Strong Emotions - Episode 7

 

       For three days now, I had kept myself indoor, I just laid on my bed shivering from cold. Mum was worried and she suspected that I was pregnant because I couldn't eat nor have the strength to go to work and I kept going to the bathroom to vomit. Her suspicion came into reality when she saw the pregnancy strip I dropped near the water closet. She rushed into my room.
   

       " Enny...what is this? And who owns it?" She asked as she raised the pregnancy test strip up for me to see . Oh Lord! I have forgotten to flushed it down the  closet. She looked at me with disappointment when I was silent.
     

         "Don't tell me..you..are pregnant?" She asked in horror. I froze, I have never seen her so frustrated. I sat upright expecting the worse to happen, I looked at her with regret.
 

         "I'm sorry mum." I sobbed.
   

     " Sorry for what? Are you truly preg..nant?" She roared. I looked at her with fright and nodded positively as if my tongues were tied. She moved closer to me and gave me a well befitting slap, satisfied, she move slightly away and sat on my bed, she bent her head low and cried bitterly.
     

         "Who is responsible?"she asked calmly, wiping up her tears with her dress

All episodes of this story can be found here >> https://www.ebonystory.com/story/strong-emotions

. I allowed my tears to flow freely, I had made my mum cry.
     

          "Alfred..."I said as I sniffed.Mum shook her head in disappointment.
         

         "How old is the pregnancy?" She asked staring at my belly. I fumbled with my fingers, 
I was embarrassed.
         

           "Three... weeks" I stammered.
       

           "Enny!... You had s*x with that guy after what he did to you? You are a disgrace to this family...God knows your dad and I tried our best to raised you right. I taught you about abstinence from s*x before marriage, we gave you everything you've ever requested for, money, shelter, care, love , attention and all you could do is repay us with this? You are just twenty years for goodness sake. Hmm...your dad was right after all, if you had travelled to London to stay with your aunt , this wouldn't have happened. I hope Alfred claim the pregnancy". She said, I nodded, I was short of words. God knows I wasn't expecting this pregnancy ,not with that liar and cheat. 
     

       "Mum....I never meant for this to happen. He...he got me drunk and took an advantage of...."

      "Will you keep quiet, can you hear yourself? How did he got you drunk in the first place?" Mum interrupted angrily. I looked at her bashfully, I knew she was boiling with extreme rage.
     

      "We have to keep this as secret from your dad, you know his health condition and you wouldn't want to make matters worse, would you? I will talk to your aunt Theresa and whether you like it or not, you are traveling to London." She got up, looked at me ,sigh and made to leave.
       

       "Mum..wait..." I stood up slowly, my body was weak and my back ached seriously.
         

         "Can I inform Alfred about it?" I asked with a soft tone.
         

          "What are you still waiting for? He should prepare to come and take your hands in marriage before you travel." She walked out banging the door. I knelt down beside my bed with  my arms spread towards the ceiling, What I'm going to do?  Oh Lord! Save me from this confused state I found myself. I'm sorry for all the sins I might have committed. I know this is simply a way of getting punished. I can't marry Alfred not after what he did to me, but at the same time I have to tell him about my pregnancy.

          We had promised each other not to engage in any romantic affairs untill after marriage not until that night he took me out on a date, it rained heavily that night, I couldn't go home so I followed him home. That night, I had my first kiss and he had his way with me. At first I felt so much pain and swore under my breath not to engage in such again. He apologized that night and I forgave him as an eighteen years old naive girl would do when she is in love.  He kept to his promise and didn't touch me until that night we got drunk.
   

            I sat back on my bed and thought of calling Alfred but my legs shivered and I almost went into syncope. I dialled Alfred's number, it ranged but he didn't pick, I dialled it a second time and I heard a lady's voice.
       

          "Hello...who is on the line?" She asked rudely.
       

           I sighed "I want to speak with Alfred". I replied calmly.
         

