So this season’s been quite a sharp contrast from the first. Our heroine was in a really bad place in the beginning, but it’s been wonderful for her throughout this season. Time to see how it ends, and it looks like she’s going to be giving birth soon. Goodie!

A few more weeks had passed, and the expected date of delivery had drawn closer and closer. Now Akushika was suffering a number of contractions throughout the weeks, putting everyone on alert. Sooner than later, the adorable young girl who Remaliah had brought to the flat would be giving birth.

As a result, the flat family had drawn up a schedule around her to ensure she was never alone at any point in time. If the Mills-Odoi couple weren’t doing too much work in their shop, they were home to ensure Akushika was not alone. Raymond, Jonny and Bukky were also around whenever they had no lectures or classes to keep her company.

On this Thursday morning, Drusilla and Jonny were the available ones around as another day of expectation began. Any moment was the possible moment Akushika would go into labour, and she could not afford to be left alone.

As Drusilla busied herself in the kitchen as always, preparing what would be their lunch later on, she noticed her usual spices were out of stock. “Ohhh, mini sane n3?” she grumbled to herself. “Now I have to rush to the market to get some more of these. All the way there too. As to why TK won’t stack her shop with them, I don’t know. Nanka my trip won’t have to be that long.”

Muttering to herself as she went for her keys, she called out to Akushika, who was resting in the bedroom. “Shika!”

“Yes, Maa Dru!” she responded.

“Sweetie, I have to rush to the market. My spices are finished, and you know the TK lady’s shop doesn’t have those, so I need to drive to the market. I’m calling Jonny over so he can keep watch over you while I’m out, okay?”

“No problem, Maa Dru.”

“Good, good. I shouldn’t be too long.”

***

Five minutes later, and Akushika heard a tap on her bedroom door.

“Yeah?” she called softly.

“Shika, it’s me,” Jonny’s voice rang out. “You okay in there?”

“Yeah, so far so good.”

“Alright, alright. The door’s not locked, right?”

“No, no, it’s not.”

“Alright, cool. I’ll be in the living room, then. So in case of anything, just call me.”

“Sure, sure. Thanks.”

Hearing his footsteps move away from the door, Akushika laid her head back on the wall as she sat up to support her back, which had been lightly aching for the past few days. She picked up her phone, opened up YouTube and searched for some music to keep her company for the meantime.

“Hmmmm… should I go with ‘Promises’ or ‘Jireh’?” she mused to herself. “Or wait, I remember Bukky saying something about another song of theirs… was it ‘The Story I’ll Tell’? Yeah, yeah, that’s it. Okay, let’s try-“

That familiar feeling of discomfort silenced her, as she felt a contraction coming on. Wincing in pain, she gritted her teeth as the agony took over her body. “Arrrrrggghhhh!” she moaned silently.

It ended after about a minute. Taking slow, deep breaths, she remembered the drill: wait to see if the contractions would return within five minutes, and if they would last as long as this one had. If it didn’t, then the wait would have to continue. If it did, it was very likely her sweet Ellen was ready to come out.

“Please let it come again, please let it come again, please let it come again,” she prayed silently. These last nine months, as beautiful as they had been, had also been pretty exhausting, and she was ready to have this new life come out now.

A minute or two into her prayer, and a sudden sharp pain at her back sprung up.

She shrieked in pain. “AHHHHHH!!”

Immediately, she heard a sound from the living room. “Shika!”

The sound of quick footsteps followed, then the bedroom door burst open, and there stood a concerned-looking Jonny. “You okay? Is the labour starting?”

Akushika nodded, a grimace on her face. “I think so. My back just started to really hurt. Doctor said it’s a sign.”

“Okay, okay, let me help you up,” he urged gently, taking her hand and helping her get up as gently as possible. He took his phone out and called Drusilla to inform her of the new development.

By the time they had reached the living room, another contraction had struck. Groaning in pain, she whimpered, “This is it. I think it’s coming. I think it’s coming.”

“Don’t worry, Shika. Maa Dru is speeding back home. We’ve got you,” Jonny assured her, leading her out the door. “We’re getting you to the hospital as soon as we can. You’re good, okay? You’re good.”

***

Twenty-four hours later, and in the maternity theatre of Hallmark Community Hospital, surrounded by doctors and nurses dressed in scrubs, it was one hell of a battle for Akushika as her baby was ready to emerge from the comfort of her womb into the world.

Her face contorted in anguish, Akushika squealed and arched her back against the starched sheets of the table she lay on, unable to bear this mind-blowing level of distress. She had experienced many painful things before, but childbirth had to be top of the list.

“One more push, Akushika,” Dr. Leeya Nunoo, a colleague of Dr. Asamoah, urged, her voice firm yet laced with quiet encouragement. “We’re almost there, honey. We’re almost there.”

The midwife, a seasoned woman with so much experience in these situations, reached down and took Akushika’s hand. “Come on, little one,” she murmured, guiding the hand to her laboring belly. “Show your mama just how strong you are.”

As if in defiant response, another wave, fiercer than the last, slammed into Akushika. The cries and screams were louder than before. She shook her head. “I can’t do this! I can’t do this!”

“Yes you can, sweetie! You can do this!” the nurse hissed, gripping Akushika’s shoulder like a lifeline. “Don’t give up now!”

Feeling pretty overwhelmed by the blinding pain, Akushika shook her head. This felt just too much to bear. “I can’t… I can’t…” she whimpered, hot tears streaming down her cheeks.

