Mixed Scenarios

Aluta Nite

Description

Contained in this book are 37 short stories on a fictional level and covering diverse issues on humanity. The stories encase many aspects of living on various levels of weightiness.

Sujets

• Short story

Informations

• Publié par: Andrews UK
• Date de parution: 27 mai 2014
• Nombre de lectures: 0
• EAN13: 9781783335206
• Langue: English

Extrait

Title Page
MIXED SCENARIOS

by
Aluta Nite



Publisher Information
Mixed Scenarios published in 2014 by
Andrews UK Limited
www.andrewsuk.com
The right of Aluta Nite to be identified as the Author of this Work has been asserted by him in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1998
Copyright © 2014 Aluta Nite
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means without the prior written permission of the publisher, nor be otherwise circulated in any form of binding or cover other than that in which it is published and without a similar condition being imposed on the subsequent purchaser. Any person who does so may be liable to criminal prosecution and civil claims for damages.



Introduction
This book of short stories covers a number of issues about humanity. The stories portray and delve into various aspects of life, particularly in the global South or third world. They raise issues of social justice that are of direct or indirect relevance to readers in any society, and sometimes indicate a need for action on the part of the reader and others. The collection contains thirty-seven stories. The characters in the book and their names are fictional.
Dedicated to all readers of the World
Acknowledgements to Becky, Bert, Mina, Solo and Vumba



