Chapter 9 - Teamwork

Mr. Daniel 

Dr. Dan just couldn't believe what his lovely saintly wife just told him. How could she do that to him after all he had gone through? Fortunately, he wasn't the only son (two of whom had children already), but the pressures from his family at the initial stages, his resorting to lying to them that he was the problem before they finally left him alone, the several days of fasting and praying he had embarked on for their course, just how could she. He had hidden the truth from her all the while because he knew how much it would wreck her, yet here she was thinking he was at fault or was keeping a family elsewhere. She cheated on him, Anna cheated on him? How cruel she was. The thought of all this was what made him cry because, to him, he had done everything to save their marriage while waiting on the Lord. Well, she had to know finally. So after he had begun, he looked up to see her looking at him in shock. More like her fears were about to be confirmed, only if she knew otherwise. He continued, "When I met you at the hospital, my legionary work was visitation of the sick, in your ward. I wasn't your doctor or one of the team members who attended to you, so there was no need to come to you like a doctor when religious duties were what brought me. I've explained this and apologized severally, but you never let it go. I don't have another wife besides you, nor kids or mistress. Before man and God, I've never cheated on you." He paused and looked up at her to see her anxious to hear what he had been hiding from her. Then she asked quietly "Are you..?" He didn't let her finish and continued, "No I'm not sterile. I'm very much ok" Then he busts into another round of crying asking himself "How do say it, how do I say it?" "Say what Daniel?" she screamed his full name for the first time in years.

With a teary voice, he said, "It's you Baby. You cannot have a child. At least medically speaking, but I've always trusted in God for a miracle, that's why I kept it from you". Sounding so confused, she asked in a much calmer tone "It me how, Dan? I don't understand what you're saying. How?. Tell me Dan" Taking a deep breath as though bracing himself, he began "You have Uterine fibroids. You've had them for a very long time. Your abortions have nothing to do with it though. When you started complaining about extremely painful periods and cramps just after we got married, the first and second fertility tests we went for showed that we were both okay years later in Newport, it was discovered that you've been developing Uterine fibroids. Being my friend, and knowing our situation, he wrote the report and gave it to me separately from what he gave me in your presence. I began to have a better understanding of the delay in getting pregnant. When Mom wanted to bring up the issue of another wife, I told her I was the fault. Our last result showed my count was very low. That simply kept everyone out of our business. Though they never stopped praying for us to date.

You were placed on fertility drugs as you are aware of. This was just to boost your chances. At the same time, certain anti-inflammatory injections were administered to you to stop their growth, but each time we went, for a checkup, they seemed to be getting bigger.

You mention we barely made love last month, well that's because I've been on a forty-day fasting program which I had to break the few times we made out. This was because, after our last check-up, it was discovered that the Fibroids kept reoccurring and were way bigger and needed to be removed completely. Hysterectomy is the only option. I knew with the way it kept reoccurring, it was gonna get to this point. But as a man of faith, I believed God was gonna do a miracle for us so I kept fasting and praying and waiting"

"What's Hysrecto..?" she asked in a childlike teary voice.

"Hysterectomy" he corrected her and

continued, " Surgical removal of the uterus. Your womb. This is because yours are very large, and your bleeding during your period is too much. This would stop them from reoccurring or coming back. Myomectomy, which is the removal of just the wall of the uterus would have been preferred if your fibroids were small and located differently, but unfortunately, they are big. What this means is you won't be able to bear a child and most likely you would experience a low libido or an early menopause."

That's the reason I took everything to God in prayer, hoping for a miracle but you thought otherwise. Perhaps if you were a little bit prayerful like I always complained and had joined me in some programs, things might have

been different. But no, you let the devil come into your head and you cheated on me, Baby."

Turning to look, he saw she wasn't even paying any more attention to what he was saying as she was crying profusely and shaking. The only thing she managed to say when he discovered he wasn't talking anymore was "And you hid something this important from me. Again." He knew the again she meant was the part where he didn't reveal his identity when they first met.

That was none of his business though as concluded she wasn't worth the stress anymore after she revealed her infidelity and promiscuous past. He concluded she wouldn't stop it again.

Putting on his boxers and shorts, he grabbed a blanket and went into the other room to sleep.

He woke up quite late the following day. Entered their room and saw her lying awake on the bed. Without saying anything he showered, got dressed, and left for work. When he got back, she had moved her belongings out of the house and, was nowhere to be found.

For the next six weeks, he never bothered to go look for her knowing fully well she'd be at her parents. He stopped church and prayers and was a complete wreck. His job was being affected as severely he lost concentration himself. Luckily none happened when another person's life was involved.

On the sixth week, he was in his office when her dad came in unexpectedly. After asking him how he was and all, with him claiming to be fine, her dad simply told him "Look at your hair, when did you start keeping your hair?

And I bet she took all the hair combs along right? Look here son, you are a complete mess, likewise her. I know it's hard to take, I'm not in your shoes I know., I might kill someone who sleeps with my wife. Son, you've come this far with her, and I appreciate and admire you. She wouldn't mind you picking a second wife and cries she would pick for you if only you could take her back because right now, she's dying. Please come and take your wife back home. You two need each other at this point the most.

****

That was some weeks ago. They were finally back together with each other apologizing and reassuring each other of their love.

Finally, he told her maybe that's God's plan for them. Not to have kids of their own and hence it's time she underwent the surgery to get rid of the fibroids once and for all. A date had been fixed for her next check-up, so she decided to go on a program herself. She had just gotten back from church and they were both having dinner when they heard a knock on the door. It was dark outside so he turned on the security lamp. Opening the door he saw no one but was shocked to look down and see a sleeping baby wrapped. He quickly called the attention of his wife scared after looking around and seeing no one.