Faith’s Pregnancy Diary 78: Sad Tears; Happy Tears

April 19^th, 2013

Today, I found out why they coined that saying ‘Slept like a pregnant woman’.

After all the drama and stress of the last two days, I slept for 14 hours straight! Following the bombshell that Phillip dropped last night, he and Vou retreated to a corner to talk about it, whilst Ebika and I made our way back to our flat. We didn’t get home till almost midnight. And I was asleep even before my head hit the pillow…

And that was how I slept till 2pm!

“Na wa for you oh!” Ebika teased, as I stirred. “That is what they call the sleep of life!!!”

I hissed and shook my head. Even after sleeping like that, I was still exhausted, and my body was aching in places I didn’t know existed. My baby was obviously not happy with me.

On a plus note, I was too grateful to see the wonderful feast Ebika had made for brunch; pancakes, sausages, eggs, bacon, onion rings, and baked potatoes. I ate like I hadn’t eaten in a year.

“Yesterday was really something, wasn’t it?” I remarked, through a mouthful of food.

Ebika nodded, but she had a faraway look in her eyes. I noticed, and touched her arm.

“Babe…are you okay?”

“I saw myself in her…” she answered. “It was like looking in a mirror. For the first time, I saw what it is everyone has seen…what everyone has been trying to caution me about…” she laughed sadly. “I too have been waiting…waiting for 15 years…but my own case is even worse, as the man is already married…with kids.”

My heart sank as she spoke. I truly didn’t know what to say to her…because, the cold hard truth was that she was right.

“I think I need to smell the coffee. Demola will never be mine. If he wanted me, he would have chosen me…regardless of what his family said,” she continued. “But he chose to stay with Oyinkan. Oyinkan is his Diana.”

I put my arm around her, and we sat in silence, our meal forgotten. As transparently as I could see Idara’s pain last night, Ebika’s heartbreak was laid in front of us, in Technicolor.

“I might have cancer…” Ebika said, her voice barely a whisper.

For the first few seconds, it didn’t register. It almost felt like I was having an out-of-body experience, like the voice had come from far, far away. When it finally dawned on me that, truly, the words had come from her, I spun around to look at her in shock.

“Cancer??!” I shrieked.

“I’d been having some pains…especially after my last termination. So, last week, I went to see my doctor in Nigeria…and he discovered a ‘suspicious mass’ on my left ovary.” Ebika explained.

I felt the blood drain from my face. “Is that why you came to London?” I asked, my voice barely a croak.

She nodded. “I wanted a second opinion. So, I saw a doctor on Wednesday morning…the day you arrived.”

“What did he say?”

“Well, the scan confirmed that there is a suspicious growth there. But he won’t know for sure that it’s cancer until they do a biopsy of the tumour,” she answered, her voice surprisingly calm.

Tumour?! The word alone was sending chills down my spine.

“So, there’s a chance it might not be cancer?” I asked, my voice full of hope.

She smiled sadly. “A very slim chance. The statistics I found on Google, about tumours that size and location, weren’t great.”

“Does Demola know?” I asked, trying not to allow the tears welling in my eyes spill.

“I was going to call him…but every time I pick up the phone, I just can’t bring myself to dial,” she answered bleakly. “And after seeing what happened with Phillip and Idara yesterday…I’m not sure I will.”

“When are they doing the biopsy?” I asked, unable to control the tremble in my voice.

“On Monday,” she answered, before adding with a nervous laugh. “And then I will know my fate!”

“I’ll be with you. I’m going to the hospital with you!” I said, squeezing her hand.

She nodded, and squeezed back…and then we both dissolved into tears. We stayed there, holding each other and crying, the delicious meal now cold and forgotten. We might have stayed in that position for hours, if we hadn’t been interrupted by my phone ringing.

“You need to get that.” Ebika said, pulling away and wiping her tears. “See how you’ve turned me into a cry baby, ehn Faith!”

I reluctantly reached for my phone. It was Phillip.

“You!!!” came his voice, which sounded less sour and angry than it had the last few days. “If I didn’t love you so much, I would have probably disowned you after that stunt you pulled!”

I couldn’t help but smile. “Well, hello to you too!”

“Are you okay? Your voice sounds a little…”

“Just a little cold, that’s all.” I answered, sniffing. “London weather.”

“Anyway, we’re on for Sunday!” he declared.

I was blank for a minute, before it finally dawned on me. “Oh, the wedding?!”

“Yep.” I could hear the smile in his voice. “Diana spoke with her family Pastor, and he’s more than happy to do it!”

Awww. I could really use that kind of good news right now.

“I thought Vou was supposed to take care of that.” I said, rather inanely.

“Well, their Pastor has a softer spot for my wife, what can I say.”

“So, I take it Diana is fully on board with this then?”

“Faith, she melted when I asked her last night,” he answered, his voice tender with emotion. “It restored the light in her eyes. I don’t know why we didn’t think about this earlier. This has always been the obvious thing for us to do.”

“I’m happy for you both, Phillip.” I said, the tears threatening to start flowing again.

“Please keep your tomorrow open,” he added. “I’m going to need a Wingman for a few last minute preps.”

I agreed, and we ended the conversation.

“The wedding is happening?” Ebika asked, having picked up enough from my side of the conversation.

I smiled. “Sunday.”

“That’s wonderful. Lucky Diana!” Ebika remarked, with a sad smile. “Faith, I know it’s going to be a family affair…but will it be okay for me to be there as well? I really need to be around love…real love…before my appointment on Monday.”

