They Mocked Me for Being Barren, but the Child I Finally Held in My Arms Silenced Every Laugh

For years I lived under the weight of whispers and pity. After I married, relatives and neighbours began asking when I would give my husband children. When I failed month after month the answers were cruel “Maybe there is no child in your womb,” “You don’t have that blessing,” they would say.

I heard it everywhere: at church, during family meetings, even when I dared to smile at fellow mothers in the market. I carried the shame quietly, hiding my tears behind polite smiles. Every visit with my husband turned sour as hardened words echoed: “You will never give him children.”…CONTINUE READING