It's Me Vs You

Chapter Fourteen

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Every man's life ends the same way. It is only the details of how he lived and how he died that distinguish one man from another.

                      - Ernest Hemingway

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I can't really comprehend what life or death means. One day, a person is alive, the next, dead. If I try to put my thoughts in words, I'll did just take you on a crazy ride that would leave you in a muddle.

I'm yank out of my thoughts by a drumming sound on the door. I am in the cube. Yeah, I still call it that. I sigh and rise from the floor that I was comfortably on. The sound echoes in the small room and I open the door. Rita rushes in, her phone pressed to her ear and her makeup smudged.

"I know! I know," she exclaims and, drops her bag and shoes on the floor. She quickly sits on the stool in the room. "I know! I said I will abort it".

I jerk my head at her as a silent acknowledgement of her presence. She nods in reply.

I go to my side of the room and pick up a bottle of water. I gulp it's content down and sigh in satisfaction.

She growls into her phone and her eyes suddenly pop out. "If it's one month old, so? I will still abort it".

The last gulp I had taken, flows into a wrong pipe and I find myself choking. Rita springs up and starts drumming on my back. I recover from it and suck in a long breath. I let it out harshly and snap my brows together. She ignores me and says into her phone. "I've meant the doctor. I have an appointment with him next week".

My heart aches as I imagine Rita ending her child's life. I stare at her in disbelief. Her call ends and she drops her phone down. She growls, picks one of her high heels and flings it to the wall.

"Rita," I say her name softly.

"What?" She scowls. "You want to judge me? You want to talk?"

I clamp my lips shut.

"I will abort that baby. I don't even know it's father. My business is too promising to risk it for a child. I don't want to be a mother".

"But...." My voice quavers. "But that's murder. Why should you kill the child? You don't know what amazing, talented child you might have in you. That child is a star and a blessing to us on Earth. His or her presence can change the lives of other people here. Why should you deprive the child of life?"

"Ah!" She growls. "Is it my fault? Do I look like someone who wants to suffer? If I can't take care of the child, why should I allow it come to this Earth? Besides, my stature is too fine to allow pregnancy to spoil it. I'm aborting this baby. It's better you don't talk or I will make you regret".

"But— "

She cuts in. "Mind your business, Ifunanya. Just mind your business". She hisses and stomps out of the room.

I squeeze my eyes shut. I was just talking about life and death and now, an innocent child's fate will be decided by it's mother. I'm sure he or she wants life but may be forced to death. That's murder na! I have to convince Rita not to do it. I have to.

I wipe my face with a napkin and prepare to leave for my tutorial that morning. As soon as I'm arriving at the venue, I see Simon and Precious hop out of a car. Our eyes meet and they both snarl at me. I hiss and walk into the building. Just when I am about to enter the class, a liquid soak my back. I turn around and Precious stands upright, a bottle of water in her hand.