“This is a big moment, Miss Acolatse. Feeling excited?”

Laid back on the examination table, Akushika nodded, her eyes fixed on the ultrasound screen. “A nervous kind of excitement, but yes, I’m definitely excited,” she confirmed, looking at Drusilla, who sat nearby, and smiled at her. The older lady smiled back.

A few weeks had passed, and with it had come the expected changes of the second trimester. The young girl’s belly was starting to protrude with the growth of the precious one inside her. She was now about twenty weeks in, so it was time to get the ultrasound check done to see what the gender of her baby was.

And as she sat there, the giddiness in her was reaching its peak. Ever since the appointment date had been set for this, she had been wondering what it was going to be. The night before, she had barely slept, simply sitting up in her bed, rubbing her belly and speaking to the little one inside her.

“Won’t be long until we get to know whether you’re a he or a she, my sweet little one,” she cooed to the life inside her. “I wonder how you’ll be like once you finally enter this world. Well, if you’re a boy, I’m sure you’ll be very adventurous, always full of energy and curiosity, running around the house, being mischievous and all that. I can imagine your cute little laughter echoing through the house, filling it with joy. And who knows what you’ll grow up to become one day? Maybe a soldier like Sir Remmy, maybe a doctor like Dr. Asamoah… the sky’s the limit for you, my dear.

“But if you’re a girl? Hmmmm… I’m sure we’ll be having lots of tea parties and dress-up games. Hehehe, I’m imagining twirling in dresses and braiding your hair, and recreating all sorts of cute little scenarios with you. You’ll hopefully look like me, so you’ll be my little twin. Oh, how we’ll be twinning all over the place! And as to what you’ll become, baby girl, the sky’s the limit for you too. Absolutely no limit as to what you can do…”

Pondering over both possibilities, she had allowed herself to imagine both futures: one with a sweet little boy in her arms, and the other with an adorable little girl in her arms. Either way, it was exciting.

“Well, sweetheart, whether you’re a boy or a girl, my love for you is already boundless, and I can’t wait to meet you, hold you close and begin this beautiful journey together. Our story is just beginning, and it’s going to be beautiful.”

Now it was time to see which of those imaginations would become a reality.

“Alright, let’s begin.”

With that, Dr. Asamoah began to maneuver the ultrasound wand over Akushika’s belly. She inhaled and exhaled as the thumping of the baby’s heartbeat gently echoed through the room. This is real, she thought to herself. It really is real…

“Well, everything looks healthy and normal. The baby’s in good shape, as far as I can see. Somebody’s being a good girl and taking a vitamins, I can see. Now, the moment we’ve been waiting for…”

Akushika held her breath, her hands tightly gripping the edge of the examination table. The suspense in the room was palpable enough for her to know Drusilla was feeling it too.

Dr. Anderson adjusted the settings, and an image of the baby appeared on the screen.

“And there we go. Can you see that?” he asked gently, a smile on his face.

Akushika nodded, tears forming in her eyes. Indeed, she could see that image of the little one. For the first time, that reality of becoming a mother slapped her in the face, albeit the sweetest of slaps, and she knew in that moment that keeping this child was the best decision.

That’s my baby. My precious, precious little baby…

As he observed the baby’s form, Dr. Asamoah turned to her and smiled. “Well, Shika, you know what?”

She looked up at him. “What, Doctor?”

“Let’s put it this way. You just got a promotion from princess to queen, because a new princess is in town.”

“Oh my God!” Akushika gasped. “It’s a girl?”

Dr. Asamoah nodded. “It’s a girl. Congratulations, Akushika.”

Waves of emotion crashed over Akushika as she processed this news. A few tears of joy streamed down her cheek while Drusilla came over to give her a hug. Looked like the dreams of twinning with a mini-her were going to be a reality after all.

“Thank you, Doc, thank you!” she whispered, holding on to Drusilla as she looked up at Dr. Asamoah.

“You’re welcome, Shika. Now, let me print out a few pictures for you to take home. It’s a special moment, capturing the first images of your little one…”

***

“Okay, so we’re all here and ready to hear the big announcement. The floor is yours, my dear,” Remaliah declared. It was evening, and the ‘flat family’ were all gathered in the living room to receive the long-awaited announcement. They had all agreed that aside Drusilla who accompanied Akushika to the hospital, everyone else had to find out that evening, as it would be nicer to break it to everyone at once.

Akushika nodded, then stood to her feet. “So,” she began slowly, looking each person in the face, “today’s visit was very successful, and I’ve seen the gender of my baby. Let me put it in the way Dr. Asamoah said it…”

She paused for a second or two for effect, then let it out.

“I just got upgraded to queen, because a princess is coming.”

The living room immediately erupted into cheers.

“Whoooooo!! Congrats, Shika!”

“Awesome! Your daughter’s gonna be as cute as you!”

“Awwwwwwwww, I’m so happy for you, baby girl! You’re having a baby girl!”

This outpouring of love was more than enough to provoke another batch of tears, but as the others hugged her excitedly, Akushika only felt a wave of gratitude and relief. She couldn’t be more grateful to have this family around, who had been nothing short of supportive and helpful in the past few months she had been around. And she was extremely relieved that she had not chosen to abort it. Sure, it might have turned her parents against her, but this life was precious and worth keeping.

“I mean, just look at her! The cutest girl within this 25-mile radius!” Bukky declared. “See, her daughter’s going to be so cute! Omo, cuteness overload incoming!”

“Yeah, I can’t wait to see it, too. Adorable mother, adorable daughter,” Remaliah smiled.

Jonny sighed a bit. “Hmmm… I really pray so. Coz it’s just… you know how children can take after their father more than their mother sometimes…”

Akushika’s joy slightly dimmed at that comment.

Yeah, there was the slight possibility that the sweet girl would take after her father. And that wasn’t the nicest of thoughts. The last thing she wanted was a little girl with a face that reminded her of the boy that refused to take accountability for his actions. It would ruin a lot for her.

“Hey-hey-hey-hey-hey-hey, please! I rebuke it in the name of Jesus!” Bukky interrupted passionately. “God forbid bad thing, my dear. E no go happen. In fact, make I pray on am sef…”

Everybody in the room giggled as Bukky rose to her feet, raised her hands to the sky, and started.

“Father, in the matchless name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, I commit this beautiful baby girl in Shika’s bele into Your hands. Baba God, You see how this yeye papa don waka lef this sweet mama? Abeg, this sweet pikin wey dey come, make she no resemble ein papa one percent sef! Only mama resemblance na we dey like. Hundred and ten percent! Baba, see sweet babe like this! Cute babe, dimples on point. Baby face on point. Carrying bele and maintaining childlike innocence and beauty. Abeg, Baba God, na mama resemblance we dey like. This I dey pray in Jesus name. amen!”

“Amen ooooo, amen!”

Akushika and the rest of the ‘flat family’ could not stop laughing as Bukky ended her hilarious prayer. Trust the Naija babe of the group to fight against that possibility in any way possible. Her disdain for Drill was as palpable as could be, and she would definitely be as aggrieved as Akushika if that sweet little girl came out looking like the daddy who didn’t want her.

It was funny, but she appreciated it for sure.

Just another sign that she had the right people in her corner.

“Ajeeeiii! Carrying bele and maintaining childlike innocence and beauty!” Raymond laughed. “Herh, Bukky, you dey form, wai!”

“Of course, jor! You see Naija babe wey dey carry last? Never, my dear, never.”

Ha! Funny prayer from Bukky there. But it’s sweet to know Akushika’s having a girl…