Chapter 6: Chapter 6

Part Two

Possible solutions

Chapter Four

The first thing that hit Halal the minute she woke up was a prominent pain at the back of her head. She groaned in pain before reaching out to touch the back of her head with her palm. At the feel of her palm, her head throbbed the more.

"She's awake" She heard a voice. Her eyes fluttered open but everyone and everything was blurry. What happened? She asked herself unable to think properly.

She looked around and tried to focus her gaze on something, or someone.

"Daria" she croaked. She cleared her throat again. Why was Daria here, what's going on?

"Halal,  you're awake. Thank God!" Daria said sitting beside her. There was concern etched on her face.

"What are you doing here Daria?" Halal asked confused. "I told you I'd call you when I....." she paused as if just realizing something. Suddenly it clicked "Doctor Femi!" Halal yelled trying to sit up.

"Halal calm down" Daria said a little worried. The nurse had warned her that Halal might be a little delirious when she woke up.

Halal grasped Daria's palm. "Where is Doctor Femi?! He isn't, dead is he? Tell me it was just a dream.  Where is doctor Femi? Doctor Femi, Doctor Femi come out, I'm here. You said you have something to tell me!" Halal shouted trying to get out of the bed.

Daria gasped "Who is doctor Femi,  Halal talk to me.  You're acting strange" Daria said shaking Halal.

"How am I acting strange?" Halal asked narrowing her eyes now at Daria. "Doctor Femi called me last night. He said he's going to help me,  he said I should come in today. Where is he, tell him I'm waiting for him" Halal tried to get up again.

Daria gripped her hard to keep her in place.

"Nurse! Nurse! " Daria shouted growing more afraid for her friend.

"Doctor Femi!" Halal screamed. She looked around and wondered why she was in a bed.  "I didn't come for a check up Daria,  Doctor Femi called me last night....." Halal started again.

A nurse and a doctor came through the door just as Daria was trying to pacify her friend. The nurses had not explained to Daria exactly what had happened, they'd simply told her that Halal had fainted and she'd hit her head hard.

They explained that they couldn't reach her husband and that she was the only contact they could call. Daria had no idea who this Doctor Femi was or why Halal was calling for him.

"Laide, where is doctor Femi? I told you I came to see him,  where is he?" Halal asked immediately she saw Laide .

"We're going to have to sedate her" The doctor told Daria and signalled for Laide to do her job before walking out of the room.

Daria nodded numbly,  perhaps if the nurses could tell her what really happened, she would have an inkling of what was really going on and know how to handle Halal.

"He's not dead, he's not dead. I spoke to him last, tell me he was sleeping, tell me he's awake now" Halal looked at Laide desperately.

"Yes, yes,.... Be calm, be calm" Laide said and picked up a syringe.  Daria watched the nurse calm Halal down before sedating her.

"Doctor Femi, Laide....please tell him that I'm here...." Halal whispered. She was slipping in and out of consciousness now.

"She's asleep now ma. Maybe when she wakes up, she'll be better" Laide told Daria the minute Halal passed out.

Daria nodded "Who is Doctor Femi?" Daria asked curiously.

Laide looked at the door nervously to see if any doctor or nurse was nearby before speaking .

"Doctor Femi was the clinic's head of gynaecology.  Aunty Halal came in to see him on Monday morning, unfortunately she found him dead.  The nurse she was with said she immediately turned pale and fainted when she found out he was dead" Laide shrugged pitifully.

"Gynaecologist?" Daria asked confused. Why was Halal seeing a gynaecologist when she'd made it clear that she wasn't ready to have children yet? Daria wondered.

"Yes, he's been aunty Halal's doctor for years now. You know after the incident" Laide whispered.

Incident? Daria looked alarmed. What incident was the nurse talking about? She wanted to know more so she shot the nurse a questioning look.

"Aunty Halal is a good woman, I just wish she could have children. It must be very painful to carry a child for nine months only for the child to die right after delivery"  Laide said shaking her head. She looked at Halal pitifully before walking out of the room.

Daria gasped and sat beside her friend. So that was the problem. "Oh Halal" she took her friend's limp while watching her face. Even in her sleeping state, she looked troubled.

Tears slipped down her face, Halal's condition touched her core. She  wanted to help Halal, but how?

When Halal woke up hours later, she was calm.  She sat on the bed, her arms raised and hands on her head.

Daria looked at her silently, she didn't know what to say, she didn't know how to comfort her friend.

Halal simply stared on, she was seeing nothing really. Nothing made any sense, how could it make sense? This morning she'd been close to getting her dreams come true and now she was back in rock bottom.

