THEME: KNOCK YOURSELF OUT
TITLE: TOO MUCH TO HANDLE
Written by Busisiwe I. Ngwenya
Siba waited anxiously for his wife to finish the consultation with the doctor. He hadn’t joined them as he was scared that the news might be devastating. She had been throwing up for days and couldn’t handle anything, even liquids. He had insisted this morning that they visit the doctor as she hunched over the bathroom basin.
He relaxed at her almost celebratory tone as she came out and was even more relieved by her elated face.
“Do you want to break the news?” the doctor queried.
Lindi shook her head and dragged Siba out of the doctor’s room.
“Bye, doctor Mosse. See you next month as discussed.”
“Bye, Lindi and Siba.”
Lindi headed to the car with Siba following, still lost and wishing someone could shed the light. This morning his wife was knocking on heaven’s stairway and now was bouncing around as if she hadn’t scared him. He opened the door for her before jumping in on the driver’s side. She just sat there and commented about the weather and everything else except the burning issue at hand.
“What’s the diagnosis?” he asked, unable to wait any longer.
“I will tell you at home.”
The matter was closed, just like that. He could tell by her set jaw, so he followed her lead and drove on.
“Shall we pass by the shops please?”
“Why? We bought groceries just last Saturday.” Times were tough what with rising petrol, food, and electricity costs. They couldn’t afford unnecessary spending.
“Dietary changes as per doctor’s orders…”
“You must be seriously sick then. Why weren’t you referred to the hospital?” Anxiety was chortling him like rags in a tumble dry.
“I don’t require hospitalisation. You can park right here. I will be back shortly.”
Siba was lost and wishing he could figure things out on his own but failing. It certainly couldn’t be the big C or pregnancy as chances of that happening were zero. He just had to hang tight until Lindi was ready to talk.
She came back with one plastic bag, which was surprising as she was a known shopper.
“That was quick.”
“Yeah, I didn’t need a lot. We can go now.”
They spent the rest of the journey on trivia with Lindi avoiding the burning incense in the car.
“Do you want coffee?” Siba was shocked by the delaying tactics.
“Later. What did the doctor say?”
“It was good news. Congratulations, sweetheart. You are going to be a daddy.”
Siba was horrified and couldn’t hide it. He shivered in broad, sunny daylight and had to muster everything in his being to contain the brewing anger. The overriding emotion was of hurt made worse by the casual and happiness-driven announcement, as if the news was worth celebrating. He was sweating and needed to sit down.
“Run that by me again, Lindi. You are what?”
“Pregnant. Imagine our first child after eight years of marriage. I know we both said we didn’t want babies, but I cannot help being overjoyed by the unexpected news.” She beamed as she cuddled on Siba’s lap, oblivious to the gathered clouds.
He slowly pushed her away and went to grab bottled water from the fridge. He needed to marshal his thoughts and calm his rage, which might lead to silly mistakes being committed. He didn’t want to be made someone’s hussy yet even though prison was calling his name at that moment.
“So, tell me dear. Who is the baby’s father?”
Lindi was shocked to silence and sat frozen on the couch like a wet chicken.
“I am waiting,” he prompted for a response as he wanted the matter out in the open and to know which person to kill before dumping her for making a mockery of their marriage.
“What do you mean, Siba?” she stammered with dismay. “The baby is yours.” She was lying with conviction and innocence worthy of an award.
“It is not possible, dear. I had a vasectomy many moons ago…” Siba watched as blood left Lindi’s face.
“That can’t be; there must be an explanation,” she stated eventually.
“Nope. So, I couldn’t have impregnated you.”
“And you didn’t tell me about the vasectomy before, why?” she asked, recovering somewhat.
“I didn’t see a need as we both didn’t want babies.”
“You lied to me…”
“No, I omitted to tell you about that aspect of my life which is not the same as you sleeping around…”
“I didn’t sleep around! I am carrying our child.”
“Stop lying!” he roared, enraged by her denials.
He took the car keys, stormed out of the house and drove off as he needed to calm down before he throttled her. He still needed the name of the scoundrel who had touched his wife and soiled their marriage. He couldn’t stay committed to her or their marriage after this. The betrayal cut so deep he was barely able to hold it together. He parked on the side road as the boiling anger escalated to road rage.
South Africans could drive a sane person mad with their atrocious driving and worst was the number of drivers with bought licenses on the road, who had no clue about driving and road signs. Sighing deeply, he turned the car around and went back home. He needed answers and wanted them now. At least he was somewhat calmer now.
“You came back?”
He observed her staring at him with those oval eyes shining with shed tears. He needed to calm down and not distress her, which might result in premature birth or a miscarriage.
“Look, I am sorry for not coming clean about the vasectomy. I will stand by you until the baby is born. We can then do DNA testing to determine its parental lineage.”
“What? You don’t believe that I have never cheated on you?”
Huh, Siba was lost for words. There might be a scientific reason behind the pregnancy, which is why he was open to exploring that possibility.
