The right decision?
Carmen and Rhafiek’s marriage is cracking under the weight of their ailing, unborn baby.
Emotions are running high for Carmen and Rhafiek Samsodien (Desiré Gardner and Irshaad Ally) over what to do about their pregnancy. Their baby has been diagnosed in-utero with Edward’s Syndrome, which causes a developmental delay. While Carmen wants to keep the baby, her husband Rhafiek would rather terminate the pregnancy. Their differing views cause friction and the mounting medical bills are putting them under further strain.
THE MONEY IS UP
“Carmen is frustrated because she feels that her loved ones want to prescribe what she does and doesn’t do, not taking her feelings into account,” explains Desiré. Like when her mom Estelle (Elsabe Daneel) visits and they get into a fight and Carmen chases Estelle out of her home. Meanwhile, Rhafiek breaks a tooth and discovers that their medical aid is empty – Carmen’s pregnancy has drained the fund. “It is a setback for Rhafiek, who now has to dive into their savings,” says Irshaad. “And the fact that they currently have only one income, with Carmen no longer having a permanent job and working as a freelance interior decorator, only makes things more difficult and puts more pressure on them.”
JUST TOO MUCH
A discouraged Rhafiek avoids his wife and starts to spend more time at his parents’ house. “Things are getting too much for Rhafiek. He needs a place to recover and he turns to his parents, especially his pharmacist father AB (Cedwyn Joel) for advice,” says Irshaad. Carmen tracks her hubby down and while AB has no answers for his son, Carmen reaches out and calmly tries to talk to Rhafiek about them and their baby’s future. “They talk nicely to each other, but they still struggle to get on the same page,” says Desiré.
THE PRICE OF PEACE
Carmen’s love and words strike a chord and even though it’s not his first wish, Rhafiek agrees to keep the baby. “He loves Carmen and he knows that he won’t be able to change her mind. One of them has to concede, and that’s what he’s going to have to do,” says Irshaad.
But while Carmen is calmer after the truce, she starts to worry if she bullied Rhafiek into the decision she wanted. What does it help if he’s going into this journey not really hopeful for the outcome? And there are still many hurdles waiting in Carmen and Rhafiek’s path as they hope that this baby will bring the love and joy they’ve prayed for.