Kendra and Maura walked down the hospital corridor to see the OB-GYN recommended by a friend in South Surabaya. This was the fourth OB-GYN they had consulted, after the previous three had failed completely.
Maura looked anxious and squeezed Kendra’s fingers several times. Maybe she needed a little extra strength to prepare herself mentally for the examination results they were about to hear.
“What if it turns out I’m infertile, Honey?” Maura asked, stopping in her tracks.
“Hush! Be careful what you say—it might become a prayer. Don’t say something you don’t want to happen yourself.” Kendra continued holding Maura’s hand, trying to calm her down.
“But I’m scared, Honey.” She lowered her head even further.
“Whatever happens, we’ll face it together, okay?” The man tightened his grip on her hand.
Women were delicate creatures—but not spirits. What he meant was that their feelings were delicate, or sensitive. They often overthought things, creating pain and wounds for themselves. As her husband, Kendra had to be able to calm his wife whenever worry and anxiety took over.
They finally reached the door of a room that was already familiar to them, since Kendra and Maura had been there three days earlier. They had been asked to return today to learn the results of their fertility tests.
Kendra glanced at the dark-brown leather-strapped watch around his wrist. They were still five minutes early for their scheduled appointment. No problem, the curly-haired man thought.
“Come in!” Dr. Elkan’s distinctive, lilting voice came from behind the door.
“Good afternoon, Doctor.” Kendra greeted him while gently pulling along his still-frightened wife.
“Wow, you’re right on time. Please, have a seat.” The long-chinned man with oversized black-rimmed glasses gestured for them to sit.
Those glasses are incredibly old-fashioned. I can’t believe anyone still wears them, Kendra muttered to himself. Dr. Elkan’s appearance did have a vintage vibe, even though he wasn’t all that old.
Without wasting any time, the doctor immediately explained the results of Kendra and Maura’s fertility tests. There was absolutely nothing wrong with their fertility. Both of them were perfectly healthy.
“So, this is purely a matter of God’s will. Pray often. Hopefully, you’ll soon be entrusted with a child to care for,” Dr. Elkan said as he handed them the two sheets of test results from the previous day.
The news left Kendra and Maura feeling relieved. Maura, who had been tense on the way there, was smiling again now. Her smile was addictive to Kendra. Even the slightest change in her mood always disrupted his concentration at work. That was why Kendra always wanted to make his wife smile.
“Honey, what do you think about the doctor’s suggestion?” Kendra drove while glancing at his wife, who was still holding their fertility test results.
“The test results say that we’re both healthy, Honey. So, in my opinion, there’s no need to go through IVF or anything like that. I’ll patiently wait until Allah gives us that blessing,” Maura replied, her eyes still fixed on the paper in her hands.
“But there’s nothing wrong with trying, right? Our religion allows it too, as long as the sperm comes from the lawful husband.” Kendra tried to persuade Maura.
This was their second year of marriage. During the first year, Kendra had still been able to patiently accept the lack of any signs of pregnancy. But now that they were entering their second year, the moral burden felt increasingly heavy. They weren’t just overwhelmed by questions about when they would have children—they also had to endure accusations that one of them had to be infertile.
There was hardly any pressure from Maura’s family, but the pressure from Kendra’s family was tremendous. Kendra’s mother was always pushing them to have children as soon as possible. It was not uncommon for that woman to hurl cutting remarks that hurt Maura deeply. Accusations of infertility, claims that she was a useless wife, and various other insults were often heard.