A woman's dilemma - Episode 50

See all episodes here »

 
Do you want to Study Abroad? Get all the necessary information here »

Claudia:

"It's not a big task. You pump till it gets tight enough then you listen to the sthethoscope. You should be able to read the blood pressure here as well." Simi points to the machine by the corner and I sigh. This is more complicated than I thought.
"I'll just stick to checking temperature and helping patients feed." I say, resigned.
"For now. You'll get it." She touch me reassuringly before leaving me with Mrs Peace.
"You're looking better today Mama . Think your children will be able to pick you up today?" I ask the older woman as I check her vitals. She had a mild stroke and was rushed here days ago.
"You think the doctor will finally release me? I'm getting sick of the smell of antiseptics." She grumbles and I smile.
"Gideon said you can be discharged today." Her face brightens up instantly.
"Really? I'll call my son!" She tries to sit up but I help her grab her phone before she exhaust herself.
"Thank you, Francesca. I'll actually miss the people in this clinic."
"We'll miss you more Mrs Peace." She nods as she gets back to her iPhone to call her son. I take this opportunity to slip out of her room.
I'm greeted by loud chattering which is unusual here

All episodes of this story can be found here >> https://www.ebonystory.com/story/a-woman-s-dilemma

. I catch Simi walking out of one of the patient's room and I hurry to walk beside her.
"What's that noise?" I ask.
"Oh. It's the children of this community. Gideon gather them once in every month and give free tests. Come on. Let's go help." She takes my hand and pulls me into the rowdy room.
"A clown? Really?" I chuckle at the back profile of the clown dancing around with a girl of about four years. Said clown turns around and my eyes bulge out.
"Gideon?!" His twinkling eyes meet mine and he winks. Simi chuckles beside me.
"So kids, we have a new member in our club, today." Gideon announces to the excited children. All eyes settle on me. I wave shyly. I don't think I know how to be with kids.
"Let's give her a sounding clap. Her name is Frances. You can call her Aunt Frances." He continues. The kids nod their tiny heads as they clap and jump up and down. I chuckle at their infectious excitement.
"Is she a nurse?" A boy not older than five asks Gideon without looking away from me. Gideon squats down to eye level with the kid and whisper something in his ear. I watch them interact. The kid whispers something back to him and Gideon chuckles as his eyes rest on me.
"What? What did he say?" I find myself walking to stand above them.
"He said my wife is beautiful. He wants an introduction." Gideon smiles up cheekily at me. I swoon at both stunning faces.
"You don't look so bad yourself." I squat to get nose to nose with the cute kid. He's a bit chubby for his age but all the more cute for it.
"Hi. My name is Olaosun. I'm four years old." He pulls four fingers up to show me and I beam at him.
"What a cute little boy." I ruffle his hair.
"Mommy says I'm a little boy but I can totally do this." His small hand comes up and he flex his muscles seriously.
"You can touch it. It's hard. Here." His small hand takes mine and places it on his tiny biceps. My hand suddenly clamps on his hand as an odd feeling takes over me. I feel like I'm in another time and I'm feeling a similar bicep.
"Frances! Francesca!" I feel hands shake me and soft whimpering from the kid. I drop his hand like it's scalding hot and fall to my ass on the floor. I clutch my fuzzy head.
"Frances! You okay? Baby look at me." I shake my head and focus on the face in front of me.
"Gideon... I..." I feel hot tears fall down as the mental block in my head makes me lose it.
"Shhhh. That's okay. You're okay." Gideon hugs me tightly and I hold on to him for dear life.
"I think I remembered something but it's all fuzzy. I just... I feel so frustrated. My head is all fuzzy. This is too much!" I sniff back hot tears.
"I'm sorry if I made you cry Aunt Frances." The little boy looks close to tears as he clutches his bicep and I feel bad. The other kids watch with uncomfortable silence as Simi holds one of them.
"Come here." I motion for the little kid. He walks tentatively to my open arm and I pull him to my side.
"You didn't hurt me okay? I'm sorry that I scared you. I just umm. I remembered something painful." I try my best to explain to the little boy. He nods like he understands.
"My mom will sit and cry at night anytime my dad comes home angry. I'll hug her like this and she'll feel better. Do you feel better?" He asks innocently, filling a weird void inside me. I hold him tighter.
"I feel so much better." Weirdly, I really do. This little boy calms me.
"Okay that's enough now, Ola. Simi can you take them to the laboratory technician for their monthly check up. Food should be here when they are done." Gideon instructs Simi as he helps me up to my feet. I rest my body against his as the children match out with Simi.
"See you next time, Aunt Frances!" Some of them call to me as they leave and I wave at them with a small smile. Olaosun is the last to leave and he gives me a thumbs up before scurrying off.
"He's an adorable child." I muse when it's just Gideon and I in the room.
"Yeah. His mom is having a hard time. But let's talk about you. Are you sure you're okay?" He looks concerned. I touch his arm lightly and nod.
"I just want to remember so bad."
"Don't push yourself. I can't bear to see your pale face or motionless body again. I just can't." He places his hand on the hand I have against his cheek and he leans into my touch. We share an intense moment where I think he's going to kiss me but he just shakes his head and takes my hand down.
"We sh...." A shrill scream snaps both our attention away from each other. I strain my ears when I don't hear anything else.
"Did you hear that?" Gideon starts to hurry out and I follow behind him. Another scream shatter the quiet of the hospital just as we come through the door.
"Help...my water. My water just broke." A woman heavy with pregnancy groans as she breaths loudly. I look to Gideon who looks a bit frozen.
"Help her!" I push his shoulder. This gets him in motion but he looks unsure as we both take the woman's hands and lead her to the sterile room.
"Shouldn't we time the contractions?" I ask without thought and Gideon stops short of what he's doing. I stop to think about what I just said.
"How?.. nevermind. This woman needs us right now." I take the woman's hand and brush the hair out of her face while Gideon gets everything ready.
"Are you okay?" I ask her she shakes her head on a pant.
"The contractions are not close enough. We'll have to wait a bit. Can you do that?" Gideon comes back to my side. The woman shakes her head then nod.
"Are you okay? You can leave if you would like." He whispers in my ear but I shake my head.
"Is it going to hurt more than this?" The woman asks me on a strained breath when I bring my eyes back to her and I nod.
"It'll feel like you're pushing a huge watermelon out of your tiny hole." I say with a cringe.
"Oh God!" She looks distraught. She is just a few years younger than me from what I can see. I pat her hand and smile down at her.
"You'll feel like the most lucky woman in the world after this though. All that pain will be distant memory." I smile at her.
"How do you know that?" She asks, making me stop to question myself as well.
"You have one of your own?" She asks again and I shrug.
"I just know." I look to Gideon as I say this and he doesn't seem to want to look me in the eye.

