Volume 51 Issue 1 - January 2013 : Others

The last time she saw Katlego Morule was six months ago when she first told him she was pregnant. The poor 19-year-old Form-Five student nearly messed himself up when he heard the news, apparently shocked by the thought of becoming a father at his age. 

So scared was the young man that he frankly denied that it was his child what Malebogo was carrying. This shocked Malebogo so much that she lost weight due to frustration and loss of appetite for food.

Thus today, as the teenage mother cuddles her fatherless baby, her memory goes back to the day she was trooping along with some pregnant women in a long queue at Jubilee Hospital in Francistown. Suddenly a nurse appeared and, looking puzzled, she shouted at her: “Young girl, what are you doing there, that queue is for pregnant women only!”

Obviously embarrassed, the teenager from Monarch location in Francistown looked down awkwardly and could not utter a word. Her situation was worsened by the fact that all eyes had now turned on her.

On a closer look, the nurse realised that the teenager was actually in the right queue because she was pregnant, and certainly her pregnancy was at an advanced stage judging by her seriously bulging tummy.

The nurse, obviously originating from any of the countries north of Botswana, immediately walked away without uttering another word, and, as a matter of fact, she was not at all surprised because teenage pregnancy is on the rise in Botswana, and definitely Moagi was one of the unfortunate victims.

Malebogo`s wandering mind shifted to the tiff with her parents. So angry were they that she had disappointed them, especially after struggling for so many years to give her everything she needed for her to be academically empowered.  “How could you…?” both parents had shouted at her angrily on the night they discovered that their daughter was pregnant.

Malebogo`s father was the most aggressive, particularly because his daughter was going to be a mother at such a tender age. And the day he heard of the news the old man`s blood pressure shot up sending him to hospital for two weeks.

“I shall have nothing to do with you and your baby. You have tarnished this family`s name with your evil deeds,” Malebogo recalls her father saying.

The teenage mother`s memory also went to the day she met the ‘father` of her child, Katlego at her friend, Busi`s birthday party. And theirs was love at first sight because as soon as the party was over, the two lovebirds were in each other`s arms at Malebogo`s place. Because her parents were away on a two weeks` vacation, she ruled the house. 

The two teenagers had so much imbibed quite too freely that they had unprotected sex, and when after two and a half months Malebogo still had not menstruated she knew she was pregnant.

Thus, nine months down the line the delivery day had arrived, and, “It`s a girl!” a maternal nurse rejoiced. “Congratulations,” another one said with delight. But as she sat on the delivery bed watching the nurses attend to her new born, her stomach felt empty and was engraved with stretch marks.

Suddenly emotions overwhelmed her and she wished Katlego was there with her to share that moment - their moment. After cleaning the new infant, a doctor wrapped it nicely in a white blanket and brought the bundle of joy to its mother. “Here is your baby daughter. What`s her name?” the doctor asked cheerfully.

“Katlego jnr,” Malebogo replied softly and without hesitation. The bespectacled doctor - a Chinese by the name of Chang - immediately scribbled the baby`s name on a medical card before picking up the conversation again: “She is such a beautiful girl.”

“Yes she is such a beauty. Thank you,” Malebogo shyly acknowledged the compliment. Dr Chang was still by her beside and was busy making endless notes on Malebogo and Katlego`s medical cards when he said: “I am discharging you today after lunch. I have called your mother today and she has arranged for an ambulance to drop you off at home,” he said just as the pager started beeping loudly.

“Emergency, I have to run, take care of that beautiful girl ok!” he said to Malebogo`s nod in agreement. The doctor rushed off to the far end of the maternal ward where a group of doctors and nurses were attending to a pregnant teenage girl who had just been whisked into the maternal ward in a stretcher bed and was screaming loudly in agony and pain.

Every patient in the ward including Malebogo was alarmed, shocked at the scene before their eyes. “Call, Anand. Quick! She needs a caesarean!” “Prepare surgery tools and call Dr Muthusi to maternal surgery room 3!”

The ward was in commotion as doctors called orders to nurses, one after the other. Malebogo was in panic. The girl being attended to was her age mate.

“I think we are losing her, no pulse! A nurse cried. Chang shouted once again and looked at the lifeless teenager before him; she was the same age as his daughter.

“What`s the situation?” Dr Anand appeared suddenly and demanded a brief. “Sixteen years old female, pregnant, BP 135 over 147 and she is in a critical condition!”

“Did you say she is sixteen?” Dr Anand asked. “Yes doc. It is written in her medical card” Another nurse confirmed and handed the medical card to Dr Anand, Dr Mothusi and Dr Chang who examined the card carefully.

“She is too young to carry a child and physically unfit to give birth. She is carrying a still born and the mother is not likely to make it,” Dr Mothusi proclaimed to everyone`s horror.

Malebogo Moagi watched in sadness as the teenage girl`s body was being whisked away to the morgue. ‘What if it was me?` She thought of the pain of having to fight for her breath, it would be horrible. She thanked God for being with her throughout her pregnancy.

When the ambulance parked in front of Malebogo`s home that afternoon, the family was waiting in anticipation. Her two older sisters who worked in Gaborone were also present to grace their little sister`s home coming.

“Welcome home sis! They said in unison and further proposed a toast. ‘Long live our sister who is now a mother, ‘one of them said jokingly while helping Malebogo unpack her belongings from the ambulance. The other helped carry Katlego jnr. 

The three sisters were mature people, and fiercely devoted to each other. “My granddaughter, whispered Mrs Moagi. “This is the happiest day of my life.” Mr Moagi pulled a smile and tried to be strong but he was still dying inside. He took Malebogo`s pregnancy as a personal failure.

“Are you okay?” Daddy asked Malebogo while trying his best to shrug of sadness. “Yes I am fine dad,” she replied bravely. Daddy slightly uncovered the blanket wrapping Katlego jnr and stared at the little soul. He then sprawled his hands to hold the baby, Malebogo did not resist. 

“Do you know how to hold the baby dear?” Mrs Moagi asked with a motherly concern. “Yes I do” Mr Moagi said holding the baby firmly. “What a beautiful little girl she is,” pronounced Malebogo`s older sister, Mpho.

“Just like her mother,” Mr Moagi added and everyone laughed. As the ambulance drove off, the whole family walked quietly to a bedroom that was specifically decorated for Malebogo`s confinement, with Mr Moagi still holding the baby. Malebogo felt blessed for having such an understanding family, though fortunate to an extent because what lay ahead was major. The responsibility of being a single mother was not a life threatening task; it was simply going to be impossible for someone her age.

That night Malebogo`s baby could not shut up. She cried all night and nobody could sleep. As for Malebogo, she lost her academic opportunity due to her pregnancy as she could not be allowed to finish her senior education in her condition. She dropped out of school when she was four months pregnant, and just six months away from writing her final BGCSE exams. ENDS

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