Just a boy 1 by Zara Iko

“Mummy’s water just broke” Stacey called out to her other siblings “call for an ambulance. Sonia, come get mum’s hospital bag, I am helping her down”. Rosario unable to contain the pain screamed because contraction started immediately. All others scrambled from around the house to her room. Susan still had the house phone in her hand. “Have you called the ambulance” Stacey asked “Do you mean I should call Dad” Susan replied. “I said call the ambulance, does dad and ambulance sound alike?!” Stacey yelled back at her sister feeling the pressure from her mum leaning on her and holding tight any part of her she could as she felt contraction. Rosario felt some relief and rushed to her bed, breathing out fast through her mouth “Didn't I tell you to call the midwife when I went into labour? I am not giving birth in the hospital I am giving birth at home. I want to do things differently this time so I can get a different result” “ I hope you don’t think giving birth at home determines the sex of baby, mum.” Stacey queried her mum “call me the Midwife little miss I know it all, I put you through school” Rosario scolded Stacey.

Not long after she was called the midwife arrived, and a few minutes after they heard the cry of the baby. The mid wife popped her head out of the door and said to all gathered outside the room waiting anxiously. They all held their breath as they saw her; she said “your mum has a boy”. They breathed a sigh of relief at the good news and that mother and baby are also doing well. Stacey called her dad at the office; he initially requested that if Rosario went into labour while he away they should ring him first. Stacey however felt he would be of little assistance when labour finally came. “Hello dad, mum just gave birth.....” but before she could finish she heard the busy tone. About an hour later, with the placenta out and mother and baby cleaned up, the mid wife opened the door to the room.

Rosario had given birth seven times to all girls. Each time she insisted she will try again. She already had an all girls basket ball team and extra, when she got pregnant again even her girls wondered if their mum was aiming for a football team.  While the girls celebrated their new brother, Selma the last child stayed out of it, she felt jealous that she wasn't the baby of the house anymore.

The battalion gathered in their mother’s room where she sat resting her back on the bed. “It’s a boy” Rosario said weakly as she sighted her girls. “You see why I didn't want to give birth in to the hospital. I remember they told me you were going to be a boy and you too”, she said pointing to the fourth and fifth born Sophie and Sonia, “but you came out as girls”. All the other children maintained silence but Sophie the most outspoken one of them responded saying  “I wonder what kind of hospital you went  to then that they couldn't even scan correctly” “will you shut up your mouth” her mother answered her and the other children burst out laughing.

Soon afterwards the baby was brought back into the room by the mid wife for breasting feeding but Rosario asked that the children came in order of their birth to have a feel of their brother. Stacey led, and then Susan followed. Each one of them kissed his cheek and passed to the next. When Selma’s turn came she held him and turned straight to the window, they all watched to see what she wanted to do. She placed him on a chair by the window; she opened the window and carried him up again. Stacey rushed up to her and carried the baby from her. She asked her “what are you doing?” Selma replied sincerely “I want to throw him out of the window, so I can be the baby of the house again” Sandy her immediate senior laughed at her hysterically and said “that’s how I felt when you came”. Rosario shut her up saying “That’s not true. You were too young to remember anything” “mum that’s my point at least she enjoyed being the baby longer than I did” Sandy defended herself. “Rosaria called on Selma who had already begun to cry “I got a better title for you. You may not be the baby of the house anymore but you are still the last girl in the family and no one can take that from you” “until you have another one mummy” Selma replied. “No Selma I won’t have any more children. “Mum, can you give birth to six other boys so we can all be equal and I still remain the last girl” “Stacey helped her mum answer by yelling “hell no” then she place the baby in their mothers hand.

They all stood there watching as their little brother started sucking their mothers breast for the first time, shocked at his expertise Rosario thought out loud “this boy sucks just like his father” the girls stood there wide eyed shocked at what their mother just uttered out while Susan closed Selma’s ear “mum too much info” they all chorused, she simply raised her palm up and down signifying “get over it”.

Stanley joined the rest of the family “I stopped at the hospital, and then I figured you must have had a home delivery when I didn't find you there. Well, what is it?”  “He is a boy” they called chorused. Stanley leaped up in Joy “Thank God finally I have a boy” .He held his son rejoicing in his hand, then he led the family in prayer and announced....... “And he will be called” , Susan cut him off before he finished “dad it doesn't have to be another stupid  S name again” Stanley gave her a stern look and continued “he will be called Stanley Johnson jnr.”

