THE MISSING FLOW

Ugonma has never been this worried all her life; she thought of what to tell her mother and what explanations she would give her relatives. But the more she thought, the more confused she grew. Her mates would go for the compulsory one year national service, conclude and get a job,  get married and then start procreation; but she has secured herself a nine months job by returning home with a big tummy. She also thought of going  to Abuja to stay with Tony but no, they're not legally married. Tony is the one man who knows the way around her thing. Her mother will always say 'if a road is good, the man will pass through it again'.

Tony knew the road was not just new but beautifully tarred, so he kept going. He knew how to service her engine well with the right lubricant and he did that with so much dexterity. He made her noisy while they worked it out.

While she was immersed in thoughts, the sound of her mobile phone jerked her back to reality, her face was circled with a smile when she saw that the caller was her Tony, but the smile disappeared almost immediately.

'Baeby, good evening, she started.

'How are you? He asked softly.

'I am doing OK, she answered.

'What is happening? How did you know that you are pregnant? He queried

'Baeby, I just know. My flow was supposed to come three days ago, but this is the fourth day and I'm yet to see it. I feel so strange.

Tony took a deep breath and spoke again.

'You should go for a test tomorrow. Do you still have some money with you?

'Baeby, what if I am pregnant? She asked feeling scared.

'You are not pregnant provided you took those pills I bought for you. You are not. I just want you to go for that test to clear your fears and doubts. He continued.

'How can you say I'm not pregnant when I feel fatigued? I feel nauseous almost every morning, I have back pain and my head has refused to stop aching, I feel dizzy, and what's worse, my breasts have become swollen. They feel heavier and fuller and tender to the touch. The area around the nipples, have also darkened. I am pregnant!'

'Ugoo, just go for the test tomorrow. I love you and I want to make you my wife, things are moving too fast but don't worry I will follow the speed. He assured her.

27-year-old Tony have not had a sleepless night in a long while, the last time was when he was denied visa at the American Embassy. But after their phone conversation that night, it descended upon him. Tony who is the only child of his parents had to manage his late father's business in Oil and Gas after he graduated from the University. He thought about the huge responsibilities that lies ahead, he thought about if Ugonma would make a good wife, if his mom would approve of their marriage. The last time he took a girl to meet her, she gladly objected to the relationship because the girl is Yoruba and he is Igbo. His mother had clearly stated that he marry from Delta. Ugonma is from Enugu and she might be carrying his child. All those thoughts trickled in like drops of rainfall, and before he knew it he drifted away to sleep.

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At Ugonma's end that same night, she experienced a little discomfort around her tummy. She woke up and felt some wetness on her panty, she freaked out of bed and slipped her fingers into her thing, she flashed a torchlight on it, her face lit with smiles when she saw what looked like the colour of tomato paste. She broke down in tears praising God for nothing.

Her flow had never been that heavy she was so cramped up that morning. While she laid in bed she remembered she received a text message she is yet to read. She picked up her mobile phone from beside her and found it was a bank credit alert. Tony had credited her account with an amount more than enough for the pregnancy test. She sent a correspondence to Tony: 'Alert received, missing flow found. Thank you.'

Two months after she travelled to Abuja to see Tony. He wanted her to meet his mother. Mrs. Chiegwu was so excited to see them, she welcomed them warmly and made a delicious meal.  Tony was surprised as to why his mother was being too nice and excited, he had brought more than four different girls to see his mother but she never made a meal or treated them nicely –  she disapproved of them. He flashed back to how he had met Ugonma in a church; they sat in the same row, and after church service he ran after her to get to know. There was something about her that made him get stuck to her since then even though they have had their fair share of bad times in the relationship, he just knew she was the perfect one. Tony sneaked into his mother's room to speak with her after their dinner. He asked her if she liked her. She told him how beautiful she is and how much she liked her at first.

That evening before they left, Tony proposed to Ugonma before his mother. He went on his knees and begged her to be Mrs. Tony Chiegwu. Ugonma pinched herself severally to make sure she was not dreaming.

Their wedding is next week Saturday. I hope you will attend.