Mixed Scenarios

by Aluta Nite

  Title Page

  MIXED SCENARIOS

  by

  Aluta Nite

  Publisher Information

  Mixed Scenarios published in 2014 by

  Andrews UK Limited

  www.andrewsuk.com

  The right of Aluta Nite to be identified as the Author of this Work has been asserted by him in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1998

  Copyright © 2014 Aluta Nite

  All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means without the prior written permission of the publisher, nor be otherwise circulated in any form of binding or cover other than that in which it is published and without a similar condition being imposed on the subsequent purchaser. Any person who does so may be liable to criminal prosecution and civil claims for damages.

  Introduction

  This book of short stories covers a number of issues about humanity. The stories portray and delve into various aspects of life, particularly in the global South or third world. They raise issues of social justice that are of direct or indirect relevance to readers in any society, and sometimes indicate a need for action on the part of the reader and others. The collection contains thirty-seven stories. The characters in the book and their names are fictional.

  Dedicated to all readers of the World

  Acknowledgements to Becky, Bert, Mina, Solo and Vumba

  Maternity and Labour Wards

  Births of babies bring so much happiness to couples and families, but what transpires before, during and after childbirth is sometimes horrendous for mothers-to-be.

  Besides mothers’ euphoria at seeing their little offspring or their little backs as they are born, society celebrates mothers-to-be reaching the culmination of their femininity by fulfilling nature’s design objective through childbirth.

  But, in the maternity and labour wards where it all takes place, where foetuses become babies, it is a completely different story. The two wards are full of so much horror that one wonders whether it is really worth it or normal to go through the ordeal of childbirth. It is surely a curse to womankind!

  In my experience at a maternity ward, one woman was screaming, abusing and cursing her husband saying, “I will never again repeat the stupidity of getting pregnant. I do not want to see him either. He is the cause of all this.” “He” got wind of it and dared not appear openly in the ward. So, “he” came all the same, but hid behind the door and observed her quietly.

  One other was on her knees, on the floor, crying loudly and sometimes, walking on her knees from one end of the ward to the other without uttering a word. Tears were not visible, but she cried all the same. Her hands were on her head and sometimes, she crawled on all fours. She painted a miserable picture of desperation and fear.

  Another woman lay on her bed unable to get up, but moaned while turning slowly from side to side. Sometimes, she screeched and then regressed to moaning again. She also gazed like it was the end of the world and talked to nobody.

  One other sat on her bed crying quietly and praying, “The birth better be a boy because otherwise I’ll be mistreated, by my in-laws who do not want baby girls because it means paying hefty dowries that they cannot afford. Oh, God! Hear me and spare me this one in line with their wishes! Otherwise I will be doomed with my little one.” Yet, she could not determine the sex of the child to be born, and already had two girls.

  Also, having a baby girl meant that there was no son to perpetuate his father’s name and participate in running the family business. Girls would get married and therefore not help build family businesses and wealth.

  This woman had, therefore, been told that she would be taken back to her maiden home or be made the family slave should she deliver a baby girl again. By being made the family slave, she would produce the goods to be sold for dowry later.

  Going back to her home meant that her own family would not welcome her either as she would be a burden and a shame to them. Moreover, she had two other children who she would have to leave behind with her husband, if she were to go away. Her husband’s family even threatened not to pay for her discharge from the hospital, if she had a baby girl again.

  Ultrasound scans were not existence then for parents to find out the sex of their babies before birth. The woman’s in-laws therefore checked three to four times a day to see if she was done with the delivery. They also called the hospital receptionist in between. They did not bring her any goodies, like perhaps her favourite foods, as they did not know if she was carrying a boy or a girl.

  She did give birth to a baby boy after several days. She had him at night, and they called in the morning to find out. They came in droves soon after and showered her with food, hugs and kisses, flowers and gifts. It was as if they had not been threatening her over several months during the pregnancy.

  It was a very trying time for her, as she was not in control of the sex of her child, which we now know is determined by a chromosome carried by the father. Yet, she was to be the sacrificial lamb.

  She cried tears of joy and went home a very happy mother. In her delicate condition, she performed a little dance of jubilation and said, “Oh, God! You have made me wholesome and welcomed into the domain where I belong. Thank you! Thank you!”

  She even wished to stay a little longer in hospital, so she could rest and continue to get showered and pampered with love and gifts. It was the first time she had gotten such lavish treatment from her in-laws, as her first two births were girls.

  It is actually a blessing in disguise that scans for the sex of unborn babies were not commonplace thirty years ago, because for those who could afford it, babies girls would have been aborted. In this woman’s case, she would have been forced to rid herself of two babies, if the scans had detected her first two baby girls.