“Mum how come no one has an R name just like you? Sophie questioned. Rosario agreed and then turned to her husband. “I don’t think he should be called Stanley, why not Robert with an R like me”. “Where is Robert coming from?! He should be called Stanley like his father. You can give one of the girls an R name”

“That’s stupid Stanley they already have names” Rosario said

“Yes but you can rename them”. Stanley still insisted

With their parents going back and forth with each other, the older girls left the room leaving the two youngest girls with them. Rosario fired on “I am the one popping out the babies and then you come and name them” “I provide for them” Stanley responded “I cater to them, nurture them” Rosario didn’t give up “well that’s your duty Rosario” “Then it is our duty to name them, not solely yours Stanley” the bickering went on and on until she had complained enough. She turned to Selma and said “from today you will be called Rosario Johnson”, but Selma shook her head and said “no mummy I want to be called Rihanna, it also starts with an R”. Her mother thought for a minute and agreed. Selma screamed, jumping, then she ran to meet the rest of her sibling singing “oh na na what’s my name”  they asked her “what” and she said “Rihanna” they remained mute and starred at each other wide eyed in amazement. Sophie commented “Well I guess we won’t be sending out IV’s for only a naming ceremony but for also a renaming” “I really can’t wait for that” Stacey remarked also and they all laughed at what had just happened.

“Our son is special; he popped out without me having to push too much, he was no trouble at all. This is by far the easiest birth I have had” Rosario said to Stanley while they were alone in the room with their son. “Could be because you've gotten used to it” Rosario didn't find that funny she gave Stanley a silly look and he retraced his comment saying “I bet he is a special Kid, can’t wait till he is all grown”.

Wife Incognito 5 by Zara Iko

“Look at who decided to stay in a hotel” Naya said to the two others in their company. All four sat outside in Kenny’s back Garden, soaking in the afternoon’s sun. The weather was bright and sunny- a great day to enjoy staying outdoors. They listened to music from FM while Jeremy served them iced lemonade with a taste of mint. “We can’t stop” by Miley Cyrus came on the radio and Naya increased the volume standing in front of Kenny twerking until the end of the song, cheered on by the girls. Then she continued where she left off “Kenny just told me he will be staying in a hotel”. Feeling tensed from Naya teasing him with her dancing and then not giving up on him staying in a hotel, he asked for rum and added two shots into his lemonade, he rushed it down quickly. Naya still went on “I can’t figure out why you are not saying anything about you deciding to stay in a hotel. Are you not going to change your mind, you don’t just have a room, I come with that room now, isn't that enticing enough to change your mind”

“Everything is a joke to you isn't it? Including your own body. I am staying in a hotel to avoid you” Kenny said

“Avoid me, why? I thought you liked it? I told you I did it all for you. So you can love me more” Naya reacted.

 “That is creepy Naya, you did it for you, so you can love yourself more”

“Not true Kenny it’s all for you”

“How do you know what I like when you never asked me? You simply just assumed?”

“No Kenny I observed you, I noticed what tickles your fancy. The ladies we met in Figora, the way you looked at them, the way you hugged them...” then he cut her off

“That's preposterous Naya, each and every one of them I introduced to you as my friend, except the ones you walked out on. How did you get your twisted ideas to play on your mind?”

“It’s done already Kenny, what do you suggest I do now?”

He looked at her and sighed then he said “I need time to think about this”.

You must know what you want; even right now you do know. Tell me now Kenny”

“Enough woman”

It was an awkward experience for Leila and Nima sitting there quietly trying to mind their business, the ambience changed swiftly from relaxed to tense. They had thought Kenny digested Naya’s frivolities rather well. “An absolutely late reaction” Leila thought. They all expected Kenny to arrive blazing with anger and spitting fire at Naya but he acted calmly. Naya’s lack of remorse and insensitivity about how Kenny felt kind of shocked them as well; she grabbed the bottle of rum in front of Kenny, poured into her glass and gulped it all in one, whining her waist slowly dancing to “No letting go” by Wayne wonder. “unbelievable“ Kenny thought , got up and announced that he would be leaving for the clinic to see how Dave was faring but Naya paid him no attention until he left.

“Naya, what do you think you are doing?” Nima asked after Kenny left.

“What do you mean, Nima?”

“I know you are not that naive, you totally just ignored Kenny, and I hope you know what you are doing”

“How is it your business? I have had enough of you, miss perfect. Somewhere in your mind you think you are a better match for him, but he is already taken.

I am not going to get mad, i will take it that the Rum has clouded your reasoning."

