Lemonades episode 2

PART 2

I missed my period for two months. I didn’t notice it the first month but I did the second month. I waited for it to come but five days later, it still hadn’t come. I was worried and mentioned it to Emmanuel. He took me to a lab for a test. It was positive. I began to panic. How could I be pregnant? Emmnauel told me it wasn’t a big deal, we could use drugs to get rid of the pregnancy. I agreed. The drugs didn’t work; nothing happened. The next option was a D and C operation which both of us were not financially capable of handling.

Emmanuel told Gbenga what had happened. The guy advised us on how to raise the money. We had to steal from our parents anything valuable which wouldn’t be missed and then sell it for the money. Emmanuel stole his mother’s jewellery and sold it to raise the money. Three doctors we met refused to conduct the operation because I was underaged. Gbenga stepped in. He took us to a hospital in a rural area. The doctor did the operation. I was in pain after the operation. The doctor gave me instructions on how to take care of myself.

I was back to my bubbly self after a few days. Gbenga advised we should only have sex with protection always so a reoccurrence doesn’t happen. We promised to. He was so understanding.

My period never returned after two months. I had added some weight and my stomach was getting bigger. It never occurred to me it was pregnancy. It was my mother who observed the changes in me and asked me some questions.

“Esther, have you ever been with a man?”

“Ah! No ma. I haven’t been with a boy”

“Are you swearing to me you have never had sex with a boy before?”

“No ma” I lied.

“Mama Nasiru called me aside today and told me she suspects you are pregnant. She said you have added weight around the tummy and you are not as agile as you used to be. She has been seeing you with a boy at a corner near her street, from her house she can see everything happening at that corner because of the fancy blocks. She has seen you kissing a boy there several times. I ask you again, Esther, have you ever been with a boy?”

I didn’t know what to answer at this point. I kept mute while trying to imagine what my punishment would be. A slap landed on my face while I was still deep in thoughts.

“Is she correct?”

“I only kissed him; nothing else”

“Go and dress up, we are going to the hospital. This girl, you will not kill me”

I got ready with confidence and we went to the hospital. The lab took my blood for a test while we waited for the doctor to see us. We were called in not long after. I was asked to lie on the consultation bed and raise my top. The doctor asked my mother to come closer. He showed her something on my stomach and said, “She is pregnant; this is about eighteen weeks pregnancy”

“I am not pregnant,” I replied. “I can’t be pregnant”

“Esther, you are pregnant. Eighteen weeks can’t be aborted. How could you have done this to me?” my mother wailed as she spoke to me.

“It is not possible. I cannot be pregnant. I am sure I am not pregnant” I kept repeating.

“Why do you believe you are not pregnant?” the doctor asked.

“We aborted the pregnancy. They removed it and we didn’t do it again after then” I answered him, still confused.

My mother couldn’t believe her ears. ‘What did you say? You aborted a pregnancy? When? Where? My life is ruined”

There was confusion and mother wanted to know who was responsible for the pregnancy, who took me to abort and the hospital. I knew if I told her, many people would be in trouble. I refused to say a word. My mother descended on me. She beat me to the extent I had bruises all over my body. She told me she would kill me if I didn't tell her who was responsible at least. I was adamant to keep it a secret a little more until I could tell him and we would know what to do. My mother didn’t mention it to my father yet.

I dressed up for school the next morning and wore a cardigan to cover the bruises and my stomach which seemed to have grown even bigger overnight. I dropped my brothers off and went to school. When I told Emmanuel what happened, he didn’t believe me.

“How can you be pregnant again? Since we had the abortion we have not had sex again or have you been having sex with someone else?”

“Emmanuel! What are you talking about? I have not been with anyone else. By the way, the pregnancy is eighteen weeks therefore it cannot be a new pregnancy”

“Are you sure? We need to confirm this. Let us see uncle Gbenga, he will tell us what to do”

Gbenga was perplexed when he heard I was still pregnant. He took us back to the hospital. The doctor asked for a scan. The result showed truly I was pregnant, seventeen weeks. The doctor said it was possible I was pregnant with twins initially and he removed only one. Since the pregnancy had advanced and my mother was aware, there was nothing he could do.

