Chapter 3:

Carla Rodriguez Hall.

Location: Hudson Beach mini-mart.

The next day was Saturday and that was our stock-up day. For both home and the clinic, we had to make sure we bought all that was needed for the coming week. Be it food, groceries, medicines, and any other medical equipment the vet needed, we had to do it all on that one day, because Saturday was considered to be a less busy day at the vet.

"Honey, did you see sister Margaret's new creasted gecko?" Richard chortled while picking up a huge sack of dog food and placing it in our trolley.

"No babe, I only saw her walking out of the clinic." I stared at him with an inquisitive stare. I worked as a secretary part-time at the clinic when it was overwhelmed by a shortage of staff.

"You should have seen it, honey." He pushed back his glasses on the top of his nose and took control of the trolley. "That pale-looking critter was begging for some sun rays to tan its body."

His joke then made me laugh so hard I felt like I peed my pants a little, something that had never happened before.

"Excuse me, love, I need to use the lady little girl's room." I tiptoed on my flat sandals and reached out to give him a quick kiss.

"Okay honey, just be quick about it because I'm almost done in here." He answered back with a grin.

Richard and I had finally come to an understanding that we should not talk about the baby issue, just maybe God would surprise us with a baby.

The jazzy music playing in the mini Mart was soothing like it always did. I wondered why such music was such a customer favourite. I hurriedly strolled through the many aisles to get to the customer's bathroom.

I got in the toilet and my first instinct was to pee a little before cleaning the little pee I had messed myself with. I sat on the toilet pan, looked at my black cotton panties, and saw the watery stain, which I immediately assumed was pee, and thought of the joke Richard said earlier. I giggled with myself as I rolled up a small tissue to wipe the wee off my coochie…I wiped and looked at the tissue like all ladies do and low and behold the tissue was stained red with my period blood.

"God why me?" A stab of pain and disappointment shoot over me as tears immediately trickled down my pink cheeks.

How do I break the dreadful news to Richard? I rested my head in my palms as I felt useless again.

My only simple biblical mission on earth was to give my husband as many babies as he wanted... But I had failed as a woman. I sniffed while my body shuddered.

The doctor clearly stated that I was fit to get pregnant and carry my baby to full term but there was still nothing baking in there. I wailed very loud forgetting that I was in a public restroom.

Suddenly, a soft gentle knock accompanied by Richard's voice brought me back to reality.

"Honey, is everything okay in there?" He asked while slowly opening the door to my toilet cubicle.

I looked up at him still holding the stained tissue in my hand as tears continued pouring out of my eyes like the Niagara Falls.

"Oh, honey." He walked closer and rubbed my back in a comforting soothing way which did not help.

"It just started on its own." I whimpered.

"It's okay sugarplum," he responded in a low voice then closed the cubicle toilet door.

I know I know you might think I'm used to such disappointing events in my life but it breaks my heart because now I'm beginning to think I'm barren and it's embarrassing when people asked me when I was planning on having a baby with Richard.

My body felt numb that it took my poor husband to clean and dress me up before taking me out of the public toilets.

******

Half an hour later,

We get home and Richard bathed me, prepared hot mushroom soup, and tucked me in bed at eleven in the morning… Richard had a sweet soft spot for me whenever I was down and I was grateful for that.

"You are the most beautiful woman my eyes have ever seen," he said while gazing at me with star-struck eyes and I let out a tight-lipped smile because such little sweet words made me happy when they came out from his mouth

Unexpectedly my ears gave attention to his phone buzzing frantically in his trousers pocket. He hesitantly took it out and peeked at it.

"Oh shit. Honey, I forgot to tell you that I got a call from the vet that I'm needed." He pushed back tiny loose strings of hair behind my ear.

"Okay, you can go," I answered back in a low voice as I slowly dozed off after hours of mourning the loss of my unfertilized baby.

"Are you sure you will be fine alone?" He asked and I nodded without anything to say.

"I will be back to make you some lunch before you wake up." He leaned in and gently pressed his soft manly lips on my forehead.

"I love you." He said as he got up from the edge of the bed.

"I love you too," I murmured with a forced tight-lipped smile. He left me alone in the huge house. Our house is a three bedroom two bath, decorated with modern furniture which was Richard's favorite. I was more into old antique furniture which made a house feel more homely if you asked me.

My eyes skimmed the room and came to a stop when I saw the empty baby crib Richard had assembled in our room when I had missed my periods for two months straight because he immediately thought we were pregnant. I heaved a sigh of solemnness while tears prickled in the corner of my eyes.

For years I had pretty much confined my emotional meltdowns to the occasional outburst in my bedroom when Richard was away from home.

But there were days when I had too much to drink if my close friend fell pregnant, then I might have a bawl and then suppress my self-pity feelings with self-cheer.

I wanted a baby so badly, I secretly took my temperature and peed on an ovulating stick before getting down and kinky with my husband.

It was such little things that got me even more emotional than ever. I sobbed loudly until my eyes fell heavy with sleep.

******

Suddenly a loud fracas noise woke me up from my calming sleep and it was barely an hour that I had slept. I glance at the wall and it was eleven forty-eight. I groaned while I got out of bed to go and see what the noise was all about.

I put on my pink bunny fluffy house shoes and dragged myself out of our matrimonial bedroom downstairs. I got close and paid attention to my mother inlaw's voice and Richard's. I tensed to hear what nasty shit Sandra had to say about me this time around.

"No son, that woman is not good enough for you." She said.

"Mother! Keep it down for Christ's sake." He replied in a hasty voice.

"I will not keep it down, let that witch hear me. I don't care." She sneered so loud I could hear her.

"Mother!" He exclaimed in a high-pitched voice and I bobbed my head in agreement to his reaction. He better put his mother in place or else I will burst a move and interfere in their conversation.

Besides it was about time Richard put her in place.

"Don't shush Your mother Richard. She is right. Your wife is a witch who has had uncountable abortions, that's why she can't have children for you." An unfamiliar female voice joined in their conversation.

My heart sank to my gut. Who is this other person against me and my marriage? With hesitant steps, I braved on to see who else was in the room with them.