced that the incessant vomiting was likely a sign of pregnancy. Throughout Sunday night, She prayed to all the gods that she knew, she hoped that her daughter was reacting to something else and not pregnancy.

Although, it was twelve midday on Tuesday, the Doctor looked lost, the expression on his face was indiscernible. Mother and daughter sat right in front of him, looking more confused and quizzical.
For the third time, She adjusted her glasses and for a whole minute intently stared at the white sheet of incriminating evidence in her hands. Finally, she adjusted her glasses to perch on the bridge of her nose, then peered at the teenage girl across the table as if the glasses had all this while, prevented her from seeing the patient.

She cleared her throat and smiled childishly, then started off "Madam, i think you should relax. There is really no cause for alarm, your daughter here is safe and healthy, that calls for joy and not such an uptight expression on your face"  as the Doctor rattled on and on about this and that, the tension in the room began to reduce, both Mother and Daughter began to relax, the doctor made a joke and they almost laughed.

They were caught up in momentary joy and infarct were not even listening when the doctor began a new repertoire of advice "you see, Madam, She needs to be properly taken care of, give her a lot of vegetables and fruits. Do not see this as a curse, but consider it a blessing to your family. Right now, you have to give her all the love and support you can muster because emotional depression could affect the baby negatively". Immediately Mama Nkechi heard the word 'Baby', she sat up straight, obviously she had not been listening, but by now, the Doctor was done with her speech.

Suddenly, a Nurse rushed into the Doctor's office screaming 'emergency!, emergency!, emergency!'. The Doctor quickly hurried off to the door, then on second thought, ran back into the room and semi-politely handed Mama Nkechi the evidence of her Daughter's tryst with a Boy, on her sixteenth birthday two weeks ago, when for the first time ever, Chisom had returned home from an evening Church service by ten-thirty at night.

Written by Onyeoziri Favour
Favouronyeoziri@gmail.com