Precious

The calling bell woke me up as usual. It was her as I expected; the one who helped me with my house chores. Noticing her fatigue, I asked how she was. She told me that she was pregnant! I had no idea what to say...should I congratulate her?

I knew that she had four daughters. Apart from the youngest, the other daughters lived with her parents in their hometown. She was two years older than me but had married young, and her older daughter was going to college soon.

I also knew that she and her husband's salaries made it difficult for them to manage their children. So the question was, can she afford one more child? I could tell she was pretty excited about her pregnancy. She was doing this because she wanted a boy this time!

I attempted to converse with her. A girl or a boy is equally precious, and having more children for a boy never made sense. She replied that if the wife in her country is unable to bear a son, the husband will remarry. I tried to convince her that instead of trying for a boy, she should focus on educating her daughters. But she gave me a pained look and said I'd never understand.

Her wish was granted after nine months of waiting. It is a boy this time! That must have saved her marriage. But are these marriages worth saving? The constant pressure to deliver a boy in this era, when it is not even the women's fault not to Have One!