Nine months later, Aziza groaned in pain as contractions ripped through her, each wave more severe than the one before. Steve helplessly rubbed her back while the midwife’s and Dr Hail got ready for the unexpected delivery. She should have known better but everything had gone smoothly the whole nine months, they had put their guts down, took a chance to visit Steve’s parents out of town but then her water broke two hours away from their hospital. She was meant to have a cesarean section because of her previous one and the multiple babies she was carrying. Her operation was booked for the following week but it seemed the little ones decided to come earlier. Now fully dilated, no room for any pain medication, the hospital team had no choice but deliver the babies the natural route.
“I can’t hold on anymore” Aziza screamed, already dreanched in sweat as her pelvic bones shifted to make way for the new
In the hospital neonatal unit, Dr Smith finished checking the triplets out. “Congratulations Mr President, your babies are healthy and ready to go home” she beamed. She loved seeing healthy babies.“Thanks Doc, is it fine if they stay here longer. Their mother is..” Steve explained but could not complete his sentence. Just speaking about Aziza made him emotional.“Certainly, Sir” Dr Smith responded sympathetic. “The First Lady is a warrior with the whole country vouching for her, she will make it” she added. She aught not give hope she had no control over but could not help herself. Steve and Aziza’s story was well known, like Shake Spear’s Romeo and Juliet. She could only hope that their end is not as tragic, especially with now four children to raise.&ldqu
Christmas eve marked Four days of Aziza in the intensive care unit. She had not improved but had not deteriorated either. Steve remained by his wife’s side more hopeful than before that Aziza will pull through. Speaking to a lot of people restored his hopes. Not hearing bad news from the doctors was also reassuring except he did not know that they counselled his family behind his back. Everyday he moved from his wife to his children with lots of energy and cheerful heart until a call from his deputy President shuttered every hope he had. His deputy happened to be in Steve’s office when John and Steve’s father called the secretary asking him to forward them the policies and protocols should the First Lady or the president be no more. Out of concern the deputy had called Steve to check on Aziza’s condition, unintentionally revealing Steve’s worse nightmare. He did not need to ask John or his father what they were up to, he knew exactly what they were tryi
In the Marlone house, Aziza stood at the door watching her children play outside with a thankful heart and gratitude. Lorraine, Mike and Nick turned out to be a handful from the day they came out of the hospital and now three years later, they had too much energy for her to keep up with. Each day she noticed how each one of them was different, their unique ways of doing things and how they all thrived at creating chaos around the house. Lorraine was the tinniest of the triplets but pulled all the strings. She influenced her brothers on which games they played, got to choose the toys first and always got her way, especially with Steve. It did not help that she had Aziza’s eyes, Lorraine had her father around her little finger, Steve just could not reprimand Lucy no matter what she did. Mike and Nick on the other side were behaving like typical twins, even when following Lorraine they did it together. Mike was the least talkative but Aziza found to be the most stubborn while Nic
The Asherway airport was buzzing with activity, national and international journalists were there to capture the moment two very different Presidents with completely different ideologies meet. Everyone was curious to know how President Clive, a known racist would be received in Asherway, a country known to be very intolerant to racists with a President calling for a non racial world. At exactly 11 o’clock, President Clive’s presidential plane arrived at Asherway. He disembarked with his expected all white staff, something journalists did not forget to point out. Steve and Aziza were captured approaching the group.“President Clive, welcome to Asherway” Steve said shaking Clive’s hand before moving to shake his wife. Aziza followed behind Steve and offered her hand but it remained in the air, none of them willing to shake her hand. The journalists went crazy capturing the moment. Steve shook his hea
At the Asherway National Assembly, Aziza sat next to Steve and his Vice President with President Clive and his wife across them. At this point both Steve and his Vice President were so angry, they were ready to tear President Clive apart but Aziza had other plans. Her hand remained on Steve’s knee, keeping him seated. President Clive had asked her a question she was very glad to answer “I’m glad you asked me that, President Clive because I have asked myself that very question many times before” she said “You see it’s not about war alone, it can be anything. A racial incident for instance, which side would Steve take? which one would I take? and where would that leave our children?” she added.“That’s what I’m talking about. I am right, am I not?” President Clive beamed.“It depends on what stage of my
