WHAT A LIFE (Nigeria Story)

CHAPTER 7

Life became a living torture for Chiamaka! Taking care of herself alone was difficult not to talk of now she's pregnant. At times, she get pitied by store owners and by-passers, as they would give her money or snacks, for the sake of her baby.

With time, her tommy got bigger and bigger. Some night, she would feel cold and take rugs for cover. She had no where to call home or family members to help her out. And going to the village would make things worst, but sometimes, she knew her uncle would do something to unjustify her statements. One night, while Chiamaka was picking things from the dustbin as usual, labour started! Like God sent angels, two women made themselves available and volunteered to help.

Chiamaka gave birth successfully but felt very weak. Her sight became blur as she watched one of the woman carrying her crying baby.

"She's bleeding, what do we do?" One of the women whispered.

"We can't do anything else!" The other woman replied.

"Who's bleeding? Is it my baby?" Chiamaka asked but no response.

Chiamaka eyes got shut as she passed out. Only to wake up and noticed she's on a hospital bed.

"Where is my baby?" She said immediately her eyes got opened.

A young lady, seated by her side unknown to Chiamaka, ran out to call the doctor. She had stayed at the hospital to ensure the young lady she rushed to the hospital was been attended to. Chiamaka, kept asking about her baby and her voice increased when the doctor walked into her ward.

"Please be calm! Try to relax a little, you are not in a good shape to make movements." The doctor warned Chiamaka and that was when she noticed, the drip.

"But doctor, hope my baby is fine? I heard someone said something about bleeding before I pasted out. Please doctor, tell me the condition of my baby and I promise to be calm." Chiamaka said.

The doctor turned to the lady who rushed to call him, and then back at Chiamaka. "Promise me, if I tell you, you will calm down and let me do the work I was paid to?" The kind doctor asked and Chiamaka nodded. Then he continued, " This young lady by my side, brought you to the hospital. You were bleeding badly and there was no baby."

"No, no, doctor you are joking." Chiamaka turned to the young lady, "You took my baby! Where did you keep my baby?" Chiamaka all saddened and vexed, tried to stand up from her bed and hold the young lady beside the doctor, but the doctor held her tight, as he called the nurses.

Chiamaka got shot and in no time, she was calm. The injection already started it job, as Chiamaka voice reduced. She felt even more weak and dizzy.

"Hope she's okay?" The lady behind the doctor asked.

"Yes she is, it only paralyzed her body." And then he turned to Chiamaka, "I understand and you will be fine. Just try hear the lady out first, okay?"

The doctor checked on her properly before he walked out of the ward. And the lady sat back on her seat. She noticed the tears rolling down Chiamaka's eyes and felt even more sorry. Chiamaka got to know the lady's name to be Susan. Susan explained to Chiamaka, how she saw the women as they snicked out from a particular direction with a wrapped stuff of which she suspected to be Chiamaka's baby.

Chiamaka cried out her heart and slept off. Everyday, Susan put it on herself to visit Chiamaka at the hospital and brought food along. Susan see to it that, Chiamaka got the best treatment.

Finally, Chiamaka got discharged from the hospital and since she had no where to go, Susan carried her along, home. When they got to Susan's place, there were about five other girls that squatted there too. The duplex was big enough.

Chiamaka looked at the other girls dressing codes and how the chewed their gums, she then remembered the girls at Madam Sexy Queen's bar.

"Ladies, meet Chiamaka. She will be staying here with us!" Susan announced and the girls smiled.

"But why she look like person way dey sick HIV nah?" One of the girls mocked and Susan furrowed her brows.

"Patricia, you better be nice and stop your silly statements. Don't you see the young girl has been through alot?" Susan asked and Patricia apologized!

Susan directed Chiamaka to their visitors room. So she can bath and freshen up. But immediately Susan let the room, Chiamaka began to cry again. Where was life taking her to? Why was it that God just stayed up there and watched everything? He even couldn't let her enjoy the presence of her child. What was it to hold and be proud of? No parents, no one to fight for her, no friends and there she was in a strangers house. Her virginity was taken by force and her child was taken as well by unknown wome, who had claimed to be helpers; life was truly unfair! Could it be that her child was taken for ritual?

Chiamaka kept crying when Susan walked in with a plate of jellof rice. When Susan saw Chiamaka crying, she felt hurt and tried to calm her down by telling her own story. Susan was pushed out of her husband house, reason been she was barren and had suffered alot. Her mother in-law, brought in a new wife for her son and they turned her to a maid in her own husband's house. Susan's half told story was touching and it helped Chiamaka calm down.

As time went on, Chiamaka began to recover and tried to move on. The world had pushed her to the wall! All the memories of her experiences flashed like a movie; looked like imagination but the truth remained, they were real. Chiamaka also got to know about Susan and the other girls. They slept with top prominent men and get paid for per night.

"It's time to push back at the world!" Chiamaka mumbled with boldness as she made her way to the standing mirror. She cleaned the trace of tears on her cheeks and forced up a smile. "The world just gave birth to the new Chiamaka."

AUTHORESS NOTE:
To be continued...
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Still your girl, #Anniebella