Ijeoma, a pregnant woman in Better Life Hospital, came out of the doctor’s office looking dejected. As she left the hospital, Nurse Eliza ran to meet her.

“IJ, what is the matter?”

“Nurse Eliza, there is no problem,’ Ijeoma responded.

“It’s a lie. Something is wrong. Please tell me,” Eliza insisted.

“There is no problem, I’m just tired,” Ijeoma lied.

“You know  that I am your nurse. You don’t need to hide anything from me. Is it about the baby?”

“Yes I don’t really understand what the doctor is saying concerning the baby. He spoke a lot of English. At the end. He said that I will give birth through Cesarean section,”Ijeoma explained.

“What! I reject it for you. They want to open your stomach and release an incantation inside your stomach,” Eliza told her.

“I don’t understand. What is bringing incantation into this matter?”Ijeoma asked.

“Ha! You have to understand o. Is this not your first pregnancy?”

“It’s my first pregnancy,” Ijeoma responded.

“Have you seen it? All the women that have their first baby through CS don’t give birth to children again.”

“I reject it,”Ijeoma prayed.

“Thank you for that prayer. Can you say ‘I reject the caesarian section’ Declare it.” Nurse Eliza urged Ijeoma.

” I reject C.S. ” Ijeoma declared.

“Say, CS is not my portion.”

“CS is not my portion,” Ijeoma responded

“They will not use your head and that of your child,”Eliza prayed

“But what will they be using my head for?” Ijeoma asked. 

“Are you a learner? Don’t you know that  medical doctors work with native doctors? That is where they get power. Can a normal human being open someone’s stomach and close it, yet the person will be alive. They don’t do it with normal eyes,” Eliza explained.

“I think that you are right o,” Ijeoma said, nodding her head.

“One of my neighbour’s is childless today. Her first child delivery was through CS. I don’t know what the doctor did to the baby. He did not cry after birth. Since then till now, the woman has not conceived. The husband got angry and married another wife. The husband warned her against caesarian section but she ignored the warning.”

“Ha! This is serious” Ijeoma lamented.

“My sister, it is more serious than you can ever imagine. You have to take action now.”

“Nurse Eliza, you are right. But what will I do now?”

“Go and tell the doctor that you don’t want CS,”Eliza told her.

Ijeoma went back to the doctor’s office. The doctor was surprised to see her and demanded to know why she came.

“Doctor, I don’t want a caesarian section. Allow me to have a normal delivery.”

“But I explained to you that the baby is in

 breech position. If we allow you to go into labour, the outcome might be disastrous. Though we will watch you for a day or two before we make our final decision. But I recommend CS for your safety and that of the baby. “

“Doctor, I don’t understand what you are talking about. I don’t want a caesarian section. I must have a normal delivery. My decision is final.”

“Go home and have a discussion with your husband, then you can get back to me” Dr. Bernard suggested.

“There is nothing to discuss with my husband. He will never approve of CS” Ijeoma told him.”

“In that case,you might have to look for another hospital. We can’t continue attending to you, ” Dr. Bernard threatened.

“There is no problem about that. Hospitals are everywhere,”  Ijeoma said and stormed out of the doctor’s office in anger. 

Nurse Eliza ran to meet her.

“Can you imagine that doctor Bernard said it is either I agree for cesarean section or  go to another hospital. He said he can’t continue attending to me,” Ijeoma explained in anger 

“Have you seen it?  My dear run for your life and that of your baby. Why is he so pained?”

“I wonder why o.”

“Don’t worry, I will take you to the woman living on our street . You will be delivered of your baby there. It is very cheap. I can do it too, but my work will not allow me. “

“Thank you so much, Nurse Eliza.”

Eliza took Ijeoma to the woman’s place. 

After a week labour started. Ijeoma ran to  the woman’s place.  Her husband works in another state and comes back only during weekends. She refused to tell her husband that she was in labour because she doesn’t want her husband to know that she left Better Life  Hospital.

After 24 hours, there was no progress. 

When the birth attendant discovered that there was already danger, she called Ijeoma’s husband on the phone.

“Hello good Afternoon”

” Good afternoon sir. Please come and carry your wife. She came to my place to give birth. She has been in labour since yesterday,” she explained.

” My wife never told me that she is in labour. I spoke with her this morning. Please hand over the phone to her.”

“She can’t talk to you. She is in severe pain. She is the one screaming”

“No problem. Is Dr. Bernard around?  Can I speak with him on the phone?”

“It is not doctor  Bernard o. This is Okpuaja clinic. “

“What! . Please send the address to me.”

On receiving the address, Ijeoma’s husband sent his younger brother to go there and move his wife to Better Life Hospital. He called Dr. Bernard on phone to tell him what was going on.

“Please don’t bring your wife to my hospital , I can’t handle it. Take him to General Hospital”

“Dr. Bernard please, You are our family doctor don’t abandon us at this moment. I don’t know why my wife didn’t come to the. hospital as soon as the labour started.  Please help me.”

“I told your wife that the baby is in breech position. I also informed her that caesarian section will be conducted on her but she claimed she knew better than me”