She felt sick, and complained of prickling and tingling of her nipples. Frank also observed that Chiny’s breasts had grown larger, and her nipples darker. She was always easily irritated unlike before, and demanded to eat things that Frank could not imagine. She had once asked Frank to pound the rice they cooked, that it was the only form she could eat it.

Frank assured her that other factors could be the cause of the delay. Frank bought accurate, a pregnant test strip. He tested her urine. Alas! Chiny had taken in.

Frank gave her an abortifacient. She bled but never stopped. The situation grew worse. Chiny had lost too much blood. She became listless and pale. She could die if Frank didn’t take a desperate step. Frank called Chiny’s younger sister in a college of education around. They arranged that Frank was to be their elder brother. Frank hadn’t money, but luckily he hadn’t paid in the school fees his dad gave him some weeks back.

They rushed Chiny to the Accident and Emergency unit of a nearby Federal Teaching Hospital. Frank was restless, confused and dumbfounded. He quietly paid the bills, and the medical team swung into action.

Diagnosis was made and tests were run. They queried complicated incomplete abortion. Abdominal ultrasound revealed multiple tears in her womb. She needed urgent hysterectomy; her womb was to be removed urgently. Nneoma, her sister, threw herself on the ground on hearing it. She wailed and cursed Frank.

‘See what you have done to my sister. Pray that nothing happens to her, you devil. Just pray…!’ She wept aloud. Frank attempted to hold her but she beat his hands off her body in fury.

‘She will be fine.’ Frank retorted in between tears. The doctors were confused. Utter consternation was vividly written on their faces. Frank wasn’t supposed to be the cause or be blamed as he was the elder brother. They had perhaps wondered. It was not time for cross-questioning as a life needed to be saved. Chiny had become almost unconscious. She was immediately wheeled to the theatre. The consultant emerged in his theatre gown. He wanted to speak to Frank, her supposed elder brother, about their expectation in the operation.

‘We cannot do any sort of magic in this case. Only God can give a surety of what would be the outcome of this operation. By the way, let’s do our best and may God help us.’ The consultant snorted. There was something ominous in his words, suggesting a difficult situation. He sounded so in every operation whose process would be intricate. Frank later signed the consent form as he claimed their parents were late.

A heavily bandaged patient was leaning on the back of the theatre wall, resting. He was playing some naija hits with his China phone. It suddenly turned into Timaya’s latest, Sanko. It quickly broke the connection Chiny had fought hard to re-establish with her God for forgiveness. The favourite song sadly evoked her escapades with Frank and the reminiscence remained adamant. If her ears were guns she would shoot whoever played such a song.

The consultant turned and entered the theatre. Chiny was also wheeled right inside. Her sister kept crying until she whimpered, then lost her voice.