I could scarcely sleep that night. It was apparently the longest night I had ever known. It took eternity before it was break of dawn. I could not wait to get out of bed, do my chores and run off to meet Bobby so he could take me to the doctor he talked about and evacuate the baby in my womb. I was scared at the prospect of going through an abortion at my age. I had read so many dreadful things that have happened to young ladies who go through abortions, especially multiple abortions. And the very thought that I could possibly end up with a damaged womb after the D&C just frightened me to my marrows.
But I had no other choice. There was no other option on the table. It was either I go ahead with the D&C or go through the shame and the stigma I would put myself and my parents through if word got out that, I, Rosemary, one of the brightest girls in the neighbourhood, had gotten pregnant. The shame, I feared, could kill my father. He had invested every drop of his sweat, his earnings, on me and my siblings. To pay him back this way would so definitely shatter him. And my mother? She would cry and cry until there would be no more tears left in her eyes. And as for me, that could mark the end of my education. That could mark the beginning of a very bleak and gloomy future for me. I had to think of way out of this mess I’d gotten myself into and I had to do that fast.
Once the day broke, I got out of bed and promptly went about my chores. Dad was surprised I had gotten up that early. He was usually the first to wake up in the house. He liked getting up early to prepare for work. A few hours after, mum called me into her room.
“Rosemary, remember yiu have to see the doctor this morning, I don’t want you to disregard what he said o,” mother warned. “Go and find out the kind of test you will do first and let him tell us what it will cost and leave me and your father to worry about where the money will come from.”
“But mother, I swear I am okay, I don’t really need this test…,” I tried one last desperate effort to dissuade her from compelling me to go see the doctor.
“That is not for you to say, Rosemary, let the doctor decide that,” mother retorted. “He knows what he’s doing. It’s his job. If you don’t need to do the test he would not have come to the house to say so. How many homes have you seen the doctor personally go to in this neighbourhood? But he came here to our house.”
Because he wants to sleep with your daughter! I almost screamed out to mother. But I restrained myself. I told her it was okay and that I would do exactly as she had instructed and moments later, I left the house. Mother’s thinking was that I was going to see the doctor. But that was far from the reality. I wasn’t going to see any doctor, I had a big appointment with Bobby, the guy who got me into this mess!
I was practically racing to Bobby’s house to meet up with t5he 10 o’clock appointment we agreed. I was almost cursing the bus driver on my way to Bobby’s place. He was driving so terribly slow like he had no care in the world. What’s worse, he was practically stopping at every bus-stop, either dropping off passengers or waiting for to cross from the other side of the road to come join us. It took, literally, every bit of strength inside to stop myself from screaming out loud and cursing the man from the top of my lungs. Finally, we got to the final bus-stop and I jumped down from the bus ahead of others who were in front of me. Bobby gave me 10 o’clock, and we were already few minutes to eleven.
In my heart, I was just praying seriously, hoping Bobby had gotten money ready for the D&C. I didn’t want to return home with the pregnancy still breathing inside me. At exactly ten minutes to eleven o’clock, I was knocking on the door to Bobby’s apartment. There was no response after the first few knocks. He must’ve fallen asleep while waiting for me or something, I thought to myself. Just as I was bracing to knock a little harder this time, the door flung open. The man at the door was not Bobby. He didn’t look anything like Bobby. And he couldn’t have been his friend either because he looked much younger. As I stared speechlessly at the face gazing at me, I felt something explode inside deep inside of me. In my head, I heard a loud voice tell me something terrible was about to happen, and that I was in deep, deep trouble!
“Yes, young lady, can I help you?” the man said after taking a good look at me from head to toe, a puzzled look on his face.
“Good…good…good morning, sir…” I could barely find my voice. I was trembling badly all over.
“Yes, can I help you?” the man asked, his very unfriendly.
“I’m sorry, sir, but I am…I am here to….to see Bobby, sir.” I was finally able to get the words out of my mouth.
“Bobby?” he asked. I nodded nervously. He mentioned the name Bobby like he had never heard the name before. My heart had started to beat pretty fast now.
“Yes…. Yes, sir,” I answered nervously.
“And who are you?” the man quizzed me further.
I wasn’t sure how to answer his question. “Can’t you answer?” the man snapped at me.
“I’m his…his friend, sir….” I muttered, looking away from him.
“His friend? Or his girlfriend, you mean?” he probed further.
Who is this man? What I he to Bobby? Why is he asking me so many questions? And where is the damned Bobby by the way? Lots of questions were racing through my mind as I stood in front of the door, facing this man’s interrogation.
“I am not..not his girlfriend, sir. I’m just a friend of his,” I told him, still unable to look him in his eye.
“Are you sure about that?” he asked. I could only nod my head slowly in response.
“Please, sir, is Bobby at home? It’s very….it’s very important I see him, sir, please….” I was close to tears now. I knew something was wrong, I could feel it, but I just couldn’t place my finger on it.
“Is there something wrong, young lady, you look troubled?” this man was torturing me with his unending questions.
I couldn’t take the pressure anymore. In an instant, I went on my knees and pleaded with the man. “Sir, please, I beg you in God’s name, I need to see Bobby right away, where is he?” My voice had begun to tremble heavily. My eyes had become glassy with tears. I couldn’t tell why, but I had a bad feeling something nasty was about to happen to me and without realizing, I had begun to weep inside for myself.
“Okay, young lady, if you must know, Bobby is not around at the moment….”
“Where is he, sir? Where has he gone to?” I didn’t let him finish.
“Bobby has travelled back to Lagos, that’s where he was staying before he came to the village!”
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