Mac, I hope it reads better now. I didnt even finish it well. maybe tomorrow (while in the middle of another hamper packing day!)

Efemena and An0nimus, thx.

Sorry Maclatunji, It was actually a lazy, half-hearted attempt in the middle of a very busy hamper packing, relaxation badly needed day.

Efemena_xy: Thirty minutes later, Amaka and Uche were downstairs awaiting the arrival of their guests.

"My, my...you do look ravishing my darling wife", Uche commented as he looked approvingly at the soft black dress she wore.

Amaka had deliberately chosen the dress as its knee length showed off her silky, smooth well shaven legs. The rich velvety fabric clung teasingly to her, accentuating her curves and model looks. The darkness of her dress contrasted with her very fair skin, giving her an air of class, mystery and self confidence. Her naturally long, silky, shoulder length her swung softly around her making her look years younger.

"Looks like the saloon did a good job on your hair too", Uche added.

"I'm glad you like it", she replied, basking in her husband's compliments of her look. "You also look really good too Uche", she added. He had put on a pair of black denim jeans and dark top which showed off his well toned muscles. "Infact, I think you're quite a catch sir. You most definitely are", she said as Uche wrapped an arm around her waist and kissed the top of her head.

"Thanks wifey", he smiled gently at her, just as the doorbell buzzed. "Ah, I think our guests have arrived".

Opening the door, Dr Kemi Komolafe and her husband Donatus (or Dotun as his close friends called him) stepped in. The couple greeted each other, exchanging pleasantries as Uche and Amaka led them to the sitting room.

"It's been a while, Amaka. But you do look just as good as ever", Kemi complimented her.

"Thank you Kemi", Amaka responded "I must say you look just as good too, Kemi. How have you been all this while?"

"Yeah, I'm sorry about the infrequency of my calls. You know how it is as a doctor. I'm always on call and even when not, find that there are a million and one things to get through", she smiled. "No rest for the wicked eh?"

"You bet!", Amaka laughed. She had always liked Kemi - calm, level headed and an easy to approach disposition. "It's a tough world out there", she added.

"Don't I just know that!", Kemi laughed. "You know, sometimes it pays just to sit back and let things flow naturally", she added.

"True that." Amaka replied just as the doorbell went off again. Excusing himself from Donatus, Uche strode quickly to the door to let in his older sister Ngozi and her husband Effiong Bassey.

"Ah! My sister you've been busy, haven't you?" Uche teased as he looked at her well rounded bump.

Amaka felt a pang in her heart as she beheld Ngozi's very pregnant frame. "Congratulations to you both. Do you know what the sex of the baby is?" She asked.

"It's a girl", they responded in unison, while watching Amaka intently.

"So it's two boys and a girl. Perfect. Well done to you both again", Amaka responded genuinely. "I'm really happy for you", she added as she led the guests to the sitting room, where she introduced them to the already seated Komolafe's.

With the guests chatting happily amongst themselves, Amaka excused herself to the kitchen to set the dinning table.

A couple of minutes later with the guests all seated round the table, she served out the starters and then the main course. Just as she expected, the men chose to have Pounded yam with the fish and vegetable soup. The ladies giggled coyly as the men descended on the meal like a pack of hungry lions.

"Oh my goodness! Donatus, anyone seeing how you attack this food would think I starve you at home!" Kemi lauged.

"Ah! It's not a problem O!" Effiong interjectecd with a mouthful of food. "A man doesn't have or need to tell a woman she cooks well. It'll make her head swell if you tell her the truth."

Kemi stared unbelievably at the statement uttered by Effiong.

Amaka felt herself cringe inwardly at his obvious lack of table manners and crassness. How on earth does Ngozi put up with this man? she wondered to herself. Although they had only just started eating, Effiong already had food particles that had dropped from his open mouth, on the table in front of him. He even a soup stain his white shirt.

"You know the saying, keep 'em mean to keep 'em keen" he continued crudely as a few morsels from his mouth hit Kemi on the face. She wrinked her face in disgust and picked up a tissue to wipe the offending food particle off her well powdered face.

Uche smiled in amusement at the scene unfolding before him, without uttering a word. He was more interested in his pounded yam than running, to rescue Dr Kemi from the very vocal Effiong.

"I've always said a woman should know her place. Her office should be no other than the kitchen, where she resides pregnant, barefooted and chained to the sink", he added leering at Amaka and Kemi. "As long as you the man, provides her financial needs, then you're okay...just like my pregnant Ngozi here", he continued rubbing her bump.

"What about her emotional needs?" Donatus queried. "Or don't those count in a union?"

"Not really", Effiong retorted stubbornly. "You'll discover my friend, that the more money you make and bring home for her to spend, the least emotional she becomes".

"Career wise?" Donatus pressed on. "Don't you think in this day and age, it helps the home if the woman has a career of own?"

"Not every woman needs to go out to work...jump on the band wagon of it ladies." Ngozi interjected, casting a poisonous glance at Amaka. "Some of us choose to get our priorities straight first. Like looking after our husbands and bearing their kids", she added venomously. Once more, Amaka recalled Ngozi veiled statement:

Marriage is like a race and every one in it tries to stay on the track, not only so they can run to the end, but also, to emerge as a winner. As it is now, you are almost off the track.


Suddenly, Amaka could feel her skin crawl as she felt something hot and fleshy rub against her smooth legs. She sat frozen with rage, as she glared at Effiong across the table. He grinned back at her, while rubbing his pregnant wife's huge bump. She looked across at Kemi who had suddenly gone very quite, with pure rage written across her face.

As Amaka pretended to pick up a piece of cutlery which she had deliberately dropped on the floor, she saw that Effiong had taken his cheesy feet out of his sandals, had spread them apart, one rubbing Dr Kemi's shin whilst the other circled frantically in circles underneath the table, aiming for Amaka's leg.

