Chapter 84

ROAD TO DELIVERY

The first drop of water hit Obiefune from the canopy of leaves above and that was the moment the words Obi said made meaning. He had been by her side trying to get her to relax before she dropped the bomb on him. Her voice was drowned by the panic he was feeling.

"He had not left the house with his cell phone and could not reach people at home. They were at the farm which was much distant from the clinic. The only option would be to go home then get a vehicle to convey Obi to the hospital but he was afraid that the children would be delivered before they got to the house.

His sister Chioma had gone to look for Obi at their house and she was the one who knew a whole deal about what to do in such situations. The second drop fell on his forehead and another fear was confirmed." It was about to rain"

He looked up and saw that the sky was darkening through spaces between the leaves. With trepidation in his eyes, his gaze fell on Obi who was writhing in pain and breathing deeply.

"Obiefune did you hear what I just said, the baby is coming"

Obi's voice snapped him out of his thoughts.

"Obi we have to leave here, I don't know what to do. We have to leave here before the rains come inu, please don't just push, don't push the baby till we get help. I'm going to carry you and I'll find a way to take you to the clinic from here. I'll run as fast as I can so that we'll get there before the rain comes". Obi shook her head gripping his hand with her tremor filled own.

"Obi I can't help you, I don't know how to do this. I don't want something to happen to you,I'll just.. I can’t lose you again"

"There's a shortcut from the stream, it'll get us to the house quicker. Y.. You J.. Just have to mmmhmmm, I'll give you directions. And I am not dying, I’m going in labor" Obi interrupted

Obiefune nodded and Obi smiled "You look handsome when you're nervous" She stated sulking in enough air while he chuckled nervously.

"Th.. Thank you for the necklace" Obi breathed out before groaning. "You're welcome" He hastily replied

Obiefune lifted her from the ground before they made their way out of the farm.

"Obi jisike nnu, keep breathing"

She smiled clutching Obiefune's shirt with each painful contraction while they made their way home. Her nails often dug into his flesh but he didn't care about it.

She pointed him towards the right direction amidst groans and screams. Obiefune could tell her contractions were getting heavier and threw soothing words. The rains began slowly splashing on the pair as they tore through leaves and stepped on grasses.

When they finally made it to the stream Obi insisted that they rest because Obiefune had been panting furiously. He looked like he would pass out soon.

He stood on the spot with Obi in his hands, both drenched and tired.

"You see I am always saving you Tata"

Obi smiled before she instructed him to check for crowning. Obiefune laid Obi on the ground, removed her underwear before observing her vagina for the baby crowning.

"Obi I think we should get going, there's no time" Obiefune stated wiping sweat and water from his face. Obiefune moved at a pace that surprised both till they appeared on the road that led to their house.

He heaved a sigh of relief before walking towards Obi's house. They were at the gate before he began to yell and call out for help.

The group of children who had been running around under the rain saw the pair and ran to get the adults and women who were at Mma nkem's.

The young men ran to Obiefune and helped him with carrying Obi. Chioma and Chukwudi were absent but Tobe and his siblings were around. They became terrified when they saw Obiefune carrying Obi and thought something happened to their sister.

A lot of people ran to where the pair were, their disheveled appearance and muddy clothes proved the ordeal they had been through. The women instructed that Obi be brought into their house and she was. Obiefune was allowed inside the room where she was kept. They had been contemplating on taking her to the hospital but after they observed Obi's lower abdomen, the women declared in shock.

"ịsi nwa afuta la o" (The baby's head is almost out! )

The room was in a frenzy as instructions were passed around and materials were delivered into the room in seconds. There was hot water, bowls, lots of materials, buckets, scissors and other important things. Obiefune could hear his sons crying outside but the state Obi was in glued him to her side.

He held her hand while she screamed and thrashed her head on the bed. The women encouraged her while asking her to push.

The veins that popped out of Obi's head terrified Obiefune, she had reddened in a matter of minutes and her words were no longer coherent. She would scream, laugh, cry, bite her lips and groan.

"ịsi nwa bụrụ ibu, (the Baby is big)" One of the women declared further scaring Obiefune who held Obi's hand.

The other women helped peel off what remained of Obi's wet cloth which was in disarray. They soaked a cloth in hot water and wiped her forehead. Obi was shivering and blood oozed out of her private organ as the child's head slowly slid out.

Obiefune's face paled in shock and he began to pant, averting his eyes from the horrifying site before him.

"Obi jisike nnu, you are almost there. Push"

Obi gripped his hand before yelling "Does it look like I am not pushing!" She whimpered and inhaled deeply with tears streaming out of her eyes.

The women were distracted with their work that none of them bothered about Obi's nudity and her relationship with the man in her room.

"Will.. Will you marry me now?" Obi spat out grunting

Surprised, Obiefune ran his hand across her face and wiped her tears. "Obi this is not the time nor place ịnu"

"No no no, biko tell me. Will you?" She enquired between gritted teeth

The lines of pain were etched on her face as she struggled to keep a moan inside.

"Yes of course, I will. I will marry you"

Obi managed to give what looked like a smile before screaming.

Her glassy eyes bore into Obiefune's and he thought he saw what looked like an enquiry. Why did he agree? Was it because he was in labour?

"I love you, I have always loved you and I always will. Echezokwa na."

She smiled again at him with tears slipping out of her eyes before she nodded and gave the final push. The cry of a baby could be heard in the room and Obiefune breathed a sigh of relief. He quickly brushed his lips on Obi's forehead before his eyes fell on the little creature in one of the women's hands. Obiefune's heart swelled with Joy and he wondered if Benjamin felt the same way when his own children were born.

They slit the umbilical cord and began to wipe the baby before one of the women alerted the others.

