Entangled 6

 

With the relief I felt at my first session, wild horses wouldn’t keep me away from subsequent sessions

We had sessions once in two weeks and I started getting to like Dele, a while lot more. She was kind, patient, open to ideas and very understanding. We became good friends and something more over the course of three months. The something more, resulted in her getting pregnant.

My first reaction was fear and despair. I couldn’t divorce my wife, I had been brought up with a strict moral code: once married, forever married and I didn’t want any child of mine, born out of wedlock. I knew it would be futile to suggest termination. She was well over forty, this was her first pregnancy and she was delighted.

How to tell Fiona, or not to tell? I knew she would raise the roof. If you have an abhorrence for any outburst of whatever kind like me, you would dread any of my wife’s outbursts. They came like a tornado and left me drained with a big headache. I wanted to avoid it at all costs.

I went to get roaring drunk. I drank myself to stupor but that didn’t help any. How long can I keep this secret? Secrets have a sneaky way of unravelling themselves when least expected. I summoned courage. I would be a man with my chest! I would allow events to take a natural course. Dele had assured me she didn’t need my ring and we could continue as we were. She needed me to acknowledge it was my baby in name at least, which I was over willing to do. Who was to say if this child would be the one to wipe my tears away? Give me the joy, peace and pride I needed in an offspring? I prayed that this one would turn out right.

So I planned my itinerary with utmost caution. I would go ostensibly to the ‘resort’ twice a month over the weekend. No eyebrows were raised as my wife was too busy trying to sort Dumebi out after I had told her I was through with him. Have I not tried?. Asides that, we had grown apart over the years as our differences remained unamended.

Fast forward to twenty five years later, my daughter and son with Dele( yeah, twins not one baby) are both practising upstanding physicians: a  gynaecologist and oncologist respectively in Canada. My joy knows no bounds anytime we go visit. The fulfillment I had craved, hitherto thought an impossibility came in a beautiful pair through Dele's seeds for me.  I have no regret. 

The End