****

Writer's POV

"How much longer do I have to do this? I don't think I can stand this much longer. I want to get back to my life. This isn't living!" Tina seethes at the phone in the man shaking his head at her from her phone.
"You have to be patient. Are you giving him the drug right? He has to die from the sickness or the state will suspect something. And who better to blame than the woman he's living with after his wife died." The man says. She sag against the kitchen counter in defeat. she knows he's right and she has to be patient but she feels like she's been watched recently. Just as she thinks about it, the hair on the back of her neck stands on end like she's actually currently being watched. She looks around her but finds the kitchen empty. She relaxes a little.
"I have to go. Francis will be up soon. I have to go play the good wife." She says this with so much contempt just as Francis' right hand man walks to the kitchen door. He stops short at the door without a noise and presses his ear to it. He's 100% sure it's his boss's wife in there and the fact that she has been taking calls in hushed whispers for weeks now has him curious.
When there's no more voices coming from inside the kitchen, he tiptoes away before he gets caught.
"Boss. Boss." He shake Francis awake and the eyes that look up at him are nothing like he man he's known and worked for, for so long.
"What is it?" Francis' weak voice comes out dry.
"I think we need to get you tested again. This can't possibly be just stress.

Read " Beautiful Mask " by the same author ( Ameh juliet )

. You're seeing things!" He says in whispers. Francis looks confused at the man who just interrupted his sleep but the man was speaking his man for sure. Anytime he feels better, he falls asleep and wakes up with achy bones and fuzzy head.
"I'll talk to Tina about it." Francis says with thought.
"No! She shouldn't know about this."
"What are you saying?" Francis who is starting to lose his temper with this guy.
"I think she has a hand in this." When Francis starts to fume, he raises his hand up to calm him.
"Listen to me. She has been talking with someone for weeks now." He tells Francis.
"She is free to talk to people isn't she?" Francis croaks out.
"Let's just get the test done without her knowledge. When the result comes we'll know if she's not lying to you." He says.
"There's no harm in trying that." He adds.
"If we take this test and she isn't lying, I'll have your head." Even in sickness, his threat makes the man shiver in fear. He nods at Francis.
"I have someone who left the hospital to open a clinic of his own. I'll get us an appointment and when the time is right, I'll take you there." He says. Francis nods then waves him off. His limbs were already getting tired. The man leaves the room and his head falls back to the pillow. He's left wondering if Tina would really do this to him.

Wants to study in Canada? Checkout this ongoing scholarships in Canada

Do you want to Study Abroad? Get all the necessary information here »

Ebonystory.com
  • Views (6789)
  • Likes (10)
  • Comments (7)
  • Rating (5)
  • Delly Soglo picture
    Delly Soglo
    Don't tell me the little Ola is Frances son omg. This Francis righthand man is talking about Gideon and his clinic oh no let Francis not meet Frances there o. Well Done Julieeee.
  • Dolapo Oloyede picture
    Dolapo Oloyede
    If Francis by chance meet Francesca again , it will not make sense nah, next episode please
  • Eunice Ache picture
    Eunice Ache
    Ola is Frances' son
  • Michael progress picture
    Michael progress
    Oh my!...and francis will be taken to Gideon's hospital. Gbam gbam . ola is francesca's son what a life!
  • Pamela cube picture
    Pamela cube
    Tina is in trouble ooo
  • afolabiadeola68@gmail.com picture
    [email protected]
    this is getting more intense
  • Ogunbusola Omobolanle picture
    Ogunbusola Omobolanle
    The first POV should b Frances not Claudia. Weldon Babe
Comments motivate writers to write more. Please kindly drop one

Other Episodes of A woman's dilemma

Latest Story Episodes ↓

0 Ebonites currently online

African Story Community

EbonyStory.com is the best place to read and share fresh interesting African stories online. Starting from Romance stories, Adventure stories, Action stories, Spiritual stories, Horror stories and many more. All our stories are free and no signup required to start reading. We have wonderful writers that are ever ready to give you the latest interesting stories with moral lessons to keep you smiling all day.

The quality of our stories together with the simplicity of our platform makes us one of the best in Africa. Our stories are written inform of Story Book ( Novels ), Short Story and Poem

You can subscribe for our story update via: Facebook, Whatsapp, Twitter, Instagram

If you have any complain email [email protected] or call +2349021037057