"Ọzọ n'abia o Another one is coming"

Obiefune rushed to Obi's side and held her hand while she gave out disgruntled breathing.

"Obi I know you're tired, biko just try. We're almost through, jisike nnu"

She nodded weakly and clamped her teeth ready to push on instruction. A woman after inspection told Obi to hang on, apparently the second baby was coming out with the leg. Obiefune was terrified because he knew what it implied. He quickly muttered prayers to God and knelt beside Obi.

"You'll be fine ịnụ, everything will be fine. I love you and you love me, it makes everything fine."

Obi nodded terrified that they had discovered something. She feared that something had happened to her unborn child and began to cry while Obiefune held her hand.

A huge knock sounded on the door and one of the women rushed to answer. It turned out that Akubueze had threatened one of the doctors at the clinic into coming to their aid. He had been with Dee Ọgbọ when the News came to him and he sped to the clinic.

Chioma and Chukwudi came back almost immediately and Chioma dove into the delivery room.

Obiefune was relieved when the doctor took over from the women. He held Obi who was exhausted and watched as the doctor inserted his hands into her private part to change the baby's position.

Obi had become too exhausted to scream and only moaned when the act went on. After what seemed like an eternity of frustration for Obiefune, the baby was finally born.

He quickly grabbed Obi's head and showered her with kisses holding her head to his chest. Obi was delivered of the placenta before she fell into a deep sleep.

Obiefune stood in as the father of the children while their gender was identified. He held the first child a boy in his hands and smiled. The resemblance the little boy bore to his late father was uncanny. Chioma took the baby from him while he reached out to hold the second baby. He was surprised when they told him it was a girl.

Obiefune held the fragile and sleeping baby in his arms with tears of Joy brimming in his eyes. The little girl sleepily yawned before smacking her tiny lips together. Obiefune carried her close to Obi's bed and sat beside her. He could note the semblance between the two of them and smiled.

"They were his two girls"

The whole compound broke out with joy, when the news of children's arrival was brought to them.

The women danced around, men cheered and children screamed excitedly. Tobe and Obi's siblings were thrilled with the news and the boys were ecstatic that their new siblings had arrived. They called Mr. Igwe over the phone and passed the information across, called their father as well. Mr. Igwe assured them that he would be at the village the next day.

Chukwudi brought more drinks and Daa nkem donated fried meat which the villagers enjoyed. The women proceeded in cleaning Obi up before the doctor advice that they bring both the children and their mother over for proper examination. They agreed it would be the next day because Obi needed to rest.

Obiefune never left Obi's side even after everyone else dispersed. He would glance at the two children then at her and smile.

He linked his hands with Obi's while he waited for her to wake up. The children were fed irrespective of their mother's unconsciousness by Chioma. While Chukwudi provided lots of food and materials for the children.

The news about the birth of the children was brought to Mma by Chioma and she insisted that she meets the children.

Obiefune was thrilled when Mma was led into the room. She helped the woman hold the twins with her shaky hands while she bared her teeth out of happiness. Tears brimmed in the old woman's eyes as she held the children. She told Obiefune that their birth had been the most auspicious thing that had happened to her in a long time. Mma sat beside Obiefune humming lores about babies before the children were taken from her hands for them to rest.

She turned to Obiefune, groped his body till she found his face. She patted Obiefune and reminded him of what she had told him years ago.

"Agwara m gị agwa, afọ bu eze ga amụ eze" The old woman simply meant, that what will be, will be.

Obiefune smiled as he recalled the first time she had spoken those words to him. He whispered into the old woman's ears, news about his relationship with Obi and she laughed heartily. The old woman instructed him to place Obi's hands in hers which Obiefune did and she held his hand while she blessed the two of them.

At the end of what seemed like an endless prayer, Obi's eyes fluttered open. Obiefune smiled at her and applauded her for birthing two wonderful children. Obi requested to see her babies and when the first was brought to her, she couldn't hold the tears that slipped out of her eyes.

She called the boy "Benjamin" before holding her second baby. Her two sons Chukwuemeka and Chukwuebuka refused to sleep. The spied on the children and their mother and when she asked of them they were thrilled. They bickered about so many things before Chioma led them out. Tobe and the girls congratulated their sister before moving out to prepare the boys for bed.

The women prepared lots of soup for Obiukwu which Obiefune fed her while Chioma couldn't tear her gaze off the additional members of the family.

Mma spoke to Obiukwu and encouraged both she and Obiefune to be good parents to their children before she requested to be taken to bed.

"Kam ga zuo ike, Let me rest"

Tobe took the old woman to her gut and covered her with wrapper then walked away as she shut her eyes.

Chioma finally left Obiefune, Obi and the children alone in the room after exhaustion had hit hers. She slept close to their room in case they needed something and was hopeful that the couple would mend things not knowing that fate had already fixed things for them.

Obiefune wrapped his hands around Obi as he watched her sleep. She was exhausted and he was as well, but it didn't keep him from declaring his love to her till they both drifted off to sleep.

His voice lulled Obi to sleep and the knowledge that he was hers once again brought her peace. That night she had dreamt of Benjamin but he seemed very happy when he bade her farewell. Obi resigned to the idea that his ghost was finally happy that his wish was carried out.

Everything seemed perfect till Obi jerked up in the middle of the night. She felt a liquid slip past her thighs and her temperature shot through the roof.

She woke Obiefune and he carried her out of the room. Obi told him that someone's voice had woken her and when they finally got to Chukwudi to get his vehicle, they realized that Obi had been right. Mma had been singing in the middle of the night and when they got to her hut, she told them that it was time before she slumped into Chukwudi's arms.

The men rushed a bleeding Obi and a delirious Mma to the hospital, praying that what had been a celebration wouldn't be turned into mourning.