Maternity and Labour Wards
Births of babies bring so much happiness to couples and families, but what transpires before, during and after childbirth is sometimes horrendous for mothers-to-be.
Besides mothers’ euphoria at seeing their little offspring or their little backs as they are born, society celebrates mothers-to-be reaching the culmination of their femininity by fulfilling nature’s design objective through childbirth.
But, in the maternity and labour wards where it all takes place, where foetuses become babies, it is a completely different story. The two wards are full of so much horror that one wonders whether it is really worth it or normal to go through the ordeal of childbirth. It is surely a curse to womankind!
In my experience at a maternity ward, one woman was screaming, abusing and cursing her husband saying, “I will never again repeat the stupidity of getting pregnant. I do not want to see him either. He is the cause of all this.” “He” got wind of it and dared not appear openly in the ward. So, “he” came all the same, but hid behind the door and observed her quietly.
One other was on her knees, on the floor, crying loudly and sometimes, walking on her knees from one end of the ward to the other without uttering a word. Tears were not visible, but she cried all the same. Her hands were on her head and sometimes, she crawled on all fours. She painted a miserable picture of desperation and fear.
Another woman lay on her bed unable to get up, but moaned while turning slowly from side to side. Sometimes, she screeched and then regressed to moaning again. She also gazed like it was the end of the world and talked to nobody.
One other sat on her bed crying quietly and praying, “The birth better be a boy because otherwise I’ll be mistreated, by my in-laws who do not want baby girls because it means paying hefty dowries that they cannot afford. Oh, God! Hear me and spare me this one in line with their wishes! Otherwise I will be doomed with my little one.” Yet, she could not determine the sex of the child to be born, and already had two girls.
Also, having a baby girl meant that there was no son to perpetuate his father’s name and participate in running the family business. Girls would get married and therefore not help build family businesses and wealth.
This woman had, therefore, been told that she would be taken back to her maiden home or be made the family slave should she deliver a baby girl again. By being made the family slave, she would produce the goods to be sold for dowry later.
Going back to her home meant that her own family would not welcome her either as she would be a burden and a shame to them. Moreover, she had two other children who she would have to leave behind with her husband, if she were to go away. Her husband’s family even threatened not to pay for her discharge from the hospital, if she had a baby girl again.
Ultrasound scans were not existence then for parents to find out the sex of their babies before birth. The woman’s in-laws therefore checked three to four times a day to see if she was done with the delivery. They also called the hospital receptionist in between. They did not bring her any goodies, like perhaps her favourite foods, as they did not know if she was carrying a boy or a girl.
She did give birth to a baby boy after several days. She had him at night, and they called in the morning to find out. They came in droves soon after and showered her with food, hugs and kisses, flowers and gifts. It was as if they had not been threatening her over several months during the pregnancy.
It was a very trying time for her, as she was not in control of the sex of her child, which we now know is determined by a chromosome carried by the father. Yet, she was to be the sacrificial lamb.
She cried tears of joy and went home a very happy mother. In her delicate condition, she performed a little dance of jubilation and said, “Oh, God! You have made me wholesome and welcomed into the domain where I belong. Thank you! Thank you!”
She even wished to stay a little longer in hospital, so she could rest and continue to get showered and pampered with love and gifts. It was the first time she had gotten such lavish treatment from her in-laws, as her first two births were girls.
It is actually a blessing in disguise that scans for the sex of unborn babies were not commonplace thirty years ago, because for those who could afford it, babies girls would have been aborted. In this woman’s case, she would have been forced to rid herself of two babies, if the scans had detected her first two baby girls.
This is not to say that all women in the maternity ward were in a situation similar to this woman’s. The rest only expressed pain or agony in relation to their physical conditions, although some looked confused and in another world.
Some were totally normal with no signs of being upset, as they did not even have labour pains. For them it seemed as easy as relieving themselves! Some had pains, but not prolonged ones of more than twenty-four hours, just quick sharp pains for a few hours. The situation varied from woman to woman.
General observation of the labour ward revealed that, there appeared to be greater uniformity in the women’s experiences. It was a place of open wailing for those who were just about to deliver, and serious struggle for those in the process. Thus pushing and contracting dominated the scene. Doctors, midwives and nurses were busy calling the shots, with instructions shouted from all corners.
Babies also had their first cries to announce their arrivals, as they took in their first breaths in a cold atmosphere, totally different from what they were used to in warm, enclosed wombs.
Of course, there were emergency cases where mothers-to-be were wheeled to surgery, due to serious complications like hypertension, which required caesarean sections and the like.
At the end of it all, was joy and celebration as mothers were wheeled to recovery wards, to rest and receive their happy families, congratulations and gifts.
Subsequently, there emerged mothers walking in a variety of ways. Some could not walk at all and had to be restricted to wheelchairs. Some limped as if they had abscesses or were wearing diapers like toddlers.
Some held walls, chairs, tables, trolleys and beds as aids to move them forward, while others held still until they were guided by nurses. Some even had to use bedpans, while others could not eat and had to be fed liquid nourishment through tubes.
Some had to undergo blood transfusions, whereas others were put in isolation because they had developed jaundice. Some had to undergo hysterectomies because of serious hypertension, and would, therefore, not conceive again as their lives were in grave danger.
Some tore during delivery and received several stitches. Others got injured in other ways, lost a lot of blood, were anaemic, or had various other complications.
The lucky ones gave birth easily and smoothly, were agile and mobile, and went home immediately, leaving the rest to linger for various numbers of days, weeks and even months.
Their babies’ conditions also dictated how soon mothers could go home. Because some had had caesarean births, while others had had vacuum- and forceps-aided births, their babies’ health were affected.
Some babies were in incubators, while others were just fine or had slight ailments. Those in the incubators were usually left behind while their mothers were discharged. Their mothers paid them long visits daily to participate in their care and progress.
Some mothers breastfed their babies, while others opted for bottle-feeding with formula. It all depended on their career plans and how long they would be at home with the babies, or on their health and the availability of breast milk.
While still in hospital, mothers tried to participate in morning exercise routines under the guidance of trainers. Watching them struggle to lift limbs was really something, especially if one knew them personally before childbirth or pregnancy.
The energy and agility they had before, was absent and they were left weak and rigid. On the other hand, the fortunate healthy ones manoeuvred their way through the exercises quite well.
All in all, it was amazing to watch the new mothers’ in high spirits, despite their ordeals, because they had come