45 DAYS Episode 26

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TWENTY-SIX DAYS

Effe wakes up with an effort.
It had been a wonderful dinner with Chris the previous day, and although she had enjoyed herself so much, she had not been able to get rid of the sight of Elaine’s strange baby.
She had told Chris about it, and he had laughed so hard that tears had come into his eyes, but he had not made any comment on it.
She takes a shower and arrives at the hospital with Eyram, who is picking up a prescription from Dr. Henderson for Junior.
Chris drove them because he would later take Effe to the Ameyaw-Eden Clinic.
Effe had told Eyram about Elaine’s baby, and she had been sad, and suggested maybe Effe was exaggerating.
She wants to see the baby herself, and so she came with Effe to MATERNAL CLINIC.
When she goes to Elaine’s ward she finds her asleep. She is connected to some machines that are beeping.
A nurse smiles at her and tell her she can’t stay long.
NURSE
She’s been sedated. She was terribly upset, and the stress was making her blood pressure shoot up alarmingly.
EYRAM
I see. And her baby?
The nurse smiles and shakes her head.
NURSE
Elaine doesn’t want to see the baby. That’s what’s causing her to freak out. The baby has been taken to PAEDIATRICS.
Eyram thanks the nurse and goes out.
She quickly takes the elevator down to Level 3, and enters the paediatrician’s zone.
She asks to see Rupert, and one of the nurses takes her to the Wards.
When she enters the room she finds there are quite a group of people present.
Steve’s parents, Elaine’s friends Rebecca and Sheena, Dr. Rupert Henderson and some nurses.
Steve’s mother is crying against her husband who is looking shell-shocked.
Rupert is leaning against a wall at the far end. His sleeves are rolled to his elbows, and his tie is undone.
He looks very flustered.
Eyram walks to the crib and looks down at the baby.
He is very handsome, and he is sleeping peacefully.
EYRAM
(deeply shocked)
Oh, my dear Lord!
Effe had been right.
Elaine’s baby is not only white, he looks exactly like Rupert Henderson.
Eyram feels her heart beating with great disappointment.
She shakes her head and walks towards Rupert. She stops in front of him and glares at him.
RUPERT
No, not you too! Goddamn it, Eyram! Not you too!
She licks her lips and shakes her head, trying to grasp the implications of what she has seen.
EYRAM
Why, Rupe? People talking about it too?
RUPERT
Everybody! Steve even had a fight with me! Now I’ve given them blood samples to send to the lab for a DNA test! I don’t know how Elaine’s baby came to resemble me so much, but believe me, I had nothing to do with that girl! And if you don’t believe me then I guess I never really knew you at all!
She reaches out and touches his arm, and smiles wanly.
EYRAM
I believe you, Rupe. But you must admit it is one hell of a coincidence. That baby looks so much like you it’s absolutely uncanny.
The door opens.
Effe and Chris enter. Chris walks to the cot and stare at the baby boy. He touches the baby’s cheek.
Just then the door explodes outward, and Steve enters.
There is a day’s growth of beard on his face. His white shirt is stained, and his eyes are bloodshot from lack of sleep.
He is holding a green sheet of printed paper, and his face is livid. He rushes at Rupert.
STEVE
(screaming)
You bastard! You damn stupid little white fuck!!!
He pushes Eyram out of the way and crashes a fist into Rupert’s jaw.
Doctor Henderson falls down with a cry of pain. He holds his jaw. There is blood on his split lip.
Steve screams and raises his leg to slam it down on Rupert’s face, but Chris grabs Steve and shoves him back savagely.
Steve tries to move forward, but his father leaves his mother and grabs him by the arm.
CAPTAIN HOLLISON
Hold it, son, hold it! Why are you assaulting this man?
When Steve speaks tears fall down his face.
STEVE
He’s the father of Elaine’s son, Papa. The DNA test just proved it.
Rupert gets up and his face is incredulous.
RUPERT
What? That is horse crap!
Steve moves forward and throws the sheet of paper at Rupert.
STEVE
There! Take a look at it yourself, you son-of-a-goat! You bastard!
Rupert takes the DNA sheet and his eyes skim it. His look of shock and incredulity makes the blood drain from his face.
RUPERT
Good Lord! This …this can’t be right! I d-don’t understand any of this!
Steve dashes at Rupert again with his fist raised.
STEVE
You damn fuck! You were with her all this while, fooling me! You two were screwing each other, weren’t you, you piece of white shit!!
He tries to hit Rupert again, but Chris pushes him back.
Eyram and Effe face Rupert. Both of them have accusing eyes.
EFFE
Jesus, Rupert! Is this true?
EYRAM
Can’t believe you’ll stoop this low, Rupe. You’ve greatly disappointed me!
Rupert looks at them as he takes steps back and his back comes up against the wall.
RUPERT
(tearfully)
There must be some mistake somewhere. I’ve never had anything to do with Elaine! That child is not mine! Not mine!
Chris speaks whilst still facing Steve, who is trembling with fury.
CHRIS
Actually, Doctor Henderson, that baby could be yours, although I’m sure you had nothing to do with Elaine.
There is absolute silence in the room as all eyes turn to Chris.
STEVE
And what do you mean by that? What do you know, you illiterate moron?
Chris shrugs and turns to Doctor Rupert Henderson.
CHRIS
I may be an illiterate moron like you say but that does not make me stupid, you know? I read somewhere about a black couple who had a white baby. The man was so angry he filed for divorce because he was sure his wife cheated on him. The lady knowing she had known no other man since she got married decided to defend her reputation. After a fierce battle at law it was established that the child was indeed not for the man but the wife had not cheated either.
STEVE
Stop the crap, you fool. You are not making any sense. How can that be possible.
RUPERT
Let him land, will you?
CHRIS
It turned out the guy was uncircumcised and had a lover who was white. The white lover also had a white fiancée. The black guy’s uncircumcised dick picked semen from the white lady who had had sex with her white fiancée the same day and impregnated his wife with it. Funny huh. I’m pretty sure something similar happened in this situation. Someone here is not telling the truth. I know that for a fact. Does the LOVE BED HOTEL in Kasoa ring a bell to anyone here?
Steve could not hold his anger anymore. He pounced on Chris and smacked him on the face.
STEVE
Shut the f**k up, you nincompoop. What do you know?
CHRIS
What do I know? I know you are a cheating bastard. I know you did not cheat on Effe with only Elaine. There was someone else and that had resulted in this whole mess. You were with that woman at the LOVE BED HOTEL in Kasoa. I saw you with my own eyes. You don’t have to be literate to see what’s going on when you two drive all the way to Kasoa to be together. I saw you kissing her when you left the Hotel. You better own up and clarify the situation. You know exactly how Elaine ended up with a white baby.
At the mention of the hotel Steve goes very rigid, and his eyes suddenly look scared as he moves towards Chris.
STEVE
You shut the fuck up!
Everyone stairs at Steve expectantly. It seemed to everyone Chris was not making up a story. He knows exactly what he is talking about.
EFFE
Steve?
Steve is mute. He starts to sweat profusely but says nothing. Rupert glares at him in confusion.
RUPERT
Aren’t you going to say anything? This is your chance, Steve, to come clean. You hold the key to this puzzle, give us all the peace we deserve. I need to know what happened. My reputation is at stake here.
STEVE
You believe this piece of shit? The guy just wants attention and is spewing forth bullshit and you of all people fall for it? God, and I thought you were smart!
CHRIS
You know I am telling the truth, Steve. My friend is the Manager at THE LOVE BED HOTEL in Kasoa. I saw you with ……

