First pregnancy for a couple is always filled with enthusiasm and intriguing stages from conception to delivery and even the growing up of the child. The case of my wife and I weren't different.
It was getting to five days off the cycle before my wife informed me about the delay in seeing her period for that month. The kind of development I had been longing for for the past five years that we started our marital journey.
"It may be good news, get a test strip and run a test." I told her.
"I hope the result is not as usual." The pessimism was glaring on her face.
"Be optimistic my love. Congratulations for marital blessings will reach us one day." I inspired her with prayers.
She tapped me the following morning with a glaring smile. I had just returned from Zubhi prayers and I wanted to have a short nap as I always do before preparing for work. I raised my blanket after receiving a tap on my arm. I looked up to her grinning lips.
"Dear, it's positive."
I raised my blanket totally off my body and collected the strip from her to see the lines. I held her firmly, kissed her and congratulated both of us.
"Get prepared to go to the hospital to confirm this development." I instructed her.
After some minutes in the kitchen, my wife called me to the dining table for my favorite. Toasted bread with my green tea.
"Baby, I want us to go to the hospital together." She demanded.
"Don't worry about that, we are going together." I assured her.
We got to the hospital very early and we checked in immediately for the test to be done. A nurse collected her blood sample and did the test.
"Congratulations, here is your result." The nurse said as she handed over a parcel to my wife with the results in it.
We opened it and found confirmation to our good news. My wife was pregnant for some weeks.
We have been praying for this day and here it is.
"Do you remember my promise to you?" I asked.
'Hmmmm, I can't really remember." She responded after placing her finger in-between her teeth in an attempt to recall.
"... about not stressing you in house chores." I gave a hint.
"Ooooooh, I can recall now. You said that you will be cooking for me and that you won't allow me to engage in any stressful activity no matter how little it is. So, what are you cooking for us tonight?" She asked with her head on my shoulder while I drove both of us back home.
"Let me keep that a secret. Expect something delicious."
She grabbed me for a kiss on my cheek before I reminded her that I was driving.
"Let's not harm ourselves after receiving good news. Let's get home first and I promise you that you have me to yourself today.
The affections were deep. After a few weeks, we registered for antenatal. It was a weekly visit to the hospital where her body and that of the baby is examined to ascertain that they are both doing well.
"The doctor said I will be doing a scan next week to reveal some details about the fetus."
It was in the sixth month and I decided to follow her to the hospital for the scan.
We got to the hospital and I was sitting on a soffer outside the laboratory while she entered to conduct the scan. I am a nervous type when it comes to witnessing any medical procedures.
"Is that not your husband?" I overheard the sonographer asking my wife.
Upon affirmation by my wife, he sent her to call on me to see the wellbeing of my baby.
I watched the monitor screen in awe as I saw some movement in the womb.
"You are expecting twins," he declared.
I looked into the eyeballs of my wife who was still in a lying position and I could see the joy.
We left the hospital with total fulfillment. Two at once is a double blessing. This revelation made me increase my level of pampering with my wife. I do the house chores with joy and happiness.
About two days before the expected day of delivery, EDD, she woke me up in the night that she was feeling some pains below the abdomen. We monitored it for a few minutes but the pain was increasing.
I sat her down on the chair and quickly arranged the delivery items into the car. The scan results had a plus or minus two weeks to the EDD. We were in the delivery period.
I knocked on the door of my next-door neighbor to help me drive so that I could be a support to my wife who was turning left and right.
We got to the hospital and she was taken to the delivery ward immediately.
"I love you baby, be strong for us." I told her as she was led to the room.
After about an hour, I heard the cry of babies. The doctor came out and congratulated me.
"I want to see you in my office."
I immediately made an attempt to dash into the ward to see my babies before following the doctor to his office but the nurses in the room turned me back. They instructed me to see the doctor first. I was eager to set my eyes on my babies and my wife whom I had exchanged greetings with through the window when I was stopped from entering.
I met the doctor who was taking his seat when I entered.
"The newest father, have your seat. Your babies are twins but unfortunately they are conjoined and an operation needed to be done to separate them."
I had read about conjoined twins separation as a medical procedure that requires a specialist doctor with experience. I only heard of a few cases of successful operations in that regard previously.
"What is the next thing doctor?"
"The only expert in this regard has retired from service. To get in contact with him, we need to go through the State Ministry of Health." He explained.
I didn't know when I stood up and sat on the floor in total confusion.
"How do we get in touch with the Professor who had previously handled two such cases successfully?"
I picked my car key and drove quickly to the Ministry. The permanent secretary got in touch with him immediately and he was recalled from retirement to handle the case.
"Don't panic. Let's do our own part and I believe everything will be alright." The Professor stated as he entered the theater to begin the process leading to the separation.
My heartbeat rate was more than doubled throughout the process. I was eager to hear about the success of the operation. I tried to compose myself in order to emotionally support my wife who wasn't finding it easy to recover from the bleeding because of uncertainty about her babies.
"Congratulations. It was a successful one. The hospital doctor will meet you to discuss the babies' recovery process with you." He said to me while stepping out of the theater.
I was full of appreciation to the erudite professor who was recalled from retirement to help my family.