  This is not to say that all women in the maternity ward were in a situation similar to this woman’s. The rest only expressed pain or agony in relation to their physical conditions, although some looked confused and in another world.

  Some were totally normal with no signs of being upset, as they did not even have labour pains. For them it seemed as easy as relieving themselves! Some had pains, but not prolonged ones of more than twenty-four hours, just quick sharp pains for a few hours. The situation varied from woman to woman.

  General observation of the labour ward revealed that, there appeared to be greater uniformity in the women’s experiences. It was a place of open wailing for those who were just about to deliver, and serious struggle for those in the process. Thus pushing and contracting dominated the scene. Doctors, midwives and nurses were busy calling the shots, with instructions shouted from all corners.

  Babies also had their first cries to announce their arrivals, as they took in their first breaths in a cold atmosphere, totally different from what they were used to in warm, enclosed wombs.

  Of course, there were emergency cases where mothers-to-be were wheeled to surgery, due to serious complications like hypertension, which required caesarean sections and the like.

  At the end of it all, was joy and celebration as mothers were wheeled to recovery wards, to rest and receive their happy families, congratulations and gifts.

  Subsequently, there emerged mothers walking in a variety of ways. Some could not walk at all and had to be restricted to wheelchairs. Some limped as if they had abscesses or were wearing diapers like toddlers.

  Some held walls, chairs, tables, trolleys and beds as aids to move them forward, while others held still until they were guided by nurses. Some even had to use bedpans, while others could not
eat and had to be fed liquid nourishment through tubes.

  Some had to undergo blood transfusions, whereas others were put in isolation because they had developed jaundice. Some had to undergo hysterectomies because of serious hypertension, and would, therefore, not conceive again as their lives were in grave danger.

  Some tore during delivery and received several stitches. Others got injured in other ways, lost a lot of blood, were anaemic, or had various other complications.

  The lucky ones gave birth easily and smoothly, were agile and mobile, and went home immediately, leaving the rest to linger for various numbers of days, weeks and even months.

  Their babies’ conditions also dictated how soon mothers could go home. Because some had had caesarean births, while others had had vacuum- and forceps-aided births, their babies’ health were affected.

  Some babies were in incubators, while others were just fine or had slight ailments. Those in the incubators were usually left behind while their mothers were discharged. Their mothers paid them long visits daily to participate in their care and progress.

  Some mothers breastfed their babies, while others opted for bottle-feeding with formula. It all depended on their career plans and how long they would be at home with the babies, or on their health and the availability of breast milk.

  While still in hospital, mothers tried to participate in morning exercise routines under the guidance of trainers. Watching them struggle to lift limbs was really something, especially if one knew them personally before childbirth or pregnancy.

  The energy and agility they had before, was absent and they were left weak and rigid. On the other hand, the fortunate healthy ones manoeuvred their way through the exercises quite well.

  All in all, it was amazing to watch the new mothers’ in high spirits, despite their ordeals, because they had come through it all and had bundles of joy to take home. Of course, there were sad cases where the mother or baby or both succumbed during the process, due to complications, but somehow, life eventually continued as nature intended it to, after tragic losses.

  Strife and Death in a Mixed Marriage

  Love knows no boundaries. It drives the world and takes individuals to localities they never thought they would end up in. Love being love, causes men and women to refuse to limit themselves to their horizons. They do exactly what feels good to them as people in love.

  If it means crossing oceans, lakes, rivers, mountains or traversing continents, they will do it to reach the love of their lives. Little do they sometimes know what awaits them at the end of their journey!

  Leah got married to Watson in a civil ceremony, and they were blessed with nine children, both girls and boys. They lived in the city all their lives working and raising their family.

  Watson was a lawyer and Leah was an administrative officer. Watson was from the extreme western end on the plateau of the country, while Leah was from the central hilly area of the country. Each area was inhabited by different ethnic communities with different cultural norms.

  The two, therefore, spoke different mother tongues, but spoke the national and official languages, and were both Christians. They visited their respective childhood homes now and then alone and together. They both also had very good rapport with their in-laws, who visited them often in the city.

  The couple worked hard investing in land, housing and commercial businesses, and achieved a lot of success for their large family in the city. Their children were smart and achieved a lot academically, as all graduated from local and foreign colleges, and became independent in different careers. Some married, started families of their own, while others sought to do the same.

  Both parents were involved in volunteer activities, including helping others achieve their goals and working with the disadvantaged. Both stayed married and faithful to each other. They were indeed a model family.

  As time went by, Watson and Leah decided to work together at his law firm, so that she could manage the firm’s office, as well as the financial affairs of their other businesses, all in the same office.