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STEVE
Shut the fuck up, you piece of horse shit. If you know what’s good for you, you will get out of here right now before I break every bone in your body.
Chris breaks into a hearty laugh enjoying every minute of Steve’s discomfort and fear.
Chris turns to him, and there is hardness in the depths of his eyes.
CHRIS
You wanna know what happened here, right? I think everybody has a right to know how this unpleasant situation arose.
At the mention of Kasoa, Rupert suddenly remembers the toll booth ticket he had found in his home and Barbara explaining that she needed to cool off and so drove around. He remembers how tensed she was when he asked about the toll ticket and the fact that she lied to him about her whereabouts when he called her that day. Rupert still didn’t get how the child turned out to be his.
RUPERT
And what have I got to do with this hotel, Mr. Bawa?
Chris turns and faces Rupert, and his face is sad.
CHRIS
I was with my friend one day at the hotel when Steve came there with your wife, Doc.
EFFE
(screaming)
Chris! Lord, no!
Rupert is trembling badly. He shakes his head numbly and waves a trembling finger at Steve.
RUPERT
Barbara? She’s having an affair with Steve? No, no, no!
All eyes turn to Steve.
He looks away, shame-faced and shocked. He glances at Effe, and rubs a shaking hand across his face.
EYRAM
(shaking his head)
I don’t get it, Chris. Even if Steve is having an affair with Barbara, as you claim, how does that make Elaine pregnant?
CHRIS
I think this is what happened. Rupert must have made love to Barbara, nine months ago, and then Steve must have had sex with Barbara just after Rupert. Steve is not circumcised-
STEVE
(bitter, hurt, his eyes on Effe)
What? How the hell did you know that?
RUPERT
Wait wait wait! Jesus, Chris, that’s one hell of an assumption, boy!
CHRIS
It’s the only logical explanation, Doc. If Steve is uncircumcised, some of your sperms, still inside Barbara, must have been trapped inside Steve’s foreskin when he had sex with your wife. And when Steve made love to Elaine, probably on the same day, your sperms, trapped inside Steve’s foreskin, moved from Steve into Elaine and made her pregnant!
EYRAM
Dear me, what madness! Surely that is not possible!
Effe begins to laugh and shake her head.
EFFE
Actually it is possible! Cases like that have happened, and even one has been recorded here not more than a couple of years ago.
RUPERT
(shaking his head with wonder)
Yeah, yeah, that must be it! There was a time, way back in February, almost ten months ago, when Barbara visited me here. I had just returned from a trip and had missed her a lot. We made love in the office that day, but then I had to go into a meeting. Thirty minutes into the meeting I realized I needed some data from my laptop, so I came back to my office. When I was coming back for it I saw Steve leaving my office rather hurriedly. He was tucking in his shirt as he went. It was night, and I remember wondering about a possible affair between them because Barbara looked flustered when I entered the office. I’m sure they had a quickie that night, and I almost caught them! I’ll be damned!

