BABY ON BOARD

"I will tell you about my father not because I want some sort of sympathy or momentary companionship but because I just want to get it off my chest and moreover, we might never see the moment we finally alight this bus just like you assert " I said. "Okay Ella Moore. " said Trevor. "Tell me about Mr. Moore. " he added. I took a deep breath, heaved a sigh and began. "My father never really cared for him. Infact he doesn't. " "Why are you conclusive about that. " interrupted Trevor. "At my graduation in nursery school, he never showed up, when we did plays in high school and parents would come to watch thier kids perform, my mom was always the one there. " I said with tears welling in my eyes. "Maybe he got occupied and your programs clashed with his schedule. " said Trevor. "Hey don't look at me that way. " after he noticed the stern look I was giving him. "Okay fine. Your dad wasn't really present and it's not nice. " he said. "Not nice for an only child. " I added. "Is that why you are such a brute? " retorted Trevor. "What? " I asked. Jeken and Mary were already fast asleep. They were sitting on our laps and thier faces were resting on the armchairs of the luxury bus. "I mean is it because you are an only child that's why you are a brute? " said Trevor. "Just kidding. " he added. "The genesis is that my father also wanted a male child and I turned out to be a female and the circumstances surrounding my birth were so grave that it ruined my life. " I stated. "What circumstances? " asked Trevor in a confused tone.

 "When my mom was due for delivery, she couldn't undergo natural birth due to some complications so I was a product of a surgery and my mother's womb got damaged. She was not to have children anymore... Stuffs like that. " I said. Trevor nodded and said "look its not your fault. I know you don't need sympathy but it's not your fault that you are a female child, that your mother's womb got ruined and she can't have children. " "I wish my father understood that. " I replied. "I think I am getting the point now. " Trevor said. "Your father then transfered his frustrations on you. All the hell fate made him undergo, he unleashed it on you. " he said. "Yea for twenty years now. " I said with tears running down my cheeks. "I  am so sorry Ella. " said Trevor. "Here. " he said handing me a blue handkerchief. "Thanks. " I replied after collecting it. "You know, I  am an only child too. " he said. "I wish my father never existed like yours. " I blurted. "Hey. " chuckled Trevor. "Am damn serious. It will be better if his annoying  shadow never casted in my life. " I said. "You know what?  Mr Moore never bought things for me willingly. I had to ask or my mom had to beg. He made me feel worthless. He always did." I said. "Ouch that's bad but you see... " Trevor was saying when we suddenly heard a loud groan from the back of the bus. 

"Her water just broke. " screamed a man from behind. "What water? " I asked. "I knew it the moment I saw her. The woman was due for delivery the moment I saw her. " replied an elderly lady in the bus There were mummurs in the bus and the driver had to stopped after being notified that a pregnant passenger was in labor. "The nearest town from here is fifty kilometers. " screamed the driver. "Why the hell will she be on this bus on such a long trip if she knew she was due. " screamed the driver. "We are in the middle of nowhere talk more of getting her to a hospital. " screamed a young man. "She's so gonna waste our time. " he added. "Are you nuts? " screamed Trevor at him. "Can't you see the hell she is going through?  Must you be so insensitive... Talking about time and shit.. " Trevor was now arguing with the guy while I noticed that the woman had come down from her chair and was groaning on the bus floor. 

"Anyone going to check on her? " I yelled at the passengers. "Any doctor or nurse here.? " asked Trevor. There was none. "How worse can this get. " said the guy who was quarreling with Trevor. Jeken and Mary's mother went to the woman, bent over and said "it's okay dear. Do you have any stuff near. Delivery stuff, baby stuff? " "Its.... It's up here. " she said pointing to the top part of the luxury bus where luggages are kept. "The red bag. " the woman in labor managed to say. "Ehmm I need help. I've never done this before but I need some women here with some experience. " said Jeken and Mary's mother. I looked around the bus and saw that the females were less than 10 and only two were adult women. The old lady and Jeken and Mary's mother. The old lady went closer and said "let's do this. Everyone leave the bus. " and the passengers began to alight one after the other. We all alighted and I discovered that Trevor was still in the bus. "You guys stay with the people here and don't move an inch. " I said to Jeken and her sister. I went back into the bus and saw the woman screaming and sweating while the elderly lady knelt with her hands wide stroking the woman's tummy. Jeken and Mary's mother was controlling her legs while Trevor was behind the woman stroking her hair. He was saying. "Look madam your baby will be fine. Just breath slowly. Look at me. You'll be fine. Hey listen.. "  I was shocked and I ran out of the bus immediately. Around 11am, the woman had been delivered of a boy while we were on our way to Gauge town: the nearest town so we could drop her and her new baby in the nearest hospital. This journey seems to be something else and it's evident the regular twenty four hours won't take us to GreenLand not after the bus breakdown, the delivery event and now that we are on our way to a hospital. 

