“You have a high blood pressure, Angela,” the doctor, a tall, all-smiling man with cold stares and amiable features said to her, while she lay in bed, “I am sure you are a medical doctor and you know the implications of having a blood pressure during pregnancy.”

Angela shut her eyes briefly, the heartbreak still hung in her mind. Days past, she had dared to etch it off her mind but like skin-deep, the heartbreak seemed to be rooted in her now.

“I understand, doctor, I will be fine. I will feel better,” she echoed and sat up. “I guess you are done with the antenatal. Can I go now?” she asked politely, stroked her hair and shot a vague stare at the floor.

The doctor dimmed his gaze at her, knowing the woman before him was going through a storm, even though she hadn’t mentioned anything. “I really want to know, Angela,” the doctor said, and sat down, “Are you passing through difficulties? Are you faced with some shortcomings? I hope you don’t mind sharing it with me. A problem shared is halved, remember. It is my duty to ensure you are fine.”

She forced out a smile, and tossed her head. “Thank you so much doctor, for your concern,” she sounded calmly but still pained inwardly, “It’s a personal problem which I don’t intend to share with anyone. I hope you understand,” she added.

The doctor shrugged and scribbled down a few drugs on the paper and handed over to her. “OK, I will ensure the blood pressure is controlled, and then you must get these drugs from the pharmacy. Please, it is very pertinent you self-check your blood pressure always and you must keep to your antennal. “

She tossed her head and appreciated him for the special concern. She wanted to walk away when the doctor interrupted her, “Yeah, that reminds me. You didn’t tell me how your husband reacted when you told him news of the pregnancy. After five years of barrenness, I guess he was the happiest man when you revealed it to him.”

For a moment, she stood, staring at him in glooms and shadows. Dumbfounded, she wondered what to say to him. She sniffed heavily and grinned hard to keep back those tears from trickling.

She had promised herself to be strong and not to shed tears for a man that didn’t deserve it. “Yeah, he… he felt excited,” those words escaped her mouth, and she bit her lower lip. “He is a happy man.” Her face held a hard smile.

The doctor held a contagious smile and tossed his head. “Indeed he got to be a happy man. Congratulations, once again, Angela.”

“I will have to go now, doctor,” she mumbled and left, her hands trembling and heart thudding, “I have to be strong for this child,” a voice said in her as she stepped away. “High blood pressure? Oh too risky,” she mumbled and began to take a walk.

She had promised to leave New York for Texas, where her aunt resided. Her aunt was a nurse in one of the general hospitals in Texas and although she had often told her to relocate to Texas and get a better job, Angela declined it for the sake of her marriage.

She could recall telling Diego about it and he had declined the offer, nagging about the ill fate that often accompanied distance marriage. “If he had allowed me to relocate to Texas, I wouldn’t be jobless till now,” she nagged and gnashed her teeth. “It will never be well with you, Diego. I will make you pay for this. This is not my end.” she mumbled as she got to the terminal and hopped into a taxi.

She needed to get a cup of tea so she alighted at the coffee café, to get one. With the freedom of a bird, she stepped into the café only to see Diego, and a pretty, light-skinned, long, dark-haired lady, with conical face.

Holding each other’s face, eyes-locked, they were at a table, brushing lips together, while Diego fondled with the lady’s breasts.

She dimmed her eyes to clear her doubt. “Is that not Leona?” she mumbled and walked furiously to their table.

“So this is it, Diego!” she took a cup of coffee and splashed on them.

They flinched.

“What is wrong with you, Angela?” Diego fumed.

Leona, a bit wet, narrowed her gaze at Angela.

“Oh gosh! I thought as much,” Angela raised her voice, pointing arrogantly at Leona, “You divorced me because of your ex-girlfriend. Oh Diego, you are so wicked and cruel. You are proud to return to your vomit, same vomit you promised not to have anything to do with again.”

“Hey, enough!” Leona fumed, her eyes rolling at her, “Diego, you had better warn her to watch her words. I won’t stand here and watch this barren bitch insult me. I won’t!”

“Did you just call me, barren?” Angela asked, her fist folding to hit her.

And Diego stood in the middle to stop her. “I won’t stand here and watch you raise your hand on my girl, Angela,” he fumed, “If she calls you barren, it is what you are. Perhaps, you should have avoided the insult in the first place by pretending not to see us. Please, go, we don’t want trouble.”

Angela opened her fist, avoiding getting physical with Leona, because of her pregnancy which was just a few weeks old.

“For five years, Diego, I cried with you, laughed with you. During your ups and downs I was with you. We were in the fall and in the shine together, and you want to leave me for your ex-girlfriend because…”

“Because you are jobless and barren,” he interrupted her. “Leave here now!” he fumed at her, snarling arrogantly.

“Yes, I am jobless and barren but I promise you, and this thing, karma will roar, ill fate will bark and the both of you will be consumed by the fire you lit. Watch out for me.”

She turned around to walk away, and Leona interrupted her, “Watch out for you? What is so special about a barren, jobless medical doctor that is only good in house chores? He left you because you have nothing to offer. You are a bunch of waste, loser. Think about your life. No man will ever marry a liability like you.”

“We shall see, Leona,” she threatened and stormed out of the café.

Diego hugged Leona, and stroked her hair. “I hope you are OK, dear.”