“I would like to believe you. You have never given me a reason to doubt you, until now. So, I will wait it out until the baby’s arrival…”
“No!”
Siba stared at her amazed.
“I would rather we do pre-natal DNA testing now…”
Oh, that was unexpected.
“Is that safe for the baby?” he asked, unsure about the rush. He was mad at her but didn’t want any calamities to befall the baby. He still loved her very much despite the blot hanging over their heads.
“Yes, technology has made many things possible. I just want to prove that this is our baby. I don’t want us having this cloud hanging over us and for our baby to be born to bitter and angry parents.”
Siba nodded. The sooner the matter was dealt with, the better and they could move on with their lives again.
An appointment was set up with a selected Clicks Clinic for DNA sample collection to be conducted. They spent the next five days walking on eggshells, knowing that the results could either break or strengthen their marriage. Siba tried to convince himself that the vasectomy might have somehow reversed itself, which was highly unlikely, but as you know miracles do happen, although common sense dictated otherwise.
The results were finally in, which ruled him out as a father. To say Lindi was devastated was an understatement, and she kept repeating that “it is not true” and wanted to do another test “at a reputable facility this time”. But Siba shot her down. He requested that they wait for the baby’s arrival as he felt that it was too soon to put themselves through that process again.
He stuck around and supported his wife the best he could, even though he could no longer touch or look at her beyond the neck. The swelling tummy was a grim reminder of Lindi’s infidelity and dishonour to their marriage. He bailed out within a year of the baby’s birth when three more DNA tests came back negative. He moved into a nearby townhouse complex as he still wanted to support her during the early years of childbirth. However, the marriage was doomed and the writing on the wall was clear as water that they were headed towards a divorce. Lindi’s repeated infidelity denials were jarring on the nerves and his only wish was that she could tell the truth and release them both from the lies.
“That’s it. I am all packed and ready to go. You know how to reach me should you need anything.”
He had hugged her goodbye but couldn’t bring himself to look at the baby. The strangest thing about the situation was that everybody, including his mom, were so convinced that Rowan was his son. They kept stressing how alike they were and couldn’t comprehend what had happened between them to result in the separation, and he couldn’t find it within him to betray her.
“I know we have been over this so many times Siba, but the baby is yours. The scientific results are incorrect; that’s my truth.”
“Lindi please, we have been over this so many times…”
“I know, but I don’t want this misrepresentation of facts over my head. I know the truth and hopefully one day I will be absolved so that my child would have his father fully in his life.” She bade him farewell and went back to the house to tend to the crying baby. Siba was torn between science and his wife. However, he couldn’t look past the fact that she played him.
He consulted with his doctor to determine whether the vasectomy might have reversed and found that everything was still intact. He went and sourced two more opinions just to be sure, which came back with similar results, sealing the matter closed.
“What’s happening between you and Lindi? She tells me that you are headed for a divorce and that she is emigrating to Iceland.” Trust his mom to meddle in his affairs.
“Yes, I’m divorcing her,” he replied resignedly whilst shocked by the emigration news.
“Why?”
“The baby is not mine…”
“Are you mad? Lindi would never cheat on you! That’s your child.”
“But the DNA results show that…”
“Do another one.”
“But Ma…”
“Please son. I can give you a good referral,” she said pleadingly.
“Okay,” Siba agreed, exhausted with arguing.
He never bothered because he was tired. Lindi packed and left after the divorce.
Life moved on until one day when he received a frantic call from the doctor.
“Siba, I have been trying to get hold of Lindi…”
“She left and lives in Iceland now.”
“Oh, do you perhaps have a number for her?”
“Yes, I will send it through.”
“Thank you. Can you come through now please?”
“I’m kinda busy. Can’t we do this over the phone?”
“No, this needs a face-to-face.”
“Okay.”
Siba went through.
“Please sit. I don’t know how to break the news to you,” said the doctor, avoiding eye contact. “Your case has bothered me so much that when I heard of new technological advancements in DNA testing, I re-submitted your leftover samples.”
It turned out that Siba was a chimera who had eaten his twin in utero, resulting in him absorbing its DNA. Siba was stunned. The news sounded like a badly written Hollywood script.
“What does this all mean? I am lost.”
“The baby is not yours. You are its uncle.”
Wild. Siba was shaken and almost keeled over his chair as the doctor clarified further. How was he going to face Lindi? He had to make amends. He placed that remorseful call to a hostile Lindi who was shocked but elated.
“Whoa! Are you telling me that you ate your twin in the womb only to ejaculate it years later?” she asked, laughing and crying with amazement. “Bizarre.”
“That’s what science says. I’m still in shock.”
“What a relief to be finally exonerated. I can walk with my head held high again. Thank you for this, Siba. Bye…”
“Wait! We need to meet.”
“Why?”
“The baby…”
“He is not yours and never was. You were just a conduit. Bye Siba,” she said, leaving him floundering.
PUBLISH’D AFRIKA Magazine Facebook Short Story Competition is funded by the National Arts Council, Department of Sport, Arts and Culture and Presidential Employment Stimulus Programme 3
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