Psyche

°III. Superheroes

Don't die on me. Keep an eye on me.

Irene had last seen Dimeji and Tola in two months although they called and chatted but there was nothing like human effect.
They had set dates but one of them seemed to bail out before the day arrived. It was mostly Irene.

Irene was in her room technically not her room. It was her sister's house. Her parents had still not come back and she didn't mind because she loved her sister and her husband.

The walls were painted in lavender and brown. One side of the wall was in lavender which had miniature sunflowers pasted on it. The other side was brown with the bed shifted to it and a lamp post beside the bed.  A white closet housed her clothes and shoes. The room sparkled with neatness seeming like the owner had OCD courtesy of pregnancy.

Irene was watching skinny girl in transit with her sister's wifi. She had scrubbed the whole four toilets including the guest room's which was hardly used. Her sister insisted that she earned it. Irene made a mental note to mind her business whenever the wifi was used up. No meddling in married people's affairs.

Irene was still watching the series when she heard a scream. She lifted her head from her laptop and paused. Three seconds later the scream was heard again. She stood up immediately putting on her flip flops and opened the door. She doubled her steps when she reached the stairs.

Finally getting down, she met her sister bent over and holding on to one of the dining chairs. Her eyes were shut tightly and her breathing came out ragged like she was in pain.

"Chika! Chika! Are you alright?" Irene said in a voice you could tell that she was scared.

"My water....h-as broken". Chika exhaled and screamed again this time holding her waist.

"Where's your phone, let's call Uncle Kezie".

Chika pointed to her purse. Irene took the purse and brought her phone. There was no password. She dialed his number and he picked at the third ring.

A thick voice spoke from the phone, "Hey hon, can I call you back in twenty minutes? The voice said quickly in an attempt to hang up.

Irene quickly spoke up, "Hi, Uncle Kezie. It's Irene. Chika's water just broke. Hurry up, she's already having contractions."

The phone hung up.

Chika raised her head, "Help me the bring the purple polka dotted duffle from the room downstairs."

Irene went to fetch the bag and they headed outside to wait for Uncle Kezie.

****
Irene watched as time moved. Tick tock. She had been waiting for five hours. Uncle Kezie paced about but later sat down with his clasped hands on his face. His head bobbed to indicate he was dozing. It happened several times until fuck this, he laid his head on the iron handle of the chair and slept.

The hospital was surprisingly in bright colors with different cartoon characters especially Disney ones like Elsa, Anna, Mickey mouse even toy story. It was colorful. This was the pediatric ward anyway.

Irene felt a strange itch in her head. She couldn't place where the itch came from so she tapped on her screen to focus her attention on something else. She had watched the sun go down leaving the sky in colors of orange and grey clouds. She couldn't wait to finally hold the baby that made her sister bipolar. Not medically, literally.

One time, it was evening and Uncle Kezie was upstairs in his room while Chika and Irene were in the living room changing DStv  channels.

"Chukwufunaya, please get me the  icecream in the fridge. Check the upper compartment because I want a frozen one. The strawberry."

Irene was amazed that she called her native name just to get icecream but still stood up to get it without banter. She brought it and hastily sat down back. It was one of her favorites on show.

Chika groaned after opening the icecream and dropped her legs from the side table with a thud. Irene turned to her but quickly removed her face. She didn't want to miss any scene.

"Irene, I said the one that is not cold. Do you want to my breast milk to be frozen, ehh". Chika sniffed and put the icecream on the table, "In fact I don't want again just bring me the jug that has the fruit punch on the dining table".

Irene paused to look at her. She was folding her arms and looking at the icecream with disgust. Irene made up her mind not to engage her but willingly go so as to avoid any adult cry. She stood up to get it.

Irene arrived with the jug and a tumbler. She dragged the side stool closer and put the jug and tumbler on it. Chika drew closer and with a frown, "Why will you bring a tumbler, I want the flute glass".

Irene didn't budge. Chika paused to see if she didn't hear but Irene's body language said otherwise.

"Irene Chukwufunaya Okeoma, Have you suddenly turn deaf? I don't want this glass. I want a flute.

Irene heaved a sigh and responded, "Mrs Chika Sylvia Arukwe, I really don't have your time so tell your baby that I am not available". She turned to face the Television and continued watching her show.

"It's A-rukwe not Arukwe". Chika said emphasizing on the former A.

Irene smiled at the memory and continued playing her game.

"Miss, where's Mrs Chika's husband?"

Irene looked up to see the chocolate skinned male doctor who was dressed in a torquoise up and down with a white coat that had his initials on his breast pocket. He had a well cut hair and a wire rimmed glasses on his nose. He was too hot for a doctor.

Irene waved off her thoughts and tapped Uncle Kezie who stood up squinting at the light that reflected on his face. He spoke up immediately after noticing the doctor.

"Is she okay and how is the baby?"

The doctor's lips tightened and he replied, "Mrs Chika is resting and the baby was a girl".

Kezie stood up immediately and took the doctor's hand in his to shake him. The doctor seemed surprised at his reaction or maybe he didn't hear him. He shook him back and sat down with his hands in the air.

Irene replayed the doctor's statement. Mrs Chika is resting and the baby was a girl. Was! Her brain clicked and she blurted out without thinking twice.

"The baby was a girl. Why 'was'? Is she..." Irene hesitated.

The doctor nodded his head, "I am very sorry, Mr Kezie. We tried our best but it was a still birth. Please accept my condolences. Your wife is being attended to and she would see you in two hours."

The doctor said quickly leaving. He didn't want to see their grief stricken faces. Hell, he shouldn't have been on duty tonight.

Uncle Kezie stilled and one by one, he was on the floor with stretched legs and his hands on his head. His eyes suddenly became distant and then the waterworks.

His very first child, a stillborn. He didn't want to believe it, no it wasn't true.

He thought about how they had written names, built a cot together and decorated the baby's room making it look day and night with neon stars in the night and decoy clouds during the day. The blue flowered album they had bought to fill in their child's memories. The first fruit and the others that would come.

Chika's eyes were the brightest that day and they even went out for dinner. It was impossible. The baby just gone. He didn't even want to imagine how Chika's face would look like now.

He had always been scared of people who cried or had pain written all over them and that's why he didn't enter the theater with his wife. Chika had always been the strong one.

Mothers are super heroes.

Today, she wouldn't be strong not tomorrow not next. What held her together had snapped leaving her to fall in to an abyss, grief, taking everyone with her.

September 15: The day Irene's demons revisited.

Note:
In a day, month and year, the number of babies that die due to bad health facility is enough to make a person insane.

The song is from Stormzy's recent album: Heavy is the head.