Everything was happening so fast, in a matter of minutes consent forms had been signed
and I was being wheeled to the theatre. Chinedu wasn’t allowed to follow me in, he stood
outside waving at me like he was saying his last goodbye.
I kept telling myself that everything was going to be fine, I was trying to be strong. I reminded
myself that I needed to be strong for my friends, I needed to be strong for Chinedu and most
importantly, I needed to be strong for the twins.
I was told to sit down on the operating table and bend my back while hugging a pillow so that
the anaesthetist could administer spinal anaesthesia, which would make me numb from the
waist down so I wouldn’t feel anything during the surgery but I’d be awake and be aware of
everything that was happening around me.
After all the necessary preparations and protocols were observed, the surgery commenced. I
waited anxiously for the surgeons to bring my babies out. We were only a few seconds into
the surgery but I felt like I had been lying on the operating table forever. I tried to study the
faces of the theatre staff around—I figured that I would sense if there was any trouble from
the expressions on their faces during the surgery, but their faces remained expressionless.
They went about their activities like it was no big deal, which I knew it wasn’t anyway since I
had helped in bringing hundreds of babies successfully to the world via C-sections in the
past. My mind kept focusing on the 1 in 1000 unsuccessful ones instead for some funny
reason.
The anaesthetist was a very cheerful lady in her 40s and she did her best to crack jokes and
keep up a conversation with me so I could take my mind off the surgery but it wasn’t working;
I wanted to hear every single thing the surgeons said to themselves and each other, so half
of the time, I didn’t even listen to what she said. As much as I knew she was only trying to be
nice, I just wished she’d leave me alone and concentrate on her machines, read a book or
count her toes if she didn’t find anything else to keep her busy. I didn’t really care what she
did with herself as long as she wasn’t talking to me. I know that might have seemed mean
but the only sound I wanted to hear at that time was my babies crying.
Finally, at exactly 1.45 am, I heard the cry of my first baby, the midwife announced that it was
a girl! I was still feeling overwhelmed with joy when I heard the cry of my second bundle of
joy two minutes later, this time it was a bouncing baby boy!
After receiving the babies, the midwives brought them closer for me to confirm their sexes. I
had refused to ask for the sex of my babies on purpose when I did my last scan because I
had wanted it to be a surprise.
I had always imagined how it would be when I finally saw the babies that had been growing
in my belly for weeks, face to face but nothing I had ever imagined could compare to the joy I
felt when I finally set my eyes on them; it’s a feeling I still find difficult to explain even now.
“Congrats,” the talkative anaesthetist said to me smiling when I was done confirming their
sexes. “I’m sure their father will be so happy when he sees them; the boy looks so much like
him,” she added. I became lost when I heard those words, I could almost swear on my life
that she’d never met Dr. Tolu before and even if she had, she definitely didn’t know he was
the father of my kids; Dr. Tolu himself had no idea he was expecting a set of twins. So which
father was she referring to? Our Heavenly Father?
I wanted to give one of the many sarcastic replies I had stored up in my box of sarcasm but I
decided to let it slide, I gave a smile and thanked her instead. I knew she must’ve been
referring to Chinedu because she probably assumed he was my husband but I’m pretty sure
there was no resemblance whatsoever between him and my son, as much as I wished there
was.
About an hour later, the surgery was over and I was wheeled to the recovery room to be
monitored for a few hours. The spinal anaesthesia hadn’t worn off and I still couldn’t feel my
legs or lift them. Visitors weren’t allowed in so I had some time to rest and get some sleep
after my unexpectedly eventful day.
I was still a little tired after I was transferred to one of the private rooms in the maternity
wards later on.
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I closed my eyes for a few seconds while I waited for the midwives to bring in
my twins. I didn’t realise when I drifted off to sleep again until I was woken up by a kiss on
my forehead. I looked up to see Chinedu. “Congrats babe,” he said, giving me the most
amazing smile. “Our twins are so adorable,” he added, stroking my forehead with his fingers,
“Our twins?” I repeatedly looking confused, I wanted to be sure I heard right. “Yes our twins,”
he affirmed, “I’ve made up my mind to be a father to them, I’ll care for them like they are
mine and give them the finest things life has to offer.”
When he finished his sentence, I began to think I had overslept and woke up in December. I
took a quick look around just to be sure but there were no Christmas decorations in sight.
“What’s today’s date?” I asked, looking confused.
“It’s the 28th of November,” Chinedu replied laughing, I could tell he was obviously amused
by my reaction to what he said. “It was your birthday yesterday, remember?” he added.
“So it isn’t Christmas yet?” I asked again.
“No silly! Christmas is almost a whole month away,” he replied, playfully pulling my nose.
“If it isn’t Christmas yet and my birthday was yesterday then why are you being so nice to me
today?” I asked.
He immediately burst out laughing then paused for a while giving me this long penetrating
look that made it seem like he could see right through me, while I tried to make sense of
what he said.
“Are you asking to be the father of my twins?” I questioned further.
“No I’m not asking to be their father,” he said, “I’m telling you I’ll be their father.”
“You don’t have to—” I began to say, but he didn’t let me finish.
“Shhh,” he said, placing his finger across my lips to shut me up. “I know I don’t have to but I
want to, the moment I saw you the other day at the mall, I knew I wanted you in my life but I
never really realised I still loved you until you were taken into the theatre and I thought I
would lose you.”
I opened my mouth to speak but I couldn’t find the words to say. The love and care he had
showered on me in the short time we had reunited was overwhelming. I didn’t even notice
that tears had started rolling down my face until he started wiping them away. “Tess,” he
said, wiping my tears before they rolled down my cheek, “The only way I can prove my love
to you is by loving your babies like they’re mine, I’m willing to spend the rest of my life
making you smile if only you will let me.”
“Thank you,” was all I managed to say as I leaned forward to hug him… I was still finding it
difficult to believe I wasn’t dreaming…
Find out what happens next in the Evening….