YASMIN.
The last eight months have been a dream, I couldn't have hoped for a better pregnancy. I sure fooled Toby, he thought I was going to get rid of my baby for him. What a joke! I only agreed in the heat of the moment because I didn't want to lose him and then the idea came to give a few conditions when I saw that he was desperate. It was ]almost too unreal when he sent me such a large sum of money and agreed to sponsor my trip to any destination I wanted.
I was panicking about losing my baby when my mother opened my eyes. Whoever says you can't have your cake and eat it too? My mother planned my trip to this cosy backward island that almost feels like another planet. Can you believe that no one here knows who Yasmin Blake is?
Well, they don't and that is how I was able to pull this whole thing off under the radar of the paparazzi with Toby's money of course. I keep wondering how my mother found this small Island country filled with these friendly but ignorant people. Each time I ask, she tells me not to worry my head about such things.
I spend most of my days the same way eating and taking long walks on the beach in search of a signal. Mama as everyone calls her is the elderly lady who works for us as a housekeeper, she encourages my walks. She says it will help with the whole labour and delivery process and it must be true because she is the midwife around here but that's not the only reason I go on these walks.
Apart from searching for reception on my cell phone, I also go on these long walks every morning and evening and anytime I can because I'm fat. I'm not Ruby fat but I'm too fat for Yasmin Blake to be. The one thing I did throughout this pregnancy was eating and it shows. I keep doing all this walking in the hope that I will lose some weight but it doesn't seem to be working. This weight isn't going anywhere until this baby drops and I am so ready for that. It feels like it is way past the time for this baby's arrival but the doctors and Mama are saying we are right on schedule.
Fingers crossed that the baby would decide to make an appearance today.
"Ugh," I groaned and Mama looked at me like I was crazy. I took two steps forward and then dropped into a squat. I continued walking for a few minutes, doing squats at intervals till I was too tired to go forward so I sat In the sand. I picked up a stone from the sand in front of me, dusted the sand on it and admired it for a moment. It was smooth and cool to the touch. I'm not a collector and so I skipped it in the ocean.
I pulled my phone out of my pants pocket and found that the signal here was quite strong so I logged into my messaging app. A few messages came in, but not as many as when I first came here. In this industry, if you weren't in people's faces, they forgot you, including colleagues who called themselves friends. I've always known I didn't have any friends but going away like this just made me realise the benefits of flying solo all the more.
I clicked on a message from one of such so-called friends and it read, "Ruby and Toby just welcomed a son, contrary to your predictions, they are growing strong." I saw red as I read the message, the idea that it could be true repulsed me and then I doubted the whole thing. I sat there and convinced myself that Toby could not be having a baby with anyone else but me. I visited several blogs but they all said the same thing.
"The Daniels Welcome A Son."
"A New Heir to the Daniel Conglomerate is Born."
"Congratulations to Toby and Ruby Daniels as they leave the Hospital with their New Baby."
"Fans gather in front of the hospital on rumours that the hottest couple is set to leave the hospital today."
A few of the headlines read, I scrolled through social media for a few minutes, tears gathering in my eyes until I stumbled on a video and played it. Unlike most days the video plays on my phone screen.
"How was the labour and delivery process like?" the interviewer on my phone screen asked Toby.
"It was scary as hell for me but everyone involved keeps saying the process was smooth. The nurse called it a textbook delivery," Toby answered, looking like the ever-happy and excited parent.
"I'm guessing that means mother and child are doing fine, we spotted them leaving the hospital earlier."
The screen switched to Ruby being wheeled out of the hospital by a nurse with a bundle on her lap and Toby walking beside them carrying a baby bag. There was a crowd outside, security pushed back on the crowd creating a path for them to walk through. People had flowers in their hands, little gifts and cardboard with congratulatory messages on them.
Ruby waved at the crowd and Toby joined her, they went wild cheering them. Toby collected the baby from Ruby before the nurse helped her into the car and he and the baby followed. Flowers were thrown at the car as well as gifts before it finally sped up.
"When do we get to meet them?" The Reporter asked when it switched back to her.
"Hopefully soon, when they're all settled."
"Is it a boy or a girl?"
"It's a boy."
"How delightful, must feel great to have a mini version of you."
"Yeah, it feels amazing."
"Have you decided on a name yet?"
"Not yet but fingers crossed, we might just have another Toby Daniel if Ruby lets me have my way."
"How funny is that, you're one of those people huh?"
"Well, I guess I am."
"Congratulations again, we would love to meet the little man soon."
"There you have it folks, that was Toby Daniels, the President of Daniels Conglomerate. He just confirmed right here on the show that he welcomed a child with his wife Ruby sometime last week."
By the time the video ended, a steady stream of tears was streaming down my face and then I felt it. The worst cramp I had felt in my life. Mama was beside me the moment I cried out.
"I told you we shouldn't have walked this far out," she scolded in her accented English as she helped me to my feet for the long walk back home.