  She therefore left her job and joined her husband. They were now in their fifties. The businesses did even better than before because management was completely in their hands and Leah was a very judicious and frugal person.

  They remained one big, successful and happy family as their years advanced, and they became grandparents. Although they had built their own other home in the countryside where Watson was born, they had no intentions of ever settling there upon retiring. It was to be their home away from home, during vacations or short visits.

  Instead, they put up a large house on one of the pieces of land they had bought in the city suburbs. This was to be their retirement sanctuary. They were already doing some farming on this land, so they produced their own milk, eggs, chicken and vegetables. This was also designated to be their final resting place.

  As time went on, Watson began to get sick and weak. Because he was financially secure, he managed to get good treatment every time he got ill, and so he continued to work. However, in his seventies, his sickness persisted to the extent that he was hospitalized, and unfortunately passed away.

  From thereon, drama ensued. Some people from Watson’s ethnic community, that Leah did not know or had any prior association with, came forth and demanded that Watson be buried at his ancestral homeland in the countryside.

  In addition, many that Leah knew from Watson’s extended family, and had good rapport with, now turned against her and joined the dissenters in insisting that Watson’s body be laid to rest in the countryside.

  They said, “He is one of us and must be accorded a monumental burial that his status deserves as per our customs. Moreover, his placenta was not thrown in the city dumpsters or burnt in the incinerators, but buried properly in the countryside where his ancestors lay resting. What he bought or put up in the city is not a home, but a house. His home is where he came from.”

  Leah thought it was a big joke! She had started making funeral arrangements at their home in the city suburbs, based on their agreement as husband and wife. When her husband’s kinsfolk persisted and she refused, they went to court to prevent her from taking the body from the morgue for burial.

  Furthermore, her children were divided. A few were for the clan and the majority for their mother. The legal battle over the burial dragged on for over three months, while Watson’s body remained under guard in the morgue, incurring a huge bill.

  Finally, the judge ruled against Leah, citing the precedence of customary law. Leah was devastated.

  Furthermore, Watson’s kinsfolk expected her to join hands with them in the burial arrangements and ceremonies, which she refused to, partake in. She did not appear at the morgue, church service or burial site. Some of her and Watson’s children participated while others refused to. Those that participated were their male children, because they wanted to maintain roots where their father came from.

  Those who refused to take part, including some of the boys, found the ruckus created by their father’s kinsfolk suspicious. Indeed, it came to light later that some of the objections to their parents’ original burial plans; were based on expectations to inherit Watson’s wealth. It was just as well that she refused to join hands with them over the burial arrangements!

  Moreover, it came to light after the funeral that her husband’s kinsfolk waited for her to appear, so they could have her undergo some bizarre cultural rituals that she did not know about, and being a Christian, would likely have objected to.

  The questions that bothered many women after this incident were: Doesn’t a woman have the right to bury the man she loves and has stayed married to for much of her life? Doesn’t a woman have the right to bury her husband at the site they decided on as a married couple? Where were all these dissenters when Leah was struggling with Watson in sickness and in health over the years?

 
Leah, learning from experience, prepared her own burial site, and wrote a will dictating where she wished to be buried. Moreover, she remarried in a civil ceremony which, one would think, fortified her position completely against the resurgence of any contentious issue at her death.

  Nonetheless, when Leah passed away, Watson’s kinsfolk, as she anticipated, had the audacity to try to get involved in her burial. They asserted that she be laid to rest at Watson’s burial site, totalling disregarding her second marriage. They swore to ostracize her children from their father’s roots, if things did not go their way. Negotiations involving some progressive leaders from Watson’s ancestral home saved the day, and his kinsfolk were eventually dissuaded from dictating Leah’s burial arrangements.

  I believe the true intent behind the saga brought on by Watson’s kinsfolk, was their desire to inherit assets left behind by the couple, completely overlooking the couple’s wishes and children. Culture and tradition were used here to suppress the wishes of individuals.

  Gone too soon

  The economy changing and women leaving home to seek gainful employment sometimes, brought on untold pain, especially when there was no reliable day-care for young children, or where families could not afford the exorbitant cost of it.

  Most jobs were scheduled from eight in the morning to five in the afternoon. However, with the morning and evening commutes and lunch break, a total of about eleven hours every day were taken up in direct or indirect relation to working. Much obviously depended on how far one’s workplace was from home and how one commuted.

  Many families could not even afford telephones at home, and if they could, would be on the waiting list for a long time to have one installed. Cell phones were non-existent then.

  Nellie got married to Joram and they lived in the city. They were both employed in the government as civil servants. They in fact met during public service training sessions and became friends. Nellie was a typist and Joram a registry clerk.