Of deception, infertility and miracle babies

Simbarashe Msasanuri
(bongoblast)


A man staying in one of Dar es Salaam's high density suburbs came back from work one day and found his son playing with two boys from next door. In a fit of anger, the man without saying a word rushed to where the boys were and clapped his son.

“I have told you several times not to play with these boys, they are too naughty.” Dragging him by the ear he continued shouting: “From today onwards you are grounded. After coming back from school, you stay indoors. In fact you Lizzy (referring to the house girl), you have to lock him indoors every time you collect him from school,” the man said, oblivious of the crowd that was quickly gathering to witness the free drama.

The boy at this moment was crying uncontrollably at the same time trying to free his ear from the painful grip of his father. The boy drew sympathy from onlookers who were now pleading with the father to forgive the boy.

More stranger than fiction was the reaction by the father of the two naughty boys who were playing with the one being punished. He peeped through the window and shouted that “Wewe zoba naona unaendelea, acha watato wangu washirikiane,” (You stupid man, let my children interact so that they can know each other). Dear reader, I won't tell you what happened next after the man had been told by the man next door that the child he thinks was his wasn't. This I leave to your imagination.

This quickly reminds me of the saying that mama ndiye anayemjua baba wa mtoto. I know that this day and age where deception and the love for money is taking centre stage, many men are taking care of other men's children without any ray of suspicion. Everything will be carefully planned and executed to such an extent that, in most cases, they come to know of it by accident.

Another surprising story from Britain left me even more confused. Two black parents welcomed a new member of their family in style when they discovered that their long awaited daughter was actually white. When I say white, I mean blonde not albino.

The stunned black dad of the new-born, white, baby girl declared last week that — "I’m sure she’s my kid . . . I just don’t know why she’s blonde."

Nmachi Ihegboro has amazed genetics experts who say the little girl is not an albino.

Dad Ben (44), a customer services adviser, admitted: "We both just sat there after the birth staring at her."

Mum Angela (35), of Woolwich, South London, beamed as she said: "She’s beautiful — a miracle baby." Ben told yesterday how he was so shocked when Nmachi was born, he even joked: "Is she mine?’’

He added: "Actually, the first thing I did was look at her and say, ‘What the flip?’" But as the baby’s older brother and sister — both black — crowded round the "little miracle" at their home in South London, Ben declared: "Of course she’s mine."

Blue-eyed blonde Nmachi, whose name means "Beauty of God" in the Nigerian couple’s homeland, has baffled genetics experts because neither Ben nor wife Angela has any mixed-race family history.

Pale genes skipping generations before cropping up again could have explained the baby’s appearance.

Ben also stressed: "My wife is true to me. Even if she hadn’t been, the baby still wouldn’t look like that.

This guy is too confident to say the least. I am not suggesting anything here dear reader, but to be confident of such things is something very difficult to stomach. Though there is something more than meets the eye, I just couldn't keep on imagining what would have happened if that child had been born at our own Muhimbili or any other local hospital. I don't even want to imagine what would have happened if the white girl was to be born in one of the remotest parts of the country.

The first thing that us men, this side of the earth, would have done is to label the woman a prostitute, while at the same time denouncing paternity of the child. Some people would blame it on witchcraft while others will label it an abomination. I really don't know what to call it but as the saying goes, the one who knows the father of the baby is the woman.

With so much deception going on in this world, I would advise the man to go for DNA test first before claiming that he is the father of a white child. If the DNA proves that he is the real father, then we can safely call it the miracle baby.

Just as I have mentioned earlier, we have so many miracle babies in our society, where deception and lies force men to raise other people's children, under the pretext that they are theirs. This, however, turns disastrous once the truth is uncovered.

These babies are so common especially these days where fertility among men in Bongo is said to have dropped to shocking levels. Medical tests are said to be showing that 35 percent of those going for checkups are often diagonised as barren. Doctors are attributing the rise in the rate of infertility in men to certain types of occupations as well as lifestyles in the fast changing and competitive world.

I think the government should make it mandatory for all men to undergo the testing. If that happens, we won't be surprised to find out that some men, who are currently boasting of having a full house, by having many children, including those from nyumba ndogos, are actually barren. What ever the miracle that would occur for them to end up having not only their wives but including small houses pregnant is something that will remain in need of answers.

Society is usually to blame for these miracle babies as soon after a couple weds, they begin counting and looking for signs of pregnancy. This puts a lot of pressure on the couple, especially women, some of whom are forced to look for miracle babies. This will be done to save face.

What most people forget is that, a man and woman get married, not because they want to have children, but because they love each other. Once people marry for the sake of having children or family then that family will not last. I believe that's why people are divorcing as if it's a competition.

Miracle babies are real and in most cases have helped to save shaky marriages. With each and everyone pointing the finger on a woman whenever a couple fails to have a child, most of them are not left without a choice but to look for miracle babies. But with this day and age where HIV is ravaging the society, t becomes dangerous as besides getting a temporary solution to a marriage, miracle baby, one can also bring in another problem, HIV/AIDS.

It is the duty of society to protect and stop discriminating against couples who fail to have children. Failure to do that, then the problem of miracle babies will stay with us for a long time. God bless you!

bongoblast@thisday.co.tz