          "My love is in the bathroom". She replied and hanged up the call on me. Oh Lord!( I can't keep echoing the Lord's name, I need his intervention in my life right now). Who was that lady I spoke with? She called him 'my love',  another pornstar I guess. I bit the tip of my right thumb in anxiety and thought of what to do, my phone rang, it was Alfred, the bitch had delivered my message.
       

          "Enny dear, my...sis..ter..told me you.. called". He stammered, I could hear the bitch mummererd. What a fool he was, his sister? The last time I checked, he never had a sister but female cousins who stayed overseas. Anyways, that's not my business, he can continue to lie for all I care, that's his problem.
         

         "You remembered her? ...the one...that..erm.. "he continued with his lies.
     

         "I'm pregnant". I interrupted calmly, there was a sudden silence.
       

      "Hello...Alfred did you hear me?". I asked when I heard no response.
     

         "Congratulations...so who is the lucky father?"he asked in his usual sarcastic tone.
     

         "What do you mean by who is the lucky father?".
       

        "Calm down Enny..."
     

          "Don't tell me to calm down, idiot. I'm not getting married to you and I will just get rid of this baby and..."
     

         "Get rid of my baby? "He screamed.

          "Don't you dare try it, you can't marry me and that's fine, I won't force you but don't you dare get rid of my baby". He shouted and I could feel his voice quaver. I hanged up and threw the phone on my bed angrily. He wanted to deny and all of a sudden he doesn't want me to abort the pregnancy. What a stupid and confused human being, so selfish and heartless. My phone rang, this time around it was George but I ignored his call because I wasn't ready to pass passive aggression on him.
                 
      ************

       Thank God it was Sunday, my breast felt heavy, the vomiting had stopped but my back still ache. I no longer feel feverish and I realized my appetite had doubled,  I remembered the conversation I had with my mum last night. 

      " You just have to be strong and get closer to God at this stage. You will be a mother soon, it's not easy but I want you to be strong. When is Alfred coming to ask your hand in marriage dear? Your belly will start protruding." She asked nervously.
   

    "I don't know mum, the last time he called he sounded like he wanted the baby but..."
   

     "But what?...talk to me Enny."she said anxiously.
   

       "Mum, I can't marry him, he is a liar and a cheat. " I confessed. Mum  stared at me befuddled. She stood up and walked out of my room without uttering a word. How can I make her understand that I can't marry Alfred.
 

      I need to talk to God about my situation, he is the only one that can understand what is happening and how I feel. My parents sat at the dinning waiting for me to join them and they  watched as I swished down the stairs in a long, blue, sleeveless gown. Mum looked away, she told me to stop putting on my tight fitting clothes because of the growing foetus but I told her I would stop putting on such clothes if I no longer feel comfortable in them. I joined them at the table, dad smiled at me and I greeted him politely, he had been so cool and calm lately, the doctor said his health had detoriated greatly and all he need is to rest. I looked at mum but it seems she was trying to avoid me.
   

        "Let's eat before the food gets cold, we have to get to church on time". She said coldly, she looked young and beautiful in her long, blue and white plain and pattern Ankara gown with a black turban wrapped around her almost grey hair. She served us the rice and stew she prepared. I was about to dig my spoon in the food when someone knocked on the door. Who could it be? I opened the door and guessed who I saw , Alfred!.

         "What are you doing here?" I asked rudely. He walked towards my parents and prostrated, mum smiled, Alfred had finally come to perform his rite, mum thought. I folded my arms across my chest, " mum tell him to go away". I screamed.
   

          "Go where? Are you okay at all? He is the father of your baby and he has the right to be here". Mum replied strictly, she gave no cognisance of dad's presence, or maybe she had forgotten that dad was sitting right in front of  us.
   

         "I came here to be sure she hasn't aborted my baby". Alfred said with an air of confidence. Dad stood up ,he banged the table with his fist and his face looked scary.
   

         "What baby are you talking about?" He roared, he looked at us one by one expecting one of us to say something.