The woman was seated on the luxury bus floor holding her baby tight and smiling from ear to ear. The bus was immediately cleaned and disinfected after her delivery. I looked at her and loved the atmosphere around her. Some passengers were still getting over the shock that a baby had just been delivered on the bus. In almost an hour, the bus pulled in front of Gauge general hospital. We were in Gauge town. After the bus stopped, Trevor quickly got down and return few minutes later with some nurses and a stretcher. The elderly lady and I helped the woman down while Jeken and Mary's mother held the baby. Soon, she was placed on the stretcher and taken inside the clinic. 

"You guys should hurry up. We've wasted enough time already. " said the driver. Inside Gauge hospital, the woman was placed in the maternity ward and was being provided with the necessary medical care. Her husband and closest  family had been contacted. "You should have stayed back and had the baby in Numan. " Trevor told her. "My husband insisted. It's our first baby. He wanted to be by my side and share in the experience. Due to his work, he can't come so I had to go meet him in Greenland " she said. "It's so unfortunate. " I replied. "Then you should have travelled earlier. " said the elderly lady. "We were expecting the baby next week. That's what I was told at the hospital. I would have left earlier though. I had to put some things together. " she said. "The delivery date is not always standard. It's just a guide. Sometimes it's earlier than expected or a bit late. " said Mary and Jeken's mother. "Exactly. " replied the nurse taking care of the woman. "We must go now. " announced Trevor. "The driver might leave without us. " I added. "Of course you guys need to go. I am eternally grateful to you especially you. " she said looking at Trevor. "The young man did magic. We were both focusing on the baby forgetting that the mother's coperation determines the baby's existence. He made it easier for her owing to the fact that it was her first delivery. " said the elderly woman. "Awnn. " exclaimed the nurse. "Such a gentleman. " she added. Trevor blushed and just when we were about to leave, the woman stopped us. "Your name please? " she asked Trevor. "Trevor. " he said. "My baby shall be called Trevor then. " she declared. The women were clapping and cheering. "My husband said I could name the baby whenever he is born so there's no better name than Trevor. " she said while Trevor ran to her bedside, hugged her and clicked a picture of the baby with his smartphone. The bus was horning now. "Let's go mister godfather. " I said pulling his arm. 

Soon, the bus was moving. It was three minutes past 12pm. "We will arrive late. This 24 hours journey might take 48 hours. " said the annoying guy who quarreled with Trevor earlier. "As long as we arrive safely. That's all that matters. " said the elderly lady. "Exactly" chorused two old men seating on the last row behind. "We will stop at a food stand shortly. " announced the driver. "You guys should hurry with your lunch when we get there. " he said. "You amazed me. " I told Trevor. "Is that a complement? " he asked smiling. "Hey don't you let your large head swell. It's big enough already. " I said smiling back. "Helping a woman to deliver a baby is is.... I just can comprehend... " I said almost stammering. "As a woman, I was so terrified and you were just there encouraging her to push... Mehn that's crazy. You deserve some accolades. " I said to him. "Were you watching?  I thought you alighted with everyone else. " he said. "Well I watched a little bit before running down. " I said. "My mother. She is a midwife. " he said. "Ah hah!  No wonder. I now see where the delivery skills came from. I wanted to ask whether you are a nurse, midwife or perhaps a doctor by profession. " I replied.

 "My mother works in the Life Line Clinic in Numan. One day, a man brought his wife to our home. She was due for delivery and it was midnight. They were staying close to us and the clinic was quite far so I watch my mother help the woman deliver the baby. That was the moment I swore to never disrespect any woman. So much hell to bring out a baby placed in by a man. " he said and we bursted out laughing. Mary and Jeken had gone to be with their mother now. "I just realized that. " he continued. "Mother and child share such a communion and the woman's comfort has a great effect on the baby. " he said. "You did well Trevor. " I said. "What you did is kindda special and it was nice that the woman named her baby after you. " I said. "Awwn. " he said. "How nicer can you get now. " he said while I hissed. "Now let's go back to our tale of secrets before we get to the bus stand for lunch. Tell me about your father. " I said. "Of course I will. " He said and then began.