My Dream Marriage

“Hello ma’am,” Alex greets me as he opens the car door for me. “Hi Alex, you have an idea where we are going to?” “Yes, I was informed earlier about it.” That must be Piper.

E&P L Hospital? “Alex, could this be the family’s hospital?” I am guessing. “Yes, it is your parents-in-laws’.” Good guess, the initials say it all. I am tempted to ask him if he knows where Edward went to yesterday but I leave it at that, him being here proves that he may not know or even if he told him, it won’t even make a difference.

The hospital is a private one, with luxury and sleekness that makes one feel comfortable even when they are unwell. I get to the reception and meet a nurse who directs me to the doctor’s office, she kind of said that the doctor was expecting me. Piper could have informed them prior to my coming.

“Come in,” she says after I knock on the door. “Hello, Doctor Alma, we met again.”

“Mrs. Lawanson called me earlier and told me about your visit. Did you finish the prescription as I instructed you?”

“Yes I did. I have been okay until yesterday when all of a sudden the symptoms showed up.” “I see, how are you feeling? The symptoms, are they so persistent and too severe?” She asks, noting down in a file. “I feel dizzy, exhausted and this morning I was nauseous. I also have been feeling bloated for some days now.” “Oh? We have to do some tests now, but first, I need you to go somewhere, come.” She leads me out of her office to the gynaecology department?

She knocks on a door labeled Dr. Sompton. “Come in,” a female voice welcomes us from inside. She pushes the door and ushers me in. “Hello there Dr Sompton? I have someone here for you. Neera, you have to cooperate with her then I will be back afterwards,” she says then hands the doctor the file she had and leaves.

“Welcome Neera and take a seat, I am Dr Sompton. I am an OB/GYN and from your reports here indicated in the file, I can expect something but let me not make assumptions,” she says then goes behind a blue curtain before she comes back. “Come,” she leads me back behind the curtain where there are computers on one side and a bed on the other.

She makes me lie down then pulls up my dress leaving me in nothing but my underwear. She applies some gel on my belly and places a stethoscope on and listens. She looks at the computer and I follow her eyes and I can see a black and white image on the screen. The central part of it looks like it is moving but on a very keen observation.

“Can you see that Neera?” She asks me pointing at the image. “That is a life growing inside you, you are over a month pregnant. Congratulations.” I don’t know if I should rejoice or not because I am sure I wasn’t ready for this kind of news.

Another thing is Edward, how will he take the news? Will he be mad at me? No, he must be happy after I tell him. It is his child after all, he is bound to be proud because he is going to be a father in a few months time. I don’t want to call him and tell him, I will break the news to him when he comes home. Dr. Sompton leaves me to arrange my dress and goes back to her office and I follow her afterwards and sit back on the chair I was seated in earlier.

“Neera, as you know, you should start your clinic appointments from now on. I have indicated here in your file the date for your next visit because we need to check on your progress and that of the fetus. The first trimester is usually the most critical one, so be careful in everything you do and what you eat.” She goes on and on about what I should and should not do and I am just looking at her but my mind is elsewhere. I am thinking about the reactions I will get, especially from Edward. There is a knock on the door and Dr. Alma comes in.

Dr, Sompton hands her the file and after checking, she hands it back to her. “I guess Neera is yours now,” she tells her. “Congratulations Neera, you are now Dr. Sompton’s responsibility.” “Thank you.” She leaves and closes the door behind her.

“I guess we are done here for today. Go home and study this booklet carefully. I hope I will be seeing you soon.” She hands me a pregnancy guide together with my pregnancy results and I know for sure the guide is very handy given that I have no experience at all.

Alex is waiting in the car when I get back. He opens the door for me as usual and I get in. My phone rings the moment he starts the car and Azila is on the line.

“Hello stranger,” she greets. “Hey Azila, how have you been?” “It would be great if you weren’t a stranger,” she is upset at me. “I am sorry. A lot has happened and I am not even in the right mood yet, can you understand that?” “I do, but even a phone call. Are you sure you are okay Neera? I saw you like over two months ago.” It’s been long since we even talked, the last time we saw each other was during my mom’s funeral. We later talked on the phone after a few days then that was all.

“I know, I am sorry. I will see you guys soon, I even have good news to share with you two.” “Are you pregnant?” She asks cheerfully. Is she a prophet or something? “How can you ask me something like that out of the blue?” She always asks or says absurd things that sometimes prove to be right. “I knew it! When did you discover that you are pregnant? Did Edward throw a big party for you? Why didn’t you invite us?” She asks a series of questions and I don’t even know which one to start with.