"Oh my world, what kind of evil is this, what kind of evil is this?! I don't know what bad I've done in this world. I don't know why life despises me so much, why am I cursed, life why have you cursed me? My life is just a joke  isn't it? Playing tricks on me like that, what have I done, who have I offended?" Halal asked thin air dramatically.

Daria sighed and moved closer to Halal.  "Halal, calm down. Please calm down" Daria begged.

"Ohhhh, don't tell me to calm down. I'm as good as finished, as good as divorced. My husband will drive me out of his home now, he will send me away. Doctor Femi was my last hope,  my last hope!" Halal went on.

"As long as life goes on, there is hope.  Don't talk negatively, please I don't like seeing you like this" Daria pleaded.

Halal laughed bitterly now. "Daria please,  just leave me alone. I'm cursed, someone has cursed me for no reason. How else would you explain the happenings in my life?" Halal asked.

Daria watched in silence not knowing what else she could do now. What could she do anyway?

Doctor Felicity walked into Halal's room, she shook her head pitifully at Halal's condition.

"How are you feeling Halal?" she asked sympathetically. It's been two days since Halal came into the hospital, fainted at the sight of late doctor Femi and was admitted here.

Halal looked up at the familiar face of Doctor Felicity. "Doctor Femi called me..." she began.

Felicity looked up "He did?" Felicity asked curiously.

Halal nodded "He told me he had some good news for me.  How To Help my condition, stop my children from dying. Did he share his findings with you or anyone in the hospital?" Halal asked with a glimmer of hope.

Felicity shook her head. "Doctor Femi had a heart attack very early that morning, his lawyer also came in monday morning. He said doctor Femi had fixed an appointment with him, probably concerning his will. Doctor Femi has been sick for some time now you know" Felicity said.

Halal paused before looking up at Felicity.  "I'm sorry, you said monday morning, what day is it?" Halal asked confused. Wasn't it hours ago she saw Doctor Femi's corpse?

"Halal it's Wednesday today, you've been unconscious since Monday. I'm glad you're awake, it seems like you were in a mild state of comatose" Doctor Felicity informed.

Halal frowned now "I've been here for two days!" she screeched now. Doctor Felicity nodded slowly.

"Okay, Is it safe for me to go home now.  I mean there's no point being here again is there? Doctor Femi is gone" Halal shrugged. She tried to look nonchalant but she wasn't fooling anyone. It was so obvious that she was deeply hurt.

"Halal I'm deeply sorry, you're better now but I'd like you to stay here for today. To monitor your condition a little, tomorrow you'll be free to go home" Doctor Felicity said.

She turned to Daria now "You've been very helpful ma'am,  please ensure that Mrs Amity eats before her meds are administered. I'll come to check on her tomorrow morning" Doctor Felicity said. She looked around the room sadly before walking out.

Halal turned to Daria, "Don't tell me that it's been two days and Valentino hasn't come here to look for me" she croaked. Her eyes watered,  did Valentino hate her that much?

"Valentino?" Daria looked confused.

"My husband! Has he been here at all?" Halal asked. Halal saw Daria's hesitation and knew the answer instantly.

He hadn't come,  he didn't care,  he was probably at home hoping she'd die so he could remarry and have children.

Halal burst into fresh tears. Her life was one unfixable mess.

Daria insisted on settling Halal's bills right before they left the hospital despite all the protests Halal put up.

"Daria, I don't want you doing things for me. I should be the one taking care of you" Halal said as they walked out of the lobby.

"I'm no longer little Daria anymore Hallie, I want to look after you too. You've done so much for me" Daria protested. She thought of Halal's husband, halal never spoke much about him but based on the few days she'd spent with Halal at the hospital, she assumed he wasn't a good husband. What kind of husband doesn't bother to check up on his wife when she doesn't come home?

When the nurse had called her that monday to ask if she knew one Mrs Halal Amity, and that she was unconscious at the hospital. She'd left everything she'd been doing to go to her friend.

Her kids were being tended to by her husband, he didn't bother her because he knew she needed to be there for her friend. How could Halal's husband not show up, didn't he care about his wife? Of course he didn't, because If he did, he'd be worried out of his mind for his wife, he'd be here now, Daria frowned in disgust 'Some men!' she scoffed.

"This is my problem, not yours Daria. Let me handle my problems on my own" Halal said stubbornly when they got to her car. Daria turned to her wondering where she got her stubborn streak from. She'd known Halal's parents and they had always being calm.

"So what do you want me to do Halal, should I leave you here, go home and pretend as if you're fine. Should I leave you in this condition?" Daria asked her friend.

