7TH August, 2011 was a day of joy and the most memorable day for the family of Mr. and Mrs. Adams. It was a day that this family will never forget in their lives. Mr. and Mrs. Adams have been married for years without any child for a period of ten years. Families and friends have been making mockery of them. Even Adams’ extended family advised Mr. Adams to take a fruitful wife that will bear them grand children. To them, Mrs. Nkechi Adams was barren and the hope of bearing them children was lost.
It was not easy for Mrs. Nkechi Adams to mix up with her neighbors and her husband’s family, because of fear of being ridiculed. She isolated herself from people and subjected herself to self pity and apathy. To her, life has no meaning without the joy of womanhood. It was a terrible situation to Mr. and Mrs. Chima Adams. Mr. Adams on his part gave the wife all the assurances that nobody can come in between them. He never failed to confess his undying love and care for her. He told her also that he has not
forgotten the vow he made to her on their wedding day. But to Nkechi, it was one of
those words, knowing the tribe and the pressure that was mounted on her husband by the parents and considering the fact that her husband is the only son in the family. This made her to be discouraged and not believing her husband’s assurances.
Igbo tradition holds a strong belief that, the only son has a responsibility of replenishing the family’s lineage to avoid the family’s name from going into extinction. It was this belief that really affected Nkechi Adams knowing that she can’t go against the tradition of her people. To her there was reason for fear and tension.
It was when it seemed as if all hope was lost that the lord visited them just as he did to Hannah in the Bible. According to Nkechi, nine months earlier, she started feeling feverish. To her it was malaria symptoms and she opted for malaria drugs, but her husband advised her to go to the hospital for the treatment instead of self medication. On arrival to the hospital, she vomited to the bewilderment of the doctor. It was the reason that the doctor told her to go for pregnancy test but she was reluctant that the doctor should not make mockery of her situation. It took the intervention of her husband and other doctors around to convince her that there was nothing wrong in her going through the test.
When the result came out and it was positive; Mr. and Mrs. Chima Adams did not believe the result, because of their unbelief they visited another laboratory for confirmation. When the family got the news, they were excited and were ready to do everything for Nkechi. They did not want her to stress herself. She that was once rejected was treated like an egg. Everyone that rejected her wanted to associate with her. The mother-in-law showered her with love and even moved in with her. Her story was changed and her countenance was bright and she was cheerful throughout the period of the pregnancy.
The much awaited joy arrived the family at last. It was a sound of celebration as the Lord blessed Mr. and Mrs. Chima Adams with twins. They waited for years patiently and God who never fails rewarded the bountifully. This goes a long way to prove the adage that says, ‘the patient dog eats the fattest bone’. Delay does not mean denial.
The joy and peace that they have not been experiencing now is written all over them. In fact, children are very important in every marriage as their presence brings fulfillment and joy. Nkechi is now very cheerful and smiles at everybody unlike before that she was finding it difficult to respond to greetings.
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