“I didn’t say yes Azila.” “I know very well your style of saying yes even without telling me directly,” see, that’s why she is my best friend, even though I haven’t talked to her in a while. “Okay, but it’s just today that I found out, I am now on my way home to break the news to him.” “Oh really? Then hurry up and tell him then you make sure you tell me how it went okay?” She says.

“Alright then, I’ll talk to you later. I will call both you and Jackie, bye.”

“Bye, and don’t forget to call us.” She hangs up and I sigh. I really am proving to be a bad friend. Lately, with everything that has been going on with me, I decided to lie low for a while, I mourn over my parents’ death, and also mourn over my lost piece of work that I had dedicated my time to. Edward’s overbearing attitude towards me and not forgetting the kidnapping with no one caring to know who did that to me and deal with them, I mean my family is overly resourceful.

“Thank you Alex,” I say when we arrive at home. I see the car Edward went out with yesterday parked in the garage and I guess he is here. That is good because I won’t have to stay with the information for long before telling him.

I open the door and when I get in, I find him together with his parents discussing something. “Oh, you are back so soon,” Piper is the first one to see me, “how was the appointment?” “It was good. Hi Edward, hi dad.” I was out of here before I could meet them. “I have some news to share with you,” I say, handing the pregnancy results to Edward. He scrutinizes the paper them frowns his face and throws the paper furiously on the table. “What is it Edward?” Piper asks him.

“What the hell is that Neera?”

“You are going to be a father, Edward.”

“You want me to believe that?” He asks angrily pointing to the paper on the table. Piper picks it up and goes through it before she hands it over to her husband. “How old is it?” He asks, that is now sounding like a normal question. “Six weeks,” I answer and he laughs sarcastically. “Of course, six weeks. That is not my child.” What in the world is he saying? “What do you mean by ‘that is not my child?’ Those are my results and you can see my name on it.”

“What I mean is, that is your result but not my child.” He is not making sense right now, should I slap his head to wake him up? He probably didn’t sleep well last night. “How do you expect me to conceive a child by myself? You are my husband and you should know this. If not you then whose is it?” This is getting out of hand. “I know that you ungrateful woman, don’t make me look like a fool here. I know exactly what you are doing, you want me to raise a child that isn’t mine.” Can somebody wake him up?

“Edward, why do you say that? Neera is your wife and who else could she be carrying a child for?” Eric asks. “I know what I am saying father,” he says looking at me like I am his long lost enemy. “Then make us understand. Justify your accusations,” his father says. “Father, this woman here,” he even doesn’t want to address me by my name, “over a month ago, she went to meet up with that man. If she is over a month pregnant then that means this can only be his child.” He says and I chuckle.

“Is that true Neera, aren’t you pregnant for my son?” Piper asks and I know as usual she will choose her son’s side. “No mother, it’s his child I swear. Even if I had slept with someone else I am the mother I would definitely know the father of my child.” I say. “So, you are insinuating that you had an affair with him but you know the child is mine? Neera, you are so disgusting?” Oh Lord, I shouldn’t have said that, now he thinks that I had an affair. “Edward, I only met Aniston at the cemetery, that’s all.” “So you are admitting that you met him, and that isn’t the only time. Yesterday he even rescued you from a kidnapping,” Piper comments.

“Neera, I am taking you back to the doctor and you are going to remove that thing because I can’t afford to raise someone else’s child.

“No Edward, I am not doing that. This is you child and you are going to take care of it whether you like it or not. I can’t do something like that, the child is innocent.” I say.

“You are so adamant when it comes to him, but after today you will tell him that you failed. I am going to make sure he never sees this child in his life ever. Now, come here,” he says pulling my hand so as to lead me back but I resist. “Edward, I won’t do it even if you force me to. You can’t do it without my consent.”

“Are you forgetting who I am? I have been overlooking so many things about you but today you will do as I say.” He pulls me strongly, moving us towards the door. “Mother, please don’t let him do this. I swear I have never cheated on your son,” I beg because I know Edward won’t back down. He has the upper hand; he is stronger than me and most importantly the hospital belongs to his parents so the doctor will have to listen to him more than me.

“Edward, wait, she might be telling the truth. You can find out if it’s your child later after it’s grown a bit for some months then you can decide from there,” Eric says, making him stop dragging me.