Wrong Number-
Episode 4
I woke up the next morning, I took the PT strip into the bathroom, I sat on the toilet sit and pee on the stick. I waited for some minutes and to proof my suspicion, I saw two red lines, meaning Iโm pregnant. I screamed.
Tunde rushed into the bathroom and held me. He took the stick from me, he saw two red lines which Iโm sure he doesnโt understand the meaning.
He took the PT strip pack from the top of the sink where I put it. He read the instructions and he realized what was going on.
โSo two red lines means positive โ he said and sighed heavily. He was sweating profusely. He took me into his arms to console me but I cried the more.
โTunde Iโm finish, my father will disown me thatโs if he didnโt kill me firstโ I said in tears.
โPamilerin take it easy, weโll figure it outโ
โYou canโt understand, have brought shame upon myself and family. My mum is a deaconess while my dad is an elder in church. Iโm the first child, what example will I set for my siblings?โ I wept uncontrollably.
โI understand, we are both not ready for this, just put yourself togetherโ
โYou are a guy, Iโm going to be the object of ridicule not youโ I said amidst tears.
He wiped my tears with his hands.
โBabe, take your bath and letโs prepare for school it’s almost 7am and we both have 8 oโclock lectureโ
โGo ahead and take your bath, let me stay at home and mourn my woesโ
โLetโs stay at home together then, I canโt leave you all alone, not like thisโ
โDonโt miss lectures because of me, donโt worry I wonโt commit suicide. I know better than that, suicide is a direct flight to hellโ
โIโm not leaving, weโll stay here togetherโ
We were like that for hours, we did not bath or eat. We were both engrossed in our thoughts. He sent a text message to the class rep that we won’t be coming to class that very day. One thing is sure, the whole class will notice our absence.
Despite the text, we still got so many calls. He picked some, I didnโt pick any, it got to a stage I had to put off my phone.
Both of us are just in the room, we didnโt say a word to each other. I thought of so many things, should I run away? But where will I go? I thought.
โPamilerin! He broke the silence.
โYesโ
โWhat do you want us to do about the pregnancy?โ
โI wish Iโm dreaming, I want to wake up and realize all this is a dreamโ
โThis is realโ
โWhat do you want us to do about itโ? I asked him the same question he asked me.
โWe have just two options here, itโs either we keep it or we abort it.
โLet me think and weigh my optionsโ I said.
โI think we have to decide fastโ
โIโm keeping itโ
โPamilerin as much as Iโm happy that you are carrying my child, and that I can father a child, you know we are not ready for this, we canโt take care of this childโ
โWhat are you insinuating?
โAbortion, thatโs the only option weโve gotโ
โAbortion! Murdering an innocent child!โ I sighed heavily
โPamilerin, Iโm ashamed of myself, this is my seed we are talking about here, I want to see my flesh and blood too but I canโt bring a child into this world when Iโm not readyโ
โWhat if something goes wrong in the processโ
โWhatever happens, I will stand by you, I will never leave you. I love you and I want to spend the rest of my life with you. That I promise youโ
โTunde, I hope the tune of the song wonโt change tomorrow. Hope itโs not just an empty promise?โ
โDo you want me to swear or somethingโ
โNo! You donโt have toโ I said. Although deep down inside of me, I wish I could make him swear an oath, but I know its not right.
I sighed heavily and picked my phone and dialed my cousinโs number. Joy is a close and trusted cousin, we always have each otherโs back. She once had an abortion and she confided in me then.
โJoy Iโm pregnantโ I said immediately she picked the call.
โPreg what? Pamilerin why? You should have been more careful, I told you my experience and it was not a good oneโ Joy lamented.
I noticed she was already close to tears from the sound of her voice.
โGod! I wish this never happened to youโ she said sniffing.
โDonโt cry because of me, I brought this upon myselfโ
โLetโs leave this baby, Daddy canโt kill you, I know he will be mad at you but I promise to stand by youโ she advised.
โI donโt want itโ
โThis is one big guilt youโll live with for the rest of your life, do you want that?โ
โJoy, thatโs the only option I haveโ
โYour boyfriend?โ she asked
โWe are on the same pageโ i replied
โOK, I took pills thenโ she said and gave me the name of the pills.
โThanks, Iโm gratefulโ
โPlease take care and please update meโ
โI will, thanksโ I said and ended the call.
โWhat did she say?โ Tunde asked after I disconnected.
โShe said she used pills but Iโm sorry if Iโm going to be having an abortion that is not an option for meโ
โWhy? She used it and it workedโ
โTunde, Iโm not using pills, what if it has side effects. Take me to a hospital, I will pay for it if you canโt. This is my life we are talking about hereโ I shouted.
โIโm not saying Iโm not paying butโฆ..
โIโm going to a hospital tomorrowโ I said cutting him off.
โDo you have any hospital in mind?โ
โNo I donโt, God will direct meโ
Did I just say God? I couldnโt believe I mentioned God, if I had obeyed his instruction not to fornicate, I wouldnโt have found myself in this situation.
โOK, anything you decideโ he said
He stood up and went into the bathroom to take his bath, he went into the kitchen afterwards to prepare food for us. He encouraged me to take my bath too and I obeyed.
That night, sleep eluded me, what if I die, what if I did not make it? I thought of so many things, I was lying there waiting for morning to come.
TBC