Two and a half weeks into their holiday, Naya had recovered and somehow the ladies had made up from all the bickering. Naya still couldn’t understand Kenny’s annoyance with her, after all whatever she did, she did it for him. While in her village going about her daily routine, liposuction and breasts implants were things she watched on TV or read about and she felt fine with herself. Then he came into her life and she felt she had to measure up to all the beautiful exotic women he was exposed to, hence her decision for cosmetic surgery.

Naya had been so sure about Kenny’s feelings for her but traces of doubt grew more every time he avoided her causing her heart to ache. The truth is Kenny already loved Naya despite what she had done, his heart never faltered from her. The confused, spoilt little girl most people saw was different from what he saw. He saw an innocent young lady trying really hard to please him, even though she was totally different from most women he dated she had all the qualities he imagined he wanted from the woman he eventually married, she had a touch of reality, away from all the glitz and glamour in the life of a royal. He was certain that despite her changed outward appearance which he may kind of like, she was still the same inside. His greatest challenge would be convincing his parents to accept Naya.

Kenny answered the telephone in his room and was told a lady was coming up to his room. He stood in front of his room waiting, he suspected it would be Naya and there she was, she wasn’t her usually jokey, teasing self, she looked aggrieved “I would like to return  to Ndovlo tomorrow”

“Why” Kenny asked

“We might not be rich, high and mighty like you but we still have our dignity” Naya said while Kenny listened attentively, he saw the look on her face and his heart sank, he reached out to her but she stepped back. Naya spoke with tears raining down her cheeks. “It’s ok if we end this .Thanks for all the good times you have given me, I would pay you back everything in the nearest future” confused Kenny asked “what’s going on”. “Ask your parents” she answered and left the hotel. Kenny didn’t follow her, he had a rush of different emotions,then he reached for his phone and called home.

There wasn’t any Gossip on the tabloids but somehow Kenny’s folks had heard and without contacting Kenny they informed Naya’s folks through an emissary stating that Prince Kenny couldn’t go on with the marriage because Naya had inflicted irreparable damage on her body, stating that Naya could no longer be afforded the privilege of becoming the future queen of Ndovlo. That Naya had displayed irresponsible behaviour at her first taste of freedom and cannot pass as a role model for the Women of Ndovlo, they went further to say that their daughter would be returned to them immediately and all ties to the royal cut off. Naya's folks would have felt insulted, he thought.

The next morning he went over to the house early before the girls left for the airport spending only three weeks of their month’s holiday. He pulled Naya to privacy knowing full well the leech was Jeremy, he knew his parents put him there to spy on him and if it wasn’t that he was so good at his job he would have fired him.

“Naya, to be honest I wasn’t aware of what my parents did. It wasn’t my decision” Naya broke down crying, she was in love with Kenny and she was experiencing her first heart break the pain was too overwhelming for her. She hugged him and said “I have to go” but he held her back “you don’t have to go” she said again “I have to go, my parents want me back”

“It should be about what we want not what our parents want” Kenny replied her.

“This relationship has been over since you got here, it’s obvious what you want Kenny” she released herself and started to walk away, he wanted so badly to hold her back but he held himself back then he yelled at her “I should be the one walking away not you, you caused all this.

On their way to the airport Naya cried inconsolably, she loved Kenny; she didn't think she could go a day without him, he said it was what they wanted and not what their parents wanted so he would take her back if she wanted him back.  Mike the chauffeur couldn't handle her crying anymore so he parked the car and went to have a chat with her. “You love Kenny?” she nodded her head “what is the chance you will see him again if you leave?” she shook her head and said "never". You want Kenny back don’t you?” she nodded her head. “Then you should go back to him” she nodded her head again. Mike got back into the car and took a U-turn back to the house. They met Kenny slumped on the chair looking devastated. He gathered himself when he saw Naya, she walked up to him “If you are, I am willing to make this work. I’m so sorry for what one stupid decision has led to. I might be naive but I sure know what I want. If I miss you I would end up with one of those boys in the village, and they won’t let be me the way you let me. After experiencing all this, how do you think I would cope? Not that I love you because of what you have, that’s just an added advantage, It is who you are: remarkable, kind, and generous man. Kenny smiled at her faltering words he pulled her to himself and they kissed and made up. “I can imagine everyone’s face when they finally recognise you when we get back, I bet you that even your mom wouldn't recognise you” he laughed out but she didn't then he said “don’t worry I will protect you my beautiful, sexy ......” singing her praise as he used to and she acknowledged by turning round showing off her assets for him.

                                                      -The End-