Halal narrowed her eyes "I'm not sick or injured Daria, what condition?" She asked a little irritated.

Daria threw her hands in the air irritated "Listen Halal, I know you don't want me to think anything is wrong but I know. I mean look at you, you look emotionally drained. You can't drive in this state, please let me take you home" Daria said.

Halal frowned a little before nodding, "You're a good soul Daria" Halal said weakly. "And you have the heart of a saint, I hate to see you suffer. This too shall pass Halal, this too shall pass" Daria said.

Halal held her breath because she had heard those words countless times before only from a different lips.

"Thank you Daria" Halal said before getting into the back of the car. Daria got into the drivers seat and in a few minutes, she pulled out of the parking lot and drove out of the hospital.

While Daria was rummaging through the kitchen searching for what to rustle up for their lunch, Halal went in to her bedroom to cool off.

She picked up her phone that Daria had left on the dresser, plugged in it's charger before going into the bathroom.

How could Valentino not bother to call her or check up on her?

"Haven't I been deceiving myself by remaining in this marriage?" she asked herself. But really what was the point of remaining in a marriage with a man who clearly did not care for her anymore?

She turned on the tap and watched the bath fill up before adding bubbles. "Even if I had died, Valentino wouldn't have shown up" she said taking off her robe.

"This isn't what I signed up for, why did just change so suddenly, why is my husband so cruel? Oh God! is this some kind punishment, what have I done?" Halal asked looking up at the ceiling .

"Where have I wronged you God? Talk to me Lord, please. Why am I going through this, it's been eight years God, how long will you continue to punish me?" Halal asked.

"I'm sorry please, forgive me God please. If I have wronged you anyway please forgive me, I'm sorry" she sobbed.

Daria pushed open the door the minute she heard faint heart breaking noises. "Crying doesn't solve anything Halal, take a bath and come out for dinner" Daria said shaking her head.

Halal wiped the tears off her cheeks. "You're right, crying solves nothing. But what else can I do Daria? Daria I've gone to churches, is there any church in Lagos I've not been to? I've seen diviners, herbalists, prophets and prophetess. I've seen various gynecologists and fertility doctors, I've taken pills, herbs, concoctions, ridiculous things. Maybe I should travel abroad or what do you think?" Halal asked.

Her situation was pathetic, she hated to bare herself to Daria like this but she was tired of keeping it all to herself. The burden was just too much for her.

Daria moved closer "And your husband? You know sometimes the fault is from the husband" Daria said sitting on the edge of the tub.

Halal shook her head, "He has been medically tested. He's fine, I'm the problem. How do you explain the babies dying the minute they are taken out of me. I've held a dead baby twice, not just any dead baby, mine! It's like someone has cursed me that I would never enjoy the fruit of my labour" Halal said shaking her head.

"I don't believe you're cursed, didn't you say Doctor Femi was trying to help you before he passed?" Daria asked.

Halal thought about it for a while before replying "Think about it Daria, the night doctor Femi discovers the cause of my problem, he dies. I'm cursed, I'm cursed I tell you" Halal said.

"God forbid, you're not cursed. I refuse to believe that" Daria said. "It doesn't matter anymore, I'm done. I'm not going to try for a baby again, let Valentino do his worst. I'm not going to put myself through agony again" Halal said shaking her head vehemently.

Daria twisted her lips, nodded before walking away.

Halal enjoyed Daria's company till the next day. She suddenly wanted to be alone, she was tired of being babied by Daria. Besides Daria had a family to go home to, she didn't want to keep Daria away from her family anymore.

"Are you sure you want me to leave?" Daria asked as she put on makeup on her face.

"Yes, Daria. Go home please. I can take care of myself okay?" Halal faked a smile.

"I'll come check on you on Saturday, I'll call you too. I don't feel comfortable leaving you alone Hallie" Daria said. She was uncomfortable  when the so called husband was a no show.

"I'll be fine, I'm a grown woman okay. Now just go, I don't want to see you here on Saturday. I'll see you on Sunday, I'm still invited to your house right?" Halal said.

"Are....are you sure you can come?" Daria asked.

Halal waved a careless hand. "Of course I can, I can handle myself Daria. I won't avoid your kids forever" Halal said.

"I'll be expecting you love, I'll send you my address" Daria picked up her bag and hugged her friend.

"Till Sunday" Halal said. "Sunday" Daria repeated before leaving the bedroom.

The minute she heard the door close, Halal curled up into ball and cried her eyes out. In her world, everyone seemed so happy and fulfilled except her.