In Asherway Presidential office, Steve pulled his wife to his arms and looked down at her “Aziza Gray Marlone, what did you do to President Clive?”he asked charmingly.Aziza looked away, avoiding his infatuating emerald eyes “Nothing,”she said softly.“Are you keeping secrets from me now?” he asked, sulking knowing she could not keep anything from him.“He came to hold you ransom with his secret nuclear weapon, I hijacked it” Aziza blurted out. She just could not keep secrets from Steve even when she tried.“What?” Steve asked, shocked. “No wonder Clive was so terrified,” he added.“He had no interest in non racial world Steve,&rdq
Twelve years later, Steve and Aziza finally got a chance to retire from politics and parliament. Even though Steve was no longer the president of Asherway, his ideals and the processes he worked very hard to develop were still in place and kept the country going. He did not achieve a non racial world as he had hoped but he spoke so loudly and widely against racism and got the rest of the world to listen, to acknowledge and work towards non racial societies. There were still isolated racial incidences around the world, some even in Asherway but there were more people speaking out against it than those condoning or making excuses for it. Happy and content that he gave the country and the world his best, Steve could finally be a full time husband and father. As if compensating for the time he spent away from them, the spoiled his children rotten but Lucy Unity Marlone was the most doted of all the children. Even though seventeen years later, Steve still could not forget how his little
Four years later Aziza watched the youth flooding in her house to celebrate her firstborn’s twenty first birthday. She could not help noticing the diversity and how happy and in harmony they all were in their different skins. Standing at the balcony, she watched everyone and took in the scenery. Her own twenty first birthday was marked with bruises, scars and hatred for the other race that wiped out her family and hunting her down. How everything was so different now. If anyone told her that one day she would host youths of different races, know each one of them personally and truly love and care about them like her own children, she would have had that person assessed for a mental illness. She smiled when she saw John, Joy and Steve’s parents basking in the sun and chatting happily. All four of them were so old now, they were the best parents she was granted after loosing her biological ones. They will all hold a very dear place in her heart. She laughed when she saw a group of tee
Four years later Aziza watched the youth flooding in her house to celebrate her firstborn’s twenty first birthday. She could not help noticing the diversity and how happy and in harmony they all were in their different skins. Standing at the balcony, she watched everyone and took in the scenery. Her own twenty first birthday was marked with bruises, scars and hatred for the other race that wiped out her family and hunting her down. How everything was so different now. If anyone told her that one day she would host youths of different races, know each one of them personally and truly love and care about them like her own children, she would have had that person assessed for a mental illness. She smiled when she saw John, Joy and Steve’s parents basking in the sun and chatting happily. All four of them were so old now, they were the best parents she was granted after loosing her biological ones. They will all hold a very dear place in her heart. She laughed when she saw a group of tee
Twelve years later, Steve and Aziza finally got a chance to retire from politics and parliament. Even though Steve was no longer the president of Asherway, his ideals and the processes he worked very hard to develop were still in place and kept the country going. He did not achieve a non racial world as he had hoped but he spoke so loudly and widely against racism and got the rest of the world to listen, to acknowledge and work towards non racial societies. There were still isolated racial incidences around the world, some even in Asherway but there were more people speaking out against it than those condoning or making excuses for it. Happy and content that he gave the country and the world his best, Steve could finally be a full time husband and father. As if compensating for the time he spent away from them, the spoiled his children rotten but Lucy Unity Marlone was the most doted of all the children. Even though seventeen years later, Steve still could not forget how his little
In Asherway Presidential office, Steve pulled his wife to his arms and looked down at her “Aziza Gray Marlone, what did you do to President Clive?”he asked charmingly.Aziza looked away, avoiding his infatuating emerald eyes “Nothing,”she said softly.“Are you keeping secrets from me now?” he asked, sulking knowing she could not keep anything from him.“He came to hold you ransom with his secret nuclear weapon, I hijacked it” Aziza blurted out. She just could not keep secrets from Steve even when she tried.“What?” Steve asked, shocked. “No wonder Clive was so terrified,” he added.“He had no interest in non racial world Steve,&rdq
