Chapter 51
After the Serranos’ departure from the country, Jewel and the children had continued visits to the capital until the weekend of June 7th, when she had told Jerome she believed she was pregnant. As usual, dinner that night had started on a pleasant note with his question about what they were celebrating when he saw “coconut crust” for dessert. She had explained that they were a gift from Sonia, purchased from her landlady who made pastries for sale on Saturdays, and that Lloyd had dropped them off on his way home.
When the meal was over they put the children to bed together and, hand in hand, went to their bedroom where he had pulled her into his arms and become engaged in kissing her soundly. It was then, the mood being perfect she had thought, that she had told him the good news that she believed she was pregnant.
Contrary to her expectations, he had immediately become very serious and pressed her for details. She had explained about the missed period, which had been due about seven days after the delayed taking of the birth-control pill; and how in the meantime she had started organizing the visit to the capital on April 19th, and gone ahead with the plan although “it” had not appeared. Jerome recalled noticing the next morning that the bedside lamp had been left on, and knew of her practice of turning it off right after taking the pill, so had not been surprised.
Seeing how much he and the children had enjoyed themselves during the first visit had influenced her decision to postpone saying anything until completing another cycle and therefore being more confident of the pregnancy, she had said.
Jewel confided how Jerome had listened and taken it all in before asking when she was finished if she had deliberately withheld the information from him all this time – flown back and forth between home and the capital in that condition those many weeks, subjecting herself to the accompanying stress of caring for three active young children, plus the difficulties involved in organising and making preparations, yet had said not a word to him while undertaking such a risky venture? The question had hung in the air for several minutes as he had stared at her waiting for her answer and she had finally ventured to comment that he didn’t seem pleased and she couldn’t understand why: when everything had gone so smoothly – the children had been on their best behaviour, the two older ones helping “Aaj” with packing and carrying their luggage; Miss Jessie and Aunt had done the work of preparing much of the foodstuff in advance; and I had helped so much here that there had been no strain on her and she had felt relaxed.
But Jerome’s concern persisted, and he asked if she had seen a doctor or consulted Nurse Pauline, or was she just speculating about being pregnant? And when she admitted that she had seen no one so far, he had been astonished that someone in her profession had behaved with so little regard for the health implications of missing a period! It was not automatic that she was pregnant and nothing should be taken for granted!
He admitted being troubled by what had been allowed to happen without his knowledge, asserting that he should have been told what the position was from after the first visit, so that as her husband and the children’s father he could have had a part in the decision-making about all their welfare.
Saying how sorry she was for having caused him so much trouble, Jewel had declared that all she had wanted was to see that both he and the children had the chance to spend time with each other, as was only their right. Sonia, with whom she had discussed it, had mentioned how long ago he had made her aware that children have rights too. She had felt that since the action of the authorities was preventing him from coming to them, they should come to him. She was sorry that he was not pleased, but she had done what she believed was in all their best interests.
Jerome was quick to reassure her of how deeply grateful he was for all she had done, apologizing for maybe giving the wrong impression by seeming to quibble, but he was concerned about her, in particular. He was aware of her generous nature, which made her go overboard in kindness to others while neglecting herself and he had to make sure they were not benefiting at the expense of her well-being. No sane physician would allow that kind of activity for a woman in those circumstances, he had declared, and that while she was catering to the rights of the children and their father, she was ignoring those of their mother and unborn sibling, making the further point that he did not dare to think what all their lives would be like if they should ever lose her!
Arriving at an impasse, just then they heard the shuffling sound of little feet on the stairs, followed by a knock on the door which, when opened, revealed Adrian standing in the doorway claiming that he was unable to sleep because of too much noise.
The interruption served to reduce the intensity of their argument while they ministered to the child; and after putting him back to sleep they resumed on a calmer note. Jerome repeated his gratitude for the beautiful treat she had been providing for the past eight weeks, but sought to convince her that it had been at too high a cost to her health and that of the embryo if she were indeed pregnant.
He had earnestly asked her to stay home from then on, and proposed making an early morning call to a retired colleague, who lived on the airport road and treated patients in the surrounding area, to find out if he could give her a complete physical examination to ascertain how things stood. There was no doubt that he would miss them very much, but that alone would be a strong incentive for him to get things organized at the hospital as quickly as possible so he could come home to them on a regular basis as before.
Jewel had expressed the hope that if her condition was all right she could return only to fulfil her promise to be Matron-of-Honour at Sonia’s wedding; but he suggested that since no date had been set they cross that bridge when they reached it.
They continued into the night to discuss the situation very soberly until Jewel finally acceded to his wishes, accepting his claim that only her welfare and that of the children, including the one she was carrying, would give him peace of mind; and, saying that in the meantime they should not “tempt fate” by making love that night, he had rubbed his cheek against hers affectionately, given her a gentle good-night kiss and said he would take a walk around the Fort while she got into bed; and would sleep on the living-room floor on his return, taking blankets, pillows and a sheet with him on the way out.
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The colleague Jerome had referred to was an Ob-Gyn specialist who had retired from the government service some years earlier but remained in the country, having married a local nurse. In answer to Jerome’s call he agreed to see Jewel at nine o’clock, the same hour of the morning service at our parish church. Jerome and Jewel had therefore had breakfast earlier and brought Arreini and Edgar over, asking us to take them with us to the service and keep them until their return from the appointment; and had taken Adrian along with them.
The doctor confirmed the pregnancy but could not give the complete report of the physical examination until later in the week, so Jerome had asked Jewel to say nothing to the children yet, as he wanted to tell them on his next visit home; and when the report had indicated nothing out of the ordinary, but, compared to her condition with the three others had revealed a slight decline in the state of her physical health, according to Jerome, I thought he could be forgiven for nitpicking somewhat.
He had paid a Friday evening visit home to discuss the situation with the children in justifying the reason why they had to discontinue their weekend visits to the capital. Jerome had stayed only until Saturday morning, but had created a sensation with the news that their Mam was expecting a baby and their delight about the addition to the family had easily overridden their disappointment at having to stay home.
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(Chapter 52 in Friday’s issue of the Amandala)