Gbenga went on his knees and begged me not to involve him in the matter as he just tried to help. I agreed. Emmanuel also appealed to me too. He accepted responsibility but didn’t want any other person dragged into the matter.

I was left alone to face the music with my mother. My mother asked me who was responsible and I mentioned Emmanuel to her. Emmanuel admitted being responsible. My mother met with Emmanuel’s family. They agreed they will support me until I have the child and then I will go back to school to finish.

“What happens to Emmanuel while she stays at home?” my mother asked.

“He will have to finish school. A child is involved and he has responsibilities”

That night, my mother called me to the sitting room while others slept and said to me, “If I didn’t teach you anything, I believe I taught you to be sensible. How could you have allowed a fine boy cajole you into an action you were not ready for? Who is the loser now? You will have to lose a year of school while he continues. He will not marry you; you were just a play thing. His parents will never accept you as his wife. Now, tell me, where did you go for the abortion and who took you? You could have lost your life in the process and his family is not interested in that aspect”

“We went to a random doctor to do it. I don’t know the name of the place or where it was. I was tired so we took a taxi”

“But he knows the place?”

“I think we just looked around and found it”

“I don’t believe you. I will have to tell your father and I want you to be prepared because all hell will be let loose. I know him. Now his mother will say I transferred promiscuity to you true true. Why did you do this to me? You are so brilliant but don’t have sense. You became a play thing for your mate. No sense at all. God, listen to my prayers and let this cup pass over me”

My father didn’t take the news well. He threw me out of the house. My mother sent me to her sister’s house to stay while she pacified her husband. Unfortunately, that same week his mother came visiting. She aggravated the issue. She brought down the roof. Most of the insults were to my mother who didn’t respond because she believed she deserved it. Her daughter had exposed her nakedness and there was nothing she could do.

My father was adamant about not having me back. He disowned me. When my mother tried to beg, he threatened to throw her out too. I couldn’t stay too long with my mother’s sister.

“Iya Esther, there are too many boys where I live and I don’t want a situation where rape will be added to the situation. And this place is not comfortable for her either. Why not take her to stay with your husband’s family, maybe she will be comfortable there”

My mother took me from her sister to her parents in Ijebu Ode. She told them everything that happened and begged them to help her with me. My grandmother insisted I continue school there even though pregnant. She talked to me and advised me. She took me in.

Life in Ijebu Ode was different from Lagos for me. Even though I was pregnant, I had to do some chores in the house and help grandmother with the cooking. My mother sent money every month which my grandmother kept for me. My father didn’t know where I was and didn’t care.

My grandfather was a principal of a secondary school before his retirement while grandmother was a teacher. Both of them, even though not rich, were happy. They had other children living with them who their parents wanted them to help train especially academically. I was in the right place as education was their topmost priority.

Also, they were very religious. They were Anglicans and were very active in church. The entire household prayed together morning and night with bible reading. They taught their wards the bible in such a way that conversion to Christ wasn’t difficult.

I was depressed before I came here. I didn’t expect my father’s reaction to my predicament. I almost committed suicide when I was at my aunt’s place. My aunt’s husband made a pass at me. Other guys there were so disrespectful to me and touched me inappropriately. One of them said to my face, “it is now you will enjoy sex as we won’t be afraid that pregnancy will occur”. My aunt knew but couldn’t do anything about it.

I hated myself. I bought poison to drink but then my mother came and took me away. I travelled with the poison to Ijebu Ode. I didn’t use it because my grandparents made me feel human again. I had always thought them very strict but now I understand their strictness. It was better than what my father and his mother did to me.

Emmanuel had come to visit me during the long vacation as the pregnancy progressed. He came bearing gifts. At least his parents were responsible. He proposed to me and promised to marry me come what may. I neither accepted nor rejected the proposal but asked him to hold on until we finished school to know if this was what he really wanted.