Steve is shaking his head, and there is devastation on his face. He looks absolutely crushed. The reality finally hit him. He remembered that incident quite well. When he went home that day, Effe was at the theatre and Elaine seduced him into sleeping with her.
STEVE
Oh no, no, no! Oh. Lord, no, no, no!
Eyram is laughing too.
EYRAM
This is some crazy shit! Rupe’s sperm gets trapped inside Steve’s uncircumcised dick and makes Elaine pregnant? Oh, my God! That is poetic justice of the highest caliber!
Rupert takes two quick steps forward and suddenly lands a hard fist into Steve’s face, right into his nose.
Steve yelps with pain as blood spurts from his nose. Rupert also shouts with pain because his knuckles hurt from the blow.
RUPERT
You hypocrite! You hit me because you thought I was with Elaine, meanwhile you are the one sleeping with my wife!
Steve sinks to the floor, clutching his bleeding nose, and his father growls and makes a move for Rupert, who retreats with fear.
The Commander draws back his fist to hit Rupert, but Chris steps forward and glares at him.
CHRIS
You better not.
The Commander looks at Chris defiantly, sees the hardness in there, and then he turns to his son with a curse.
Effe stands in front of Steve and shakes her head wonderingly.
EFFE
Steve! Elaine wasn’t enough? You were cheating on me with Barbara, a married woman too? The wife of your colleague? My God, did I know you at all?
Steve falls to his knees in front of Effe and grabs her legs.
STEVE
Effe, honey, please, please, please forgive me! I’m so sorry, baby! Effe, please, you know I never loved any of them! I don’t know what came over me. Please find some space in your heart and forgive me. I love only you. This is all a great punishment for me. Please, we can have our life back! All that is in the past. I’m never going to look at another woman again. I give you my word.
Without a word Effe turns and leaves the Ward.
Rupert grips Chris hand and shakes it hard.
RUPERT
Thanks, partner. Thank you very much.
CHRIS
It’s cool, Boss.
He turns and runs after Effe.
Rupert is looking down at the baby, and a huge grin splits his bleeding face.
RUPERT
My son! My son!!
Eyram comes and stands beside him.
EYRAM
He’s very handsome like his father. You inally got your child after all, without really enjoying the act.
He looks at her laughing eyes, and they both laugh, and stare at each other.

It continues

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