In a village called Flower Village, named after the two dangerous valleys it's nestled between. In a three-bedroom house, a woman was kneeling on the hard floor of her room, tearfully praying.
"Sniff Sniff sob sob… Lord, when will it be my time? Sob sob, I've prayed and prayed, but nothing happened. I even went to the hospital for checkups, but the doctors said I am perfectly fine. I am begging you for just one child— just one—Lord, please—sob… sob—just have mercy, Lord—hik…hic…if I did something and You're punishing me—punish me differently…hik…hic…I can take any punishment—just please—not this way…hik..hic.." she sobbed breathlessly for a while and continued
"They're calling me all kinds of names.
Lord—hen without eggs— they hik… hic— called me a man. Lord—you said in your words, "Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you:...Lord, I did everything you said… but why— hik… hic why—hik is nothing happening? hik…" She was breathlessly crying when suddenly…
"You're doing it again, Lena. How many times have I told you our time will come?" asked her husband after he entered their room.
When she heard her husband's voice all of a sudden, she didn't flinch but answered calmly as she stood up. "I know. I will stop crying."
He stared at her for a while before nodding his head as he wiped her face.
"Hmm, okay. Let's go have breakfast and go to the farm," he replied.
Then they linked their hands and headed into the living room to have breakfast.
In the living room;
Today, they were having fresh deer meat pepper soup rice for breakfast. They chatted as they ate.
"Monday will be our next checkup. We should go earlier," she informed her husband.
"Hm, okay, he replied in his throat.
"Wetting, you mean by hm, okay?"
"Das because the checkup changed you every time! Now you're just a shell of yourself! You leh people get in your head too much! I, your husband, said I'm fine without a child! But you'd rather listen to them than me! You—" he stopped talking when he saw her lowering her head.
"See? This is what it did to you! You've lost your confidence! Where is my wife who talked throat to throat with me? Where is she who always says 15 words before I say one word? Huuu huuu, leh just eat" then he continued eating his food.
"It's not because I don't want to listen to you. It's because... hik... hic...I'm worried that there's something wrong with my family. Sob.. sob..My parents had only me…hik… hic… and in my whole family I'm the only person alive… sob…sob," she said, crying.
"Huuh, Lena, I know that. Just please try to stop the worries. You have me as your family. Okay? Come here, we'll be fine. Hmm? He said as he pulled her into a hug.
"Okay… hic," she said, nodding.
"Messed up our breakfast again."
"You didn't mess anything up. Leh eat and go to our farm, hmm?"
"Okay. Umm, I'll head to the river for water after we finish eating." She said after she took her seat.
"I will go with you to help."
"Nah, I want clear my head."
"Hm, okay. We'll leave afterwards."
Some minutes later:
"Aaron, I'm going now."
"Be careful and come back soon"
****
Many activities were going on at the river because it was Saturday.
Some middle-aged women were scrubbing clothes on a larger rock down the river, and some were drawing water up the river. They were gossiping while doing their respective chores.
" your heard anything about Agnes' pregnancy moving?" A middle-aged woman asked.
"No, she's still pregnant, and it's nine months now; da belleh will soon move. How long? We will soon see her crying again," another from up the river answered.
"Onelor, our friend's daughter–in–law, bore a girl child again", a voice from down the river mocked.
"At least da one born something not like some skin da don't have mosquito marks", A woman nearby said mockingly as she held her tub.
Another stopped scrubbing her clothes, turned her head, and said.
"Uh-huh, the Bible says, 'by the fruits you shall know them'."
Their chatter was so loud that Lena, who was almost at the river, heard them. Immediately, the little confidence she summoned after the conversation with her husband vanished. She held her tub and slowly walked towards the river with her head lowered. Slowly, she reached them, passed them, and headed up the river to fill her tub.
When the gossiping women saw her, they paused their chatter and waited for her to leave.
After filling her tub, she helped herself up and headed home.
*********
After she arrived home and set down the water, she went straight into her room and hid under her covers to cry.
"Lord, just one I'm asking for—mmmp…mmmp. All my hope is on that checkup… Lord, I'll be 41 years old next month. Please, Lord."
"Lena, you ready for us to go?" Her husband called from outside the door.
"No, I'm not feeling alright. I will follow you later after I sleep."
After he heard her, he rushed into the room and pulled her from under the covers.
"You're what happened? Your skin is hot; you're burning. " Let's go see old man Isaac," he said as her princess carried her outside the house.
"I na sick. I was just crying under the blanket. Put me down."
"I know, but your skin is too hot."
Note: da means that
Na means not
Leh means let
pregnancy moving means miscarriage
Wetting means what
Ley means the
Thank you!