“Do you even need to ask! After all we’ve been through these last few days, you’re more than family to me!” I answered, embracing her.

For everything she has done for me, it’s the absolute least I could do.

 

Catch up on Faith’s story here:

1. Faith’s Pregnancy Diary 1: BFP
2. Faith’s Pregnancy Diary 2: Lukewarm Response
3. Faith’s Pregnancy Diary 3: The Struggle
4. Faith’s Pregnancy Diary 4: Tricked
5. Faith’s Pregnancy Diary 5: Keeping her man
6. Faith’s Pregnancy Diary 6: Men are so annoying!
7. Faith’s Pregnancy Diary 7: Bleeding
8. Faith’s Pregnancy Diary 8: The 9 Week Mark
9. Faith’s Pregnancy Diary 9: Festive
10. Faith’s Pregnancy Diary 10: The Holiday
11. Faith’s Pregnancy Diary 11: This thing called love
12. Faith’s Pregnancy Diary 12: The Pregnancy Glow
13. Faith’s Pregnancy Diary 13: The Baby & The Bobo
14. Faith’s Pregnancy Diary 14: Wahala
15. Faith’s Pregnancy Diary 15: The Abortion
16. Faith’s Pregnancy Diary 16: A Good Man
17. Faith’s Pregnancy Diary 17: Joy…and Pain
18. Faith’s Pregnancy Diary 18: Hostage
19. Faith’s Pregnancy Diary 19: Ammunition
20. Faith’s Pregnancy Diary 20: Famzing
21. Faith’s Pregnancy Diary 21: Stress Relief
22. Faith’s Pregnancy Diary 22: Diana
23. Faith’s Pregnancy Diary 23: Bestos
24. Faith’s Pregnancy Diary 24: The Miscarriage 
25. Faith’s Pregnancy Diary 25: In God’s Hands
26. Faith’s Pregnancy Diary 26: Crossing the line
27. Faith’s Pregnancy Diary 27: Last Minute Packing
28. Faith’s Pregnancy Diary 28: Ex-Girlfriend
29. Faith’s Pregnancy Diary 29: Not just friends
30. Faith’s Pregnancy Diary 30: Fight for him
31. Faith’s Pregnancy Diary 31: Faded Beauty
32. Faith’s Pregnancy Diary 32: Holiday Glow
33. Faith’s Pregnancy Diary 33: The Proposals 
34. Faith’s Pregnancy Diary 34: Baby Kicks
35. Faith’s Pregnancy Diary 35: Celebration Dinner
36. Faith’s Pregnancy Diary 36: Rainbow Baby
37. Faith’s Pregnancy Diary 37: Lunch with the girls
38. Faith’s Pregnancy Diary 38: Wedding Season
39. Faith’s Pregnancy Diary 39: Mama Patrick
40. Faith’s Pregnancy Diary 40: Misplaced Love
41. Faith’s Pregnancy Diary 41: Okafor’s Law
42. Faith’s Pregnancy Diary 42: Forgiveness
43. Faith’s Pregnancy Diary 43: Get it over with
44. Faith’s Pregnancy Diary 44: Family Meeting
45. Faith’s Pregnancy Diary 45: The Goof
46. Faith’s Pregnancy Diary 46: Worship
47. Faith’s Pregnancy Diary 47: Gender
48. Faith’s Pregnancy Diary 48: The Introduction
49. Faith’s Pregnancy Diary 49: Messy
50. Faith’s Pregnancy Diary 50: Passionate Love
51. Faith’s Pregnancy Diary 51: Instagram Drama
52. Faith’s Pregnancy Diary 52: 21 Weeks
53. Faith’s Pregnancy Diary 53: Oppressed
54. Faith’s Pregnancy Diary 54: Age is just a number
55. Faith’s Pregnancy Diary 55: Legally Together
56. Faith’s Pregnancy Diary 56: Monkey on my back
57. Faith’s Pregnancy Diary 57: Your secret is safe with me
58. Faith’s Pregnancy Diary 58: Spring in my step
59. Faith’s Pregnancy Diary 59: Level don change
60. Faith’s Pregnancy Diary 60: It’s my time
61. Faith’s Pregnancy Diary 61: Drama and Baby Kicks
62. Faith’s Pregnancy Diary 62: Love, Joy, Fear
63. Faith’s Pregnancy Diary 63: Owerri
64. Faith’s Pregnancy Diary 64: Untouchable
65. Faith’s Pregnancy Diary 65: Foot Soldiers
66. Faith’s Pregnancy Diary 66: Dem say, Dem say
67. Faith’s Pregnancy Diary 67: The Side Chick and the Fiancee
68. Faith’s Pregnancy Diary 68: Dim-Witted Brother
69. Faith’s Pregnancy Diary 69: Day from hell
70. Faith’s Pregnancy Diary 70: A Cancelled Wedding & a Kept Woman
71. Faith’s Pregnancy Diary 71: From Bad to Worst
72. Faith’s Pregnancy Diary 72: The Confrontation
73. Faith’s Pregnancy Diary 73: Away we go!
74. Faith’s Pregnancy Diary 74: Birthday Girl
75. Faith’s Pregnancy Diary 75: Caught Red-Handed
76. Faith’s Pregnancy Diary 76: Played by a Master Manipulator
77. Faith’s Pregnancy Diary 77: Showdown