I’m Still a Woman!!!

By: iStockphoto

Maame sat in the corner of the patio busily typing something out on her iPad, while a baby slept peacefully in a Moses-basket by her.  The atmosphere at her in-laws huge mansion was very festive and boisterous.   Christmas was usually a very fun celebration at the Bladabi house, but this particular Christmas was more so.  The whole clan had come from home and abroad to celebrate Senior Bladabi, her father-in-law’s 70^th birthday. 

Her husband, Kobby and most of his brothers-in-laws were scattered on the other side of the patio and the gardens playing with the many grandchildren while the girls, as Kobby’s five sisters were often referred to, conferenced in the kitchen with their mother. 

She tried to concentrate on the document she was trying to work on because it gave her something to do besides watching the sleeping child.  After 10 years of marriage she still sometimes felt like an outsider in the family.  It should have been easy for her to join the women in the kitchen but her usual bubbly personality and ease with people was often challenged when she was with her sisters-in-law.  It was really a good thing that almost all of them lived outside the country. 

Turning to watch her husband playing with one of his little nephews, she felt a pang of guilt.  He was so good with the kids.  Just then the little bundle besides started screaming.  She dropped her iPad to pick the baby up just as her youngest sister-in-law rushed out of the room with the rest of the pack following closely.

“What is it?” Aba shouted, snatching the baby out of her hands

“I…I don’t know.  She just started screaming. 

“It’s an ant.” Mansa, the third girl said, unwrapping the baby blanket from the baby and inspecting the red bump on the baby’s thigh. 

By this time, the guys and most of the children had gathered around. 

“What happened?” Kobby asked his wife.

“I, don’t know.  I was just sending a mail…”

“Sending a mail?” Aba asked incredulously.  “Jezz Maame!  Couldn't you just stop working for a few minutes to watch over the baby!  All you had to do was watch the baby!  You don’t need to be a mother to watch a baby!”

“Aba!” Kobby shouted

“What!”  She shouted back.  “Someone has got to say it!  The fact that she doesn’t have a womb doesn’t mean she doesn’t have the common sense to take care of a baby too!”

Kobby lifted his hand, just as his father cut between him and his sister. 

“Don’t you dare” He said calmly and turned towards his youngest daughter.  “Aba, apologize to Maame.”

“She will not.”  Mrs. Bladabi spoke up from the back. 

“BB, I don’t see why Maame cannot tear herself from her work long enough to take care of a sleeping baby.  Please let us not pretend that we are excited about the fact that her work means so much more to her than taking time off that busy schedule of hers to try and give my only son a baby!” 

“Mother!...” Kobby said, shocked. 

“Don’t mother me, Kobby!  Your father and the girls…in fact all of us are worried about this childless marriage of yours.  That my only son, heir to all your father’s wealth, does not have a child at age 42.  We can’t continue pretending that we like her, when all we really wish to do is to get rid of this dried up prune with a basket for a womb you call woman!”

“Mother!”

“Adom!”

“Ma!” Shouted, Kobby, his dad and two of his sisters at the same time.

Maame, turned and run out of the patio blinded by tears.

“I said it!”  Mrs. Adom Bladabi, turned the opposite direction and walked away trailed by a couple of the girls leaving her broken son, who stood wondering which direction to go…

Kobby, bent to pick up the iPad Maame had dropped and glanced down to see what his wife was working on. 

On the plain word document Maame had written:

“My top 5 wishes for Christmas”

1. To get pregnant this Christmas
2. For Kobby to tell his mom about the issue
3. To …

Kobby looked towards the direction his wife had taken and knew that after 20 years he had to let his parents know that the accident that had taken his twin sister’s life had also left him sterile.  

The most difficult part of the revelation was the fact that his mom was the one driving when the accident had happened…

 By:  Hannah Araba Opoku Gyamfi