The cheek of that man! What a dog!! She fumed inwardly as she bent her knee backward, and delivered a well aimed kick from the pointed end of her sharp silvery shoe on his shin bone. Amaka smirked as he suddenly sat up in his chair, yelping in pain.

"Is everything okay?" Uche asked, with a puzzled expression on his face.

"Ah! Nothing. It's just my way of appreciating Amaka's excellent culinary skills".

When Amaka got up the clear the dishes, Kemi jumped up offering to help ignoring Amaka's pleas not to. Alone in the kitchen, Kemi turned on her.

"Can you believe what just happened out there, Amaka?" Kemi asked. "I was this close to strangling that man. Despite having a heavily pregnant wife at his side, he still finds time to fool around! What a primitive man!"

"I know, Kemi. But somehow, I don't think he'll be foot massaging anyone for a long, long item"

"How so?" Kemi asked.

"Let's just say, that shout from him had absolutely nothing, to do with my cooking... but everything to do with my pointed heels."

"Haha! Serves the animal right. That man belongs to the stone ages. Surely, Ngozi can't be blind to his indiscretions?"

"Oh she isn't. She just prefers to be a wealthy madam in an unhappy marriage, than a poor madam in a happy marriage." Amaka responded. "Lord knows I've tried my best with that woman but she doesn't like me. I've given up on her a long time ago", she added rubbing the tips of her fingers on her forehead. "A first class dog, a first class cheat, a bully and real wife beater too. It's little wonder he's nicknamed Numero Uno"

"Yes, and those facial bruises covered up with layers of make, only go to prove the hell she lives in." Kemi responded, looking sharply at Amaka. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah, just that I've got this niggling headache that won't go away. Been having it for the last couple of days and no amount of painkillers seem to ease the pain."

Kemi stared thoughtfully at her friend. "When was the last time you saw your period, Amaka?"

"A couple of weeks ago. Why?"

"Because, my dear friend...I think you might be pregnant."

**********************************************************************************************************

Amaka stared at Kemi as if she had just spoken Greek.
"Yes Amaka, you could be pregnant. Tell me, how are your energy levels, have you been feeling tired lately?" Kemi looked at her, thoughtfully.
"Ermm, I have been feeling a bit tired lately, but I just thought it was work related, you know." Amaka said, still contemplating the very idea of her being pregnant. She was simply finding it hard to believe that after all this time, she could be pregnant.
"Anyway before we run ahead of ourselves, maybe you should come by the hospital tomorrow so we can run the test?" Dr Komolafe reiterated
"Oh Kemi, could this be it?" Amaka asked, looking at her friend, apprehension and fear eminent in her eyes.
"Don't worry, let’s just run test tomorrow to confirm." Kemi said, holding her friend's hand.


Amaka was in the hospital reception waiting for the test result. Kemi had been busy when she came in but she had asked her to go to the laboratory to have her blood taken whilst she concluded with the patient with her. The laboratory technician had taken some blood from her wrist. She was so nervous as she waited. Amaka's mind drifted back to the events of yesterday night..... She had woken up with a start. She had been momentarily disoriented, where was she? She slowly realised she was in their bed and her husband's left arm was slung over her and he was snoring softly. She had had a nightmare. It had been horrific. She had been holding a baby but someone had put a gun to her head and threatened to kill the baby if she didn't hand him over. She had cried and begged but the person had snatched the baby from her and had started running away, she was running after the person whose identity she could not determine when she had woken up.

She had been quite withdrawn after the guests left and Uche had asked her what the problem was, but she had been unable to tell him. She didn't know whether to tell him or not. She wanted to tell him but again she was so scared that she might be raising his hope for nothing. What if she wasn't pregnant? What if she was just tired after the long day she had had? Maybe it was the combination of Ngozi's insults and her flea of a husband's disgusting roaming under the table that set off her headache. It was a long time before she had finally drifted off to sleep. And then the nightmare.

"Amaka, please come in." Kemi interrupted her reminiscing.
Kemi was standing by the bed.
"Please lie down, and let me take a look at you. You will need to pull down your skirt and pant. I need to do an ultrasound." Kemi told her as she came in to the office.
"Ok." Amaka said apprehensively. She removed her underwear as the doctor asked and laid on the examination table.

She watched as Kemi brought out a long, whitish probe-like thing with a rounded tip. Kemi proceeded to put a condom over the tip and applied some kind of transparent gel. The long probe-thing was attached to a computer and Kemi turned the screen so that they were both looking at it.
"Amaka lift your knees up and part your legs," she said. Amaka does as she is asked, thankful that it was her friend conducting this very intrusive examination.
"Now relax, I'm going to insert this into you, ok? It will be over soon" Kemi says, looking at Amaka.
Kemi inserts the probe slowly and gently and she turns it around as she does, looking at the screen as she does. All Amaka can see is a grainy black and white screen. After a few seconds, Kemi points to the screen and with a smile on her face she turns to Amaka, pointing to something on the screen,
"There, that is your baby Amaka."
Amaka stares at the screen and is unable to differentiate any part of the screen. She definitely sees nothing that looks like a baby.
"Where"? She asks in bewilderment.
Kemi laughs, and then she explains the screen to Amaka. Finally, Amaka is able to identify a slightly darker roughly pea shaped area on the screen.
"That's my baby"? She asks in a whisper.
"Yes Amaka, you are pregnant. Congratulations, my friend". Kemi says quietly.
Amaka begins to sob. After all this time, she was finally pregnant.

Excellent writing.

its a game. Remember thats what Cain said. He has a twin brother, who he killed and framed Richard for. Cain is alive, in hiding in that same house!