Elijah's Wife is Barren

"Elijah?"

Elijah stopped mid tracks and looked down at his watch. He was already running late for the office. He hated when his mother called early in the morning, especially since he knew just what she was about to say. With a silent gaze, he turned to his wife, Maria.

She was a small woman who was well known for her kind, gentle dignity, with a smile that warmed the hearts of everyone she met. Her only concern was her lack of children. She and Elijah have been married for seven years, but she has never even conceived or had a miscarriage. The future seemed bleak.

Elijah knew that was going to be the subject matter today too. He didn't really have the time for matters like these. He didn't want to indulge his parent's worry and didn't want to have to answer all their questions. In fact, he had been trying to escape going to the hospital for the tests they had been proposing.

Maria gave him a small sad smile, then hung her head. He could see how much it affected her, and how much she was beating herself up, as if it was her fault she wasn't conceiving a child.

"Mother. I am late for work and..."

"Is work more important than the future of this family?" She cut him off, her eyes pleading.

He gave an exasperated sigh and sat on the elegant couch. "My family, mother?"

She sat on the adjacent couch, and he could see Maria hold back some sobs from the corner of his eyes.

"What if...what if Maria does not give birth?" She asked, then looked at her. "It has been seven years, Elijah. We have even gotten tired of counting. Why can't we go to a doctor? We need to make sure of what is happening, Elijah. We can't go on like this."

"Mother. I believe it is not Maria's fault that she can't conceive. I am sure if she could, she would have. And..I really don't want to waste another morning going back and forth on this. It is a waste of time."

Elijah's mother, Mrs. Magdalene almost shrieked. "A waste of time? Then what exactly are you working for? Why exactly are you working if you don't have a child, a successor to inherit it? What is wrong with you?"

"Mother. Is there something you want? What do I have to do? Manufacture a baby?"

"No. But try. Just try at least. Show me an effort." She said, opening up her palms for emphasis.

"Is this about going to the doctor?" His voice became dark, his eyes cold. He hated being pushed into doing something he didn't want, and he hated it more when important matters were delayed for things he believed to be trivial.

"Yes, Elijah. At least, let's get to the bottom of this. Let us know why it is taking this long."

Maria gulped. She couldn't help but feel scared about the diagnosis of the doctor, and she earnestly hoped it wouldn't be her. She needed to stay Elijah's wife. His influence and affluence were some things she craved, even though he wasn't the man to give her much attention, or even love. Romance has never been a forte for them, and she had learned to fill that up with the privileges she got just from being his wife. She has maintained a stainless image, and she wanted to stay that way.

"If we do it, I do hope you will not pester me anymore, or make me run late, regardless of what the results show." Elijah said.

Maria's heart dropped to her stomach. She had been happy when he kept avoiding it but now, she wasn't sure what she should do.

Mrs. Magdalene looked satisfied as she reclined on the couch. "I will go get ready. Maria, you too. Don't keep Elijah waiting too long."

Maria nodded and walked past Elijah, as Mrs. Magdalene took the stairs to her room.

"Elijah..."

"Maria, please. Just go get ready."

She swallowed painfully, then nodded and turned away, taking the opposite staircase to her room.

Elijah kept his head between his thumb and index, his mind a bit occupied with some matters regarding work. He had to sort them out, but he knew he couldn't push this any further.

"Elijah?" Maria said, lightly touching his arm. He moved his hand gently away from her as he looked up.

"What is it?" He asked.

"Do we really have to go to the doctor? I do not...I am scared, Elijah."

"You are scared to go to the doctor? Why?"

"I just...it is..hard..."

He sighed and stood, just as Mrs. Magdalene made her way down. "I am not going to disappoint my mother again. If there is something wrong with you, I am pretty sure you don't have an option and it is not your fault."

Mrs. Magdalene walked to them with a small smile. "Let's go?"

Elijah gave a small nod as he led the way to the big garage, and chose the black range rover. He didn't like spaces that felt too suffocating and he chose the car because it was big enough for him to forget there were other people in the car.

They all got in, and he collected the key from the driver. "I will drive today."

He got in and turned on the ignition, then drove straight to the city hospital.

The nurse attended to them immediately, directing them to the office of Doctor Franklin. Their family doctor and specialist.

He promptly took them for tests, then directed them back to his office to wait for the results.

Maria kept her hands clasped on her laps, her frown more from fear than anger. She watched Elijah's stony face, and Mrs. Magdalene's anxious face. It offered her no comfort. She wished she could let go of all dignity and just voice her feelings.

The click of the office door jolted her back to reality, and she looked up. Doctor Franklin had a rather grim expression as he held the result paper.

"Go on with it, Doctor. I am rather late."

The doctor sat and then turned to Maria. "Mrs.Maria...have you probably let an infection go untreated maybe during your childhood?"

