Last week on the Chronicles of Isioma:
He angrily went into the compound slapped Ahmadu and asked him why he would allow me escape, Ahmadu who
was scared, said he didn’t know how I did it “me I no
know o, I know even know say madam dey inside
house, no be me do am o” he said fearfully.
Kingsley, who is now boiling in anger, went into his car brought out a gun and shot him. He died on the spot’.
READ PREVIOUS EPISODES ON PAGE 1, 4 & 6
EPISODE 4:
After I escaped from the house that day, I was so
weak to even put my legs firmly to the ground. I
felt pity for Ahamdu, who Kingsley had shot dead.
He sacrificed his life just for my freedom and I will
forever be grateful to him, I heard the gunshot
from afar, my heart leaped, I was so scared that
he might just be behind me. I hurried the bike man
to speed on and went straight to the hospital.
The doctor was not on sit, Nigerian doctors and
their wahala, they enjoy keeping people waiting. I
was already feeling sick and had severe
headache, I sat on the couch and waited for the
doctor, thirty minutes later, it was my turn to see
the doctor. I went into the office, the smell from
the hospital made me even more sick and I was
praying the doctor should just hurry.
The way the doctor was staring at me, I was even
more scared. She asked me to lay on the bed and
she pressed my side, she asked me to go to the
lab downstairs and have a pregnancy test, HIV
test and a Malaria and Typhoid test done.
Hmmm… I know you are thinking what am
thinking, yes oh… about 2 hours after they
conducted the test, the doctor called me into her
office. I knew it was Malaria with the headache
that has been torturing me, I knew I might even be
admitted into the hospital for intensive treatment,
but let me hear from the expert first. “Miss
Isioma, how old are you?” she asked. ‘I am
22years old’
“Miss Isioma, tell me a little about yourself” she
asked again. At this point, I was starting to
wonder, if it was an interview I came for or
treatment for my ailment. “I am an orphan, I have
a brother and a sister, I am the last child of my
late parents, I am in the University of Lagos, I go
to school from home since we are close to the
school area, that’s all you need to know ma”. If
only this doctor knew how I hated this moment,
she would go straight to the point.
“Isioma, you are a bright girl and a beautiful one
at that, no matter what happens, don’t hate
yourself, be strong, you have many dreams to
achieve” the doctor said looking at me as if she
was mourning someone. “can you go straight to
the point ma”. “You are a week pregnant and HIV
positive”.
***Did you see that, I am what? Pregnant, HIV
positive? Jesus Christ, now I know you are not my
God, just when I thought you would teach me how to
get away from all my troubles, you are bringing on
continuous doom to my life, what is all this, how do I
continue living with this kind of shame, someone
should please tell me I am dreaming***
I left the hospital that day with more hate for my
brother, God will punish him wherever he is, he
will never experience peace in his life, and he has
just rendered me useless. I wondered how I will
go to Kelvin’s house now, without him suspecting
what was wrong with me. I left the hospital for
Kelvin’s house that day, he was home already, he
was surprised to see how horrible I looked, I was
looking so pale, he asked what was wrong, and I
told him that I was having Malaria.
***Chai, how will I tell him that I am HIV positive na,
if na you, you go talk? But I talked to my book where
I write everything, at least that’s the only best friend I
have***
I sat down to a little meal, I wasn’t hungry but to
avoid more questioning, I had to force myself to
eat. We went to bed after I took some drugs. I
couldn’t sleep, I only slept when it was almost
daybreak, I was thinking and thinking all through
while I was awake. The next day after Kelvin left
for work, I received a phone call from my elder
sister; she called to tell me she was back in
Nigeria. Hmmm…I thought she just called to
inform me, but there was more, she started
yelling that I left the house without telling anyone
where I was going to. The worse was when she
said Kingsley had caught me with a man inside
my room and he scolded and beat me, making her
think that was why I angrily left the house. Can
you imagine that? That monster still has the guts
to tell lies against me, isn’t the torture enough?
My sister asked me to come back home, I didn’t
answer her, I just dropped the call. I rather
commit suicide than live with an abomination
child and HIV.
Some hours later, I got the shock of my life. But
the truth be told, I was impregnated by my own
blood brother, raped, dehumanized, tortured and
still on it, HIV positive just in one ordeal of my life,
no, no, no, I can’t stand it, sooner or later, Kelvin
would find out. Kelvin came back home that day,
looking very happy, got me flowers, presents, I
almost thought he had won another contract until
I saw him go down on his knees and there he was
proposing to me to marry him. I couldn’t believe
my eyes, my ears; in fact I was the most
confused woman on planet earth.
***Won’t I be a wicked person to accept such a
proposal when I am pregnant and HIV positive,
which man will want to marry a girl like that, me and
Kelvin have come a long way to just make it end like
this, I am confused, really confused***
Kelvin still kneeling down smiling and expecting a
yes was shocked when he heard me say, “I am
HIV positive and Pregnant”
Stay in touch for next episode of Chronicles of Isioma.
Kindly drop your comments as usual.