Just then, the gentle but firm voice of Dr. Asamoah emerged. “Shika, listen to me. You’ve come too far to give up. If you give up now, we might lose the baby. Do you want that to happen? Do you want to lose your precious baby girl?”

Those words went right to her heart. Indeed, she had experienced too much to throw in the towel. Her beautiful little one needed her to reach into the depths of untapped strength.

“Okay, okay, okay,” she gasped, taking deep breaths. Everyone around her encouraged her.

“You can do this, Shika. Just one more push.”

“We believe in you, Shika.”

“You are a strong girl, Shika. Do it for your daughter.”

A few more quick breaths, and then, she pushed.

Her screams ripped through the theatre.

And then, a tearing sensation, a slippery release.

And then…

The piercing, but heartwarming cry of a baby followed.

“You’ve done it! You’ve done it! Your baby is here!” Dr. Nunoo gushed, holding the tiny little being in her hands.

Dr. Asamoah sighed in relief. “It is done,” he announced to Akushika, lying flat on the table, absolutely knackered by that last push. “Your little girl is here.”

She lifted her head, and her eyes filled with tears as Dr. Nunoo moved over to her and showed her the little one. She immediately burst into tears, overwhelmed with joy at the sight of her daughter. “Oh my God! She’s so beautiful!” she sobbed.

“Indeed, she is,” Dr. Nunoo smiled. “And she’s all yours. Congratulations, Miss Acolatse. Congratulations.”

***

“Congratulations, Shikaaaa!!”

“Latest mummy in town! You did it!”

“Baba Oluwa, oshe ooo!”

“We’re so happy for you, baby girl!”

“How’s the cute little one doing?”

Akushika smiled weakly, staring at the phone screen Drusilla held up as Raymond, Jonny and Bukky joyfully congratulated her on her safe delivery. The Mills-Odoi couple had come over as soon as Dr. Asamoah told them she had finally delivered. Having rested a bit, Akushika was still recuperating from the intensity of it all. It had been intense, it had been agonizing, but in the end, it was rewarding to have her baby.

“Thank you guys so much,” she murmured, smiling. “Uh, God, it’s been one hell of a battle. Honestly, childbirth is something else. But I’m doing fine, and so is the baby.”

“And by the way, Bukky, guess what?” Drusilla teased. “God answers prayer paaa. The sweetheart is a total replica of Shika.”

“Ahhhhhhh! Jesus iyeeeeeeee, You have done it again, Jesus iyeeeeeee…”

Everyone laughed at Bukky breaking out into song at that announcement. Indeed, little Ellen looked every bit the miniature version of her mother, and Akushika couldn’t have been happier. The twinning was really going to hit differently.

“Oh yes, she really took after Shika. Like mother, like daughter,” Remaliah confirmed. “I’m sure you’ve already started planning twin outfits for you and her.”

Akushika laughed weakly. “Of course! No way am I slacking on that.”

“That’s right! Show us!” Raymond cheered. “Show us sey you born your twin sis!”

More laughter ensued.

“Yeah, I definitely will. Listen, thanks so much, guys. You know how grateful I am to you all. But I need to rest some more because I’m so exhausted,” Akushika told them. “I feel tired in places I never thought I’d feel tired.”

“Oh, I know that feeling. Don’t worry, honey. Guys, lemme hang up. We’ll see you when we get back,” Drusilla said to the younger folks on the screen.

After hanging up, Akushika looked up at the couple. “Sir Remmy, Maa Dru, thank you once again,” she murmured. “It’s been such a long journey, and I wouldn’t have made it without your support and love. Thank you. I love you.”

“And we love you too, honey,” Drusilla responded, landing a kiss on her forehead. “We’re so happy to have seen you through it all.”

“Yep, we’re proud to see you’ve come this far,” Remaliah agreed. “Now you’re a mother. A new phase begins, and we’re here to help you through it. You can be sure of that.”

Akushika nodded. No doubt about it, one major era of her life had come to an end, and a new one had begun. And with this support system behind her, there was nothing to fear.

She would definitely make it.

***

The next morning, and little Ellen was back in her cot after a few tests had been run on her. The entire Flat Fam would be coming around later that day to see her and Ellen, and she could not wait.

Akushika watched her sleep, and her heart beat with a joy she could not explain.

Simply looking at that little one filled her up with so much happiness and delight. She didn’t have to do anything to make Akushika love her. Her simple existence was enough.

This surely was love in its purest and most wholesome form.

“My Ellen. My precious little Ellen,” she whispered. “I love you so much, my baby girl. And I promise you, I’ll do whatever it takes to make sure you’re alright on this earth. I promise you-“

The door to the ward swung open unexpectedly.

Startled, Akushika looked up to see who it was.

And shock instantly filled her.

A rough-looking, unfriendly-faced young man stood at the door, staring blankly at her. A young man she never in a million years would expect to see there.

“Dr-Dr-Drill?” she gasped. “Wh-wh-wh-what are you doing here?”

The straight look still plastered on his face, he snorted. “I’m here for my property.”

Her face contorted in shock. “What?”

“I said I’m here for my property!”

She stared at him in absolute disbelief. What kind of sick joke was this? What was he doing here? Wasn’t he the one who wanted nothing to do with her and this child? What was the meaning of this sudden appearance?

He pointed at her. “Get your stuff, and get my baby, and let’s move. We’re leaving this hospital right now!”

What in the absolute hell just happened??!! This was supposed to end on a sweet note. What the hell is Drill doing there? Didn’t he deny responsibility for the pregnancy? How did he even know she was there?

Listen, season 3 has a lot of explaining to do, because this is one wild end to what’s been a beautiful season…