Gemini

17 - FADILA

It's been months since the death of our mother.

It's been hard on all of us, Fatima most especially. 

I had been taking care of her especially because she was nearly due and she wasn't really taking care of herself.
Zaid went back to home with the boys because school had started back.

Aliyu and Fatima got divorced.
He wasn't a husband when she needed him to be a husband the most.

In the beginning everyone was around but eventually people moved on, it wasn't their mothers that died after all.

Fatima has been like a shadow of the person she was before.

"Are you sure we should continue this?" Sara was trying to get us to get professional help for Fatima.

"That's not how things work in Nigeria. The only professional help she could possibly get is a home nurse and I won't do that" I defended Fatima. It wasn't easy taking care of her but I had to, no one else would do for her what I would do for her and I know it.

"Just think about it" she sighed and ran her hands through her short hair "It doesn't even have to be here. We could take her to the states"

"Let's just wait and see how she is when the baby arrives" I believed that the baby would change her. She would have a new purpose, a new reason to live.

"She's not getting better" Sara wasn't backing down "how about we schedule a c-section or an induction if she passes her due date, she's due in two weeks isn't she?" I nodded my head.

"Okay" I sighed.

"My friend Khadija is a doctor at the OB/GYN clinic not too far from here. I'll call her and get her opinion" Sara agreed to wait for my friend's answer before she would start the paperwork to take Fatima with her when she would return to America.

My friend replied immediately and agreed to come over to check her out.
She was more than willing to help.

Khadijah cleared her schedule and came over the next week with all that she needed to give Fatima a full checkup.

"I can see her tomorrow and induce her. The baby is ready" Khadija said as I walked her out. 

"Around what time should we come in?" I asked.
As much as I loved taking care of my sister and much as I loved the distraction it was time for her to get better.

"I'll text you" she said

"Okay" I smiled.
She smiled back and hugged me before she left.

I was always excited to meet a new baby and this was no exception.
But I wished it were under different circumstances and just at a different time.

We didn't tell Aliyu about the birth because we didn't know what state he'd be in or how he would react. We didn't know if he would try to take the baby from her or worse.

***

I helped Fatima get ready and Sara and I took her to the hospital.

We met with Dr. Khadija at the entrance and she took us to Fatima's room.
She walked us through the procedure and made sure Fatima understood and was ready for it.

"Call Aliyu" she said flatly. She stared at the wall most of the time or at the ceiling, there wasn't plenty emotion in her speech or in anything she did anymore.

"Are you sure you want me to?" I asked her.

"It's his child" she replied and turned on her right to face the wall as she lay on the bed.

I only nodded and called Sara out.

"Absolutely not" she said as soon as we stepped out of the room.

"But-"

"No, Fadila. It's too risky, we're not doing it. When she's better and she still wants her baby daddy to come around that's fine" I understood Sara one hundred percent and I didn't argue with her.

"Okay" I sighed and we walked back into the room.
Moments later Khadija came in with a team of nurses and induced her.
It wasn't a long labor; she labored for about 30 minutes before she gave birth to her baby boy.
A beautiful little angel with a head full of black soft hair and the cutest lips you'd ever see.

When he was born and the umbilical cord was cut Dr. Khadija handed him to Fatima but she wouldn't look at him and she wouldn't hold him.

Sara and I found that extremely odd. We hoped this baby would bring her back from her dark place but it didn't seem to work.
I took him and held him and Sara did too.
The nurses took him away and cleaned him and brought him back in the adorable onesie I had given them to put him in.
We had milk and so I fed him.

Fatima still hadn't laid eyes on him.

Sara left immediately after the birth to get started on the paperwork to get both mother and child out of Nigeria.

She had told me what the boy's name would be when she found out it was going to be a boy and a girl.
She said she was in charge of naming the boy and Aliyu, the girl.

'Jamal' she said when I asked her all that time ago 'I finally get a real life Jamal' she was more than excited to have this little bundle of joy that I held in my arms.

She loved that name ever since we were little girls playing house, her baby would always be a baby boy named Jamal and now she is blessed with a living, breathing Jamal and she won't even look at him.

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😬

Oh Fatima

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XOXO
Fatimah Shema

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