Image by cassie_bedfordgolf via Flickr
Spending Christmas in hospital was not how Yinka envisioned her holidays. Hospitals were places where she received bad news: “I’m sorry your aunt is dead”; “I’m sorry you can’t concieve children naturally “; and so on. She and her husband, Tunde had worked hard all year, deferring all their annual leave until two weeks before Christmas. It was supposed to be a time to get away from it all – their busy high-powered jobs, the stress of their infertility problems, and extended family pressures. Their flight was booked for four days’ time, and the hotel reservation confirmation had been emailed to her just before she left the office. But the short trip to the supermarket had ended with her in hospital, the result of a collision with an okada driver.
When the doctor came to check on her, she decided to ask when she would be discharged.
“I’m sorry Mrs Yinka, but we have to make sure you have no concussion, or internal bleeding before we let you go.”
“But how long will that take? I’m travelling next week.”
“I’ll advise you to cancel your trip,” the doctor said firmly. “You shouldn’t be travelling in your condition.”
“But I feel fine. The other doctor said nothing was broken.”
“You may feel okay now, but it won’t be long before the morning sickness kicks in.”
“The wh-what?”
“You didn’t know? You’re twelve weeks pregnant.”
Tolulope Popoola is a writer, blogger and lover of arts and literature. She recently quit her career in Accounting to become a full-time writer. She blogs at http://writingmystories.blogspot.com, and is the creator of the online fiction series, ‘In My Dreams It Was Simpler’. She also writes short stories, poems and magazine articles, and is currently working on a novel.
{ 5 comments… read them below or add one }
Nice one, Tolulope!
Sweet! Well-written.
I like. I was not expecting the end. Good.
Quick and direct.
Nice inspiring ending. I like.