Her eyes widened. "What?"

"I mean...toilet infections...Pelvic inflammatory diseases...were you ever diagnosed with things like these and left it untreated?" He asked again, using his palms to emphasize.

"Uhmm...doctor, I..."

"Just answer the question, Maria. I have somewhere else to be." Elijah was getting frustrated with her stammering. He hated having to scare her.

She swallowed hard. "I...well, yes...I was much younger however. It just left later on its own."

"I am sorry. Elijah, Mrs. Maria. I checked the records and...Mrs. maria...your infection did not just leave. It went on to do further damage to your fallopian tubes. I am very sorry to the both of you, but...there is absolutely no chance at all that Mrs. Maria will ever be able to conceive. Her reproductive system is not even able to accommodate fertilization."

Maria's heart sunk to her feet. How could this happen? She can't give birth?

She turned to Mrs. Magdalene whose expression did not disappoint. Her look of absolute horror slowly morphed into that of detest, as she stood up and walked out of the doctor's room.

Elijah stood, the emotionless mask he always kept for a face still intact as he shook the doctor's hand and walked out. Maria followed meekly, her vision slightly blurred by the tears that filled her brown eyes.

They sat in silence as Elijah drove. The silence made Maria even more unsettled. She at least expected an outburst, considering how desperate Mrs. Magdalene had been regarding her childbirth.

"Mother...I swear I..." Maria started to say, before she was rudely cut short by Mrs. Magdalene.

"Elijah. I want you to marry someone else." Her tone was firm and Maria instantly knew she was done for. Mrs. Magdalene Morrison was a kind woman whose only wish was to hold her own grandchildren. She had been impatient, and she knew she wouldn't wait on a lost cause anymore.

"Marry another woman? Why would I do that? I already have a wife." He said simply, like it was supposed to be obvious.

"The wife you claim to have is barren, Elijah! All your wealth and status in this society and you expect to not even have an heir because you want to stick to one woman?" She turned to Maria who was now a mess of tears. "And you. Do you not know it is the responsibility of any truly dignified woman out there to take care of her body for when she would be required to conceive?"

"You talk as as if women are some breeding machines. She was careless, but it's also her body. I am sure if she had a way out, she would not be stuck in this." Elijah said, making Maria feel a little at ease that he was defending her.

Elijah however, was just voicing the obvious. He had only brought himself to marry maria back then because he had no way about it, and he wasn't ready to force another woman on himself again.

He was, in fact, disillusioned with the whole idea of romance and love, and he knew he could not develop any of such for any woman, including the one he was married to.

"Elijah! Do not be sentimental because she is your wife."

"I am, in fact, being very logical, mother. I did my best and put in the effort you wanted to see. I pushed back my important meetings just for this, so please. I would hate for this to be a new subject to be pestered about."

Mrs. Magdalene gave a small huff. "I am sorry, but I only have your best interest in mind. I will not let this barren woman tie you down. You have to bring someone who will bring us children and take on the legacy and businesses of the family. That's it"

She turned to Maria, then rolled her eyes and turned away.

Elijah said nothing. He was eager to drop them off and leave. He has already heard enough.

Maria knew that with time, Elijah would give in. He always did especially when it came to his mother. Mrs. Magdalene knew exactly how to get her son to do what she wanted, simply by pestering him. Till he couldn't take it anymore.

They soon got to the mansion and Maria slipped away to her room. The last thing she wanted was Mrs. Magdalene scolding her again, especially with the prospect of a competition hovering in her mind.

She wouldn't just be sharing her husband, and she sure wouldn't be sharing his attention since he already gave her none, but she would be sharing the status as his wife and the daughter in-law of one of the most respectable families.

She didn't think she could allow that to happen. It would be too much for her, now that she was sure not to give an heir to the family.

A knock on the door sent her heart beat over the top and she stood up, her body shaky.

"Y..yes?"

Mrs. Magdalene walked in, her expression stoic."I want to speak to you."

"Mother. I really don't know how all of this happened...I would have been more careful. I understand how you would feel right now as a mother, but..I am also in despair. Please."

"If you want to do something that benefits the family since you can't get pregnant, then consent to the marriage and let someone who can assume the proper role of a daughter In-law do it. Elijah is the mayor and just the fact that he is a family man is of great help. Being a daughter in-law goes far beyond just being around to help in his endeavors. You are a good daughter in law, but your barrenness is something we can't overlook."

Maria felt her heart crumble. She always showed herself as the generous woman who was large at heart, and maybe this was the time for her to prove it.

She pushed down all feelings of hate and jealousy temporarily, knowing very well it would come back later.

"Mother, if that is what will help Elijah and make the family happy...I don't have any objections to it. I give my consent."