At the Asherway National Assembly, Aziza sat next to Steve and his Vice President with President Clive and his wife across them. At this point both Steve and his Vice President were so angry, they were ready to tear President Clive apart but Aziza had other plans. Her hand remained on Steve’s knee, keeping him seated. President Clive had asked her a question she was very glad to answer “I’m glad you asked me that, President Clive because I have asked myself that very question many times before” she said “You see it’s not about war alone, it can be anything. A racial incident for instance, which side would Steve take? which one would I take? and where would that leave our children?” she added.“That’s what I’m talking about. I am right, am I not?” President Clive beamed.“It depends on what stage of my
The Asherway airport was buzzing with activity, national and international journalists were there to capture the moment two very different Presidents with completely different ideologies meet. Everyone was curious to know how President Clive, a known racist would be received in Asherway, a country known to be very intolerant to racists with a President calling for a non racial world. At exactly 11 o’clock, President Clive’s presidential plane arrived at Asherway. He disembarked with his expected all white staff, something journalists did not forget to point out. Steve and Aziza were captured approaching the group.“President Clive, welcome to Asherway” Steve said shaking Clive’s hand before moving to shake his wife. Aziza followed behind Steve and offered her hand but it remained in the air, none of them willing to shake her hand. The journalists went crazy capturing the moment. Steve shook his hea
In the Marlone house, Aziza stood at the door watching her children play outside with a thankful heart and gratitude. Lorraine, Mike and Nick turned out to be a handful from the day they came out of the hospital and now three years later, they had too much energy for her to keep up with. Each day she noticed how each one of them was different, their unique ways of doing things and how they all thrived at creating chaos around the house. Lorraine was the tinniest of the triplets but pulled all the strings. She influenced her brothers on which games they played, got to choose the toys first and always got her way, especially with Steve. It did not help that she had Aziza’s eyes, Lorraine had her father around her little finger, Steve just could not reprimand Lucy no matter what she did. Mike and Nick on the other side were behaving like typical twins, even when following Lorraine they did it together. Mike was the least talkative but Aziza found to be the most stubborn while Nic
Christmas eve marked Four days of Aziza in the intensive care unit. She had not improved but had not deteriorated either. Steve remained by his wife’s side more hopeful than before that Aziza will pull through. Speaking to a lot of people restored his hopes. Not hearing bad news from the doctors was also reassuring except he did not know that they counselled his family behind his back. Everyday he moved from his wife to his children with lots of energy and cheerful heart until a call from his deputy President shuttered every hope he had. His deputy happened to be in Steve’s office when John and Steve’s father called the secretary asking him to forward them the policies and protocols should the First Lady or the president be no more. Out of concern the deputy had called Steve to check on Aziza’s condition, unintentionally revealing Steve’s worse nightmare. He did not need to ask John or his father what they were up to, he knew exactly what they were tryi
In the hospital neonatal unit, Dr Smith finished checking the triplets out. “Congratulations Mr President, your babies are healthy and ready to go home” she beamed. She loved seeing healthy babies.“Thanks Doc, is it fine if they stay here longer. Their mother is..” Steve explained but could not complete his sentence. Just speaking about Aziza made him emotional.“Certainly, Sir” Dr Smith responded sympathetic. “The First Lady is a warrior with the whole country vouching for her, she will make it” she added. She aught not give hope she had no control over but could not help herself. Steve and Aziza’s story was well known, like Shake Spear’s Romeo and Juliet. She could only hope that their end is not as tragic, especially with now four children to raise.&ldqu
Nine months later, Aziza groaned in pain as contractions ripped through her, each wave more severe than the one before. Steve helplessly rubbed her back while the midwife’s and Dr Hail got ready for the unexpected delivery. She should have known better but everything had gone smoothly the whole nine months, they had put their guts down, took a chance to visit Steve’s parents out of town but then her water broke two hours away from their hospital. She was meant to have a cesarean section because of her previous one and the multiple babies she was carrying. Her operation was booked for the following week but it seemed the little ones decided to come earlier. Now fully dilated, no room for any pain medication, the hospital team had no choice but deliver the babies the natural route.“I can’t hold on anymore” Aziza screamed, already dreanched in sweat as her pelvic bones shifted to make way for the new