Dirty Hustler - Season 1 - Episode 11

4 years ago

Dirty Hustler - Season 1 - Episode 11

☆☆☆☆☆

The next month after Broda and I had moved to another town, his attitude towards me began to change.

He called me names and hit me at the slightest mistake. He once kicked me in the belly when I was 6 months pregnant. I lost my confidence and felt inferior.

He always assured me he still loved me but he
was always angry that he wasn’t financially buoyant. Most days went by without food. I hadn’t even registered for ante natal.
Things went from bad to worse and Broda asked me wash people’s clothes and assist them with other house work for pay which I agreed to do. I also advised him to look for a paying job but he complained there was no good job in the town, I didn’t push further so I wouldn’t get beaten.

I began to miss Mama and Nkiru.
One night, I was seven months pregnant at the time. I couldn’t sleep as the room felt too hot. We hadn’t paid our electric bills so our light was cut off. Broda stayed awake. He used the torn cover of a book as a hand fan to make me feel a bit cool.

“My love…” He cooed.
“What?” I smiled at him.
He paused for a while. “I be one ask you make you go born for your Mama side.”
I jerked and raised my head from his laps immediately. I sat up to face him.
“What?..I nor understand.” I hoped it was a joke.

He placed his hand on my shoulder. “I no fit take care of you for now and when you deliver, I nor no how to baff baby, or press your belle….Your Mama need do all those things for you….And to tell you the truth, I nor get money for hospital bills or money to buy baby things.”

I shoved his hand off my shoulder. “Why you wan fall my hand like this?” I said as tears flowed from my eyes. “Na you make me abandon my family…you come dey tell me say make I go back go beg them…” I sobbed loudly.

He tried to hold me but I pushed him away.
“Baby, no reason am like that na….Them be your family, them go under–”
“No be you tell me say them hate me?”
“I know wetin I talk and that na the truth…but no money for now we need their help…”
“What of your own family? Them no fit help? Since all the money wey I dey work, you dey send give them, I never one day send give my Mama. I never even use eye take see your Mama or Papa…Even for phone you no dey free make I talk to them…”

“Cherry, calm down.” He hugged me and kissed me. “Where my Mama and Papa dey e too far…”

“Na heaven? Bus no dey–”
He landed a hot slap on my cheek. I held my face and wailed.

“Keep quiet!” He said and gave me a knock.
He picked up a pillow and pressed it to my face to muffle the sound of my voice. I flayed my arms as I couldn’t breathe. He finally removed the pillow after a while.
I struggled to catch my breath.

“No ever talk about my Parents like that.” He warned with a stern voice.

He grabbed my jaw and held it with a strong grip. His nails dug into the sides of my cheeks.
“Anytime I ask you to do anything, do am. No ask me questions. Even if I say make you put your hand inside fire, do am!” He lowered his hand to my throat and sq££zed tightly. “Or I go kill you.”

“Pl…please.” I begged with a cracked voice.
He loosened his grip on my throat and sat back on the bed.

We both kept silent while I nursed my sore jaw and neck.
“I don tell you say make you no dey provoke me.” He said in a low tone as he took my hand into his.

I wanted to pull away but I was afraid to do so.
“Tomorrow you go pack your things go your Mama house. Them go take care of you for that side. I go come pick you when I don settle things…No tell anybody where we dey stay. If dem ask you, tell them say I don travel out…You dey hear me so?”
I nodded fearfully.

“Good…I go miss you sha.” He smiled as he took of my night dress.

The next afternoon, I knocked on the door and Nkiru opened.

“Sister!” She squealed happily and hugged me. “Your belle don big!” She laughed as my tummy hit hers.
I smiled at her.

“Where Mama?” I asked.
“She dey inside.” Nkiru replied as she took my bag in.

When I went in, my heart skipped as my eyes met Mama’s.
“Good afternoon Ma.” I knelt down to greet her.

She responded with a nod. “You don chop.” She asked to my surprise.

I shook my head and she served me food.
Neither Mama nor Nkiru asked about Broda all through my stay. They acted like he never existed.
Mama registered me at a standard private hospital for ante natal and she bought things the baby and I would need. Broda never came to check up on me.
Around 2am one morning, my contractions began. I cried in pains while Nkiru and Mama went from house to house in our street looking for who had a car or okada to take us to the hospital that morning.

A keke rider volunteered and Nkiru grabbed my hospital bag and off we went.

At the labor ward, the midwife attached a drip to my hand and the contractions grew stronger. I cried and wished Broda was with me to console me.
“I can see the head push!” The midwife urged a few hours later.

The pain was tearing into my insides. It felt like I was being stabbed at each corner by hundreds of knives.
“Her birth canal is too small.” I heard the midwife tell a younger nurse. “We have to tear her open.”

My eyes popped open. “No… Don’t tear…I go push…abeg!” I charged with all my energy and pushed as hard as I could. It was like I was trying to poop out my bowels.
“The head is out! You are doing a great job. Keep pushing.”

I fell back on the bed. I was weak. The midwife tapped my legs and told me to keep pushing. I thought I would die.
The baby’s body finally came out and I heard the cry.

“Congrats, you have a bouncing baby girl.” The midwife said and placed my little daughter on my chest.

I smiled as I stared at the tiny crying creature. I loved her instantly. I kept on wishing Broda was present.