Unfolding

Chapter 21

"Oh, my goodness, Thingo, what did you do?!", Ingo exclaimed, in front of her stood Thingo with a badly shaved head. She had fallen asleep last due to the dose of medication she had taken; the kids were still awake. She was woken by Lifa laughing, once she realised Thingo was scared, she changed her tone, "Come let me see, why did you shave your head, baby?", Thingo walked towards the bed, "I wanted to look like you and Lifa", she said, "Yoh, your mother will kill me", she said more to herself. "How are you feeling today?", her mother walked in, "Yoh, what happened here?", she asked noticing Thingo, "She did it herself", Ingo answered. "I'm a bit better, mama, thank you", she said smiling at her mother, "But I'll still go to the doctor, I'll take them with me, we have to pass by the salon and fix this mess", she said pointing at Thingo's head. "Mama, can we have some ice cream after going to the doctor?", Lifa asked, "Of course as long as you behave.", they nodded. "Let's go have breakfast", Nomakhosi said, "Yey! I will have pancakes!", Thingo said excitedly, "You are lucky I was in a good mood, and I remembered your favourite", Nomakhosi said, "Mama", Ingo said, "What?" "You and Dad are so mean", she said as they approached the dining table, "Sorry", Nomakhosi said. "Good morning, grandpa", Lifa said catching everyone off-guard, "Good morning, grandson", he replied, earning a look from Ingo and her mother, "At least someone is coming to terms with reality", Ingo commented, "We don't have any choice", Ingo smiled and dished up for everyone. "You seem better", her father said, "I feel better, thank you for taking care of me", she said, they blessed the food and started eating. Ingo started feeling sick again but hide it, "Mama, why are you eating so slow?", Thingo asked making everyone notice, "Are you okay Ingo?", her mother got worried, she nodded but couldn't hold the food in anymore and rushed to the nearest bathroom.

"I think I caught some infection at the hospital yesterday, I've been sick since then", Ingo explain to her doctor. Her mother had to drive them to the hospital because Ingo felt back sick, she had to prepare the kids and was not like any of it, so it was not a happy drive. "Okay, let me test your blood, we'll know what's wrong", the doctor said, "I see y'all are a team of bald, if I may ask, someone fighting cancer in your family?", this was her new doctor so she was still getting to know her, "No, my son has always liked shaving his whole head, I was going through something I shaved mine, then this little rascal wanted to look like us and shaved hers this morning" Ingo explained with so much joy. The doctor took her blood for some tests, "In the meantime, please lay in bed for me, your blood pressure is a bit higher than normal", she said, "Oh,", Ingo said, worried that it might have been something more serious than she thought. "You see, Ingo, I told you something was wrong with you", her mother said, and Ingo didn't wanna hear 'I told you so' right now. The doctor went to fetch the results, "Maybe it's the stress, a lot has been happening lately", she suggested, "Mama, Thingo and I will wash Blake today if you don't get better", Lifa offered, but Ingo knew that would be a disaster, "Okay baby", the doctor came back in, "Mama, why don't we take Blake to school with us so that you can rest?", Thingo asked, "Hu-uh, dogs are not allowed at school", Ingo said. The doctor got closer to her bed, "Your symptoms are so unique, what contraceptives did you use?", she asked, Ingo and her mother looked at each other, "I don't use any", she answered. "Well, congratulations, Ms Nxumalo, you're pregnant.", she stopped breathing for a second, "With what?", she asked shaking, "Excuse me?", the doctor didn't understand her reaction, "Wait, I, what are you talking about? It can't be", she couldn't even hear her own voice. "I know you were on a 5-year contraceptive, but it seems like it doesn't work since your daughter is less than 5 years. It usually doesn't work on its last year, is this your fifth?", Ingo laughed, she genuinely thought it was a joke. "What are you talking about? I am not on any contraceptives, I don't need them because I am infertile, and I can't have kids. You probably took someone else's results, go check again", her voice was cracking. The doctor offered to run the tests again, there was a lot of tension as they waited for the second results. Her mother held her shaking hands as the kids lay on either side of her in bed, the doctor came back with the same facial expression, "They are still saying the same thing, Ingo, I don't know what to say anymore", the doctor said. "No, no, no!", she shook her head, tears streaming down her cheeks, the kids got scared of her reaction, "Please take my kids to another room", the doctor, and she took them with her. "Mama", she said looking at her mother, "It can't be", she sobbed, "It's okay baby, maybe it's a miracle from God", her mother comforted her.