✦ᴅᴇsᴛɪɴᴇᴅ ғᴏʀ ʏᴏᴜ✦

ᴛʜʀᴇᴇ ★

               • Esther's P.O.V •

My eyes suddenly fluttered open, as I let out a small croak. My head banged painfully and my throat felt parched. Like a flash, the memories of the previous day hit me and I sighed in frustration.

I looked around, trying to process where I was. Oh, hospital. I was in a small room painted all white, lying on a little bed. The drip stand stood by the side of my bed, supporting the drip bag and I watched in silence as the infusion flowed into my veins.

"Chi? You are awake?" A voice called, startling me. I smiled as blessing rushed towards me, engulfing me in a big hug.

"God, you scared me to death! I thought I you would never wake up!" She cried as she pulled away.

"What- dooo youu mea- " I tried to say, but it came out as a croak. I used my hand and imitated drinking a bottle of water

"Oh sorry!" She said as she darted to the table by the extreme end of the room and grabbed the large bottle of Eva water, corking the cap and assisting me to drink.

After three large gulps my throat began to feel better. After signaling her ok, she put the water away and came to sit by my side. Rubbing my back slowly.

I turned to her and frowned

"What did you mean by you thought I would never wake up"

"Girl, do you know how long you had been sleeping?"

"No. How long?"

She chuckled and looked away, shaking her head.

"Two days! That's how long you had been sleeping!"

"What?" I asked, flabbergasted.

"Hmm, dey there now. Do you know how worried we were? Especially dad, I had to force him to go home and rest else he would have still been here" she said.

I heaved a deep sigh, they honestly did not deserve this. What kind of a daughter am I? They sent me to school, instead of me to focus I went and started messing around now look what I've gotten myself into? How do I possibly get out of this mess?

I felt a hand on my shoulder as blessing shook me out of my thoughts.

"Hey, don't think about it okay? Right now you just need to rest and get yourself. Luckily no hurt was done to you and the baby. You just be got to be strong alright?"

I nodded solemnly, just then my stomach let out a big growl and blessing burst into laughter.

"Hungry?" She asked as I nodded.

"Good." She said walking to the table where she grabbed these mini food bag and returned to where she was sitting. I watched quietly as she pulled out a plastic plate; these kind they use in packaging party jollof rice. She opened the cover, revealing the hot yam porridge covered in enough sauce. The aroma wafted into my nose and I inhaled deeply.

"Ahhh" I smiled.

"Look at her, long throat" blessing joked, using the iron spoon to cut the yam into little pieces as she fed me.

About ten minutes later, she closed the plate and assisted me in drinking some water.

"Get some rest, I'll be back shortly, okay? I just want to rush out and grab something"

"Okay" I replied, resting back on the bed as my eye fluttered shut. I heard the door open and close just as I dozed off.

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By six o' clock in the evening, I was discharged and back home. Dad and mum smiled and welcomed me back, hugging me as though nothing ever happened. But you can't deny the awkward tension and silence hovering around.

I looked to dad sitting by my left, reading his daily newspaper. Dad's been nothing but nice and kind to me, he's always supporte-

"Okay! Dinner's ready" blessing yells, bursting through the kitchen door with a tray held firmly in her hand, followed by mom who was carrying a washing hand basin.

"Oya! Make una come chop o, food don set" mum say as they placed the trays and bowl on the little dining table.

With the aid of dad, I hobbled over to the dining and sat, as everyone settled down.

"Baba God we thank you for this food you have provided today. Let it give nourishment and healing to our bodies and we offer it to you as a sacrifice of Thanksgiving for in Jesus great name we pray"

"Amen!" We all chorused as we dug into the hot egusi soup with fresh hot akpu.

After dinner, I insisted in helping blessing to wash the dishes but they all refused, forcing me to go to bed.

And so I slept early that night, only to wake up by 12:00am to the sound of my parents arguing in their room. Slowly, I climbed out of my bed and tiptoed surreptitiously out of the room. Careful not to wake blessing who was snoring soundly.

On getting to the room, I pressed my ears against the door as I listened. My heart dropped as soon as I heard what mum said.

"No honey, you don't understand" she said, addressing dad. "She can't keep the child, the only option is to get it aborted. Don't you remember how it was for me when we had her and blessing, upon you were there with me it was still very stressful and chaotic. This one is that she is a student, how will she cope when she returns back to the University? Do you want people to look at her and laugh us? Don't you know that, that will be a huge disgrace to our family?"

"But that is not a reason to kill the poor child, yes, she made a very costly mistake by getting pregnant for that irresponsible boy who can't even own up to his actions but what is done is done. It is our job to support and help her, we can't make such decision for her my dear. It is her life, what we have to do is to be by her side. And who cares what people say? They must surely talk, that is their nature. So long as we are doing what is right for our daughter, what do we care what they say?"

Having heard enough, I tiptoe back to the room. Entering back into my bed, I bring out my phone and scroll down to my chat with somto where I told him about the pregnancy. My eyes widened in shock upon discovering the fool had blocked me. I couldn't believe this, so he could really be wicked like this?

I realize mum was right, I can't stay here, no, not in this environment. If somto denies the pregnancy what will people say? They will call me a whore and ashawo who sleeps around with different boys. And they would insult my parents, that they couldn't bring up their daughter well.

"This is very disgraceful" I cry to myself. I would have to leave. I can't stay here anymore. I brought this upon myself so I must bear the consequences. Even though it requires me leaving my family, and everything and everyone I've ever known.

       
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ᴀ/ɴ: ʜᴇʏ ɢᴜʏs :) ʜᴏᴘᴇ ʏᴏᴜʀ'ᴇ ᴇɴᴊᴏʏɪɴɢ ᴛʜᴇ ʙᴏᴏᴋ sᴏ ғᴀʀ. ᴘʟᴇᴀsᴇ ʟᴇᴀᴠᴇ ᴀ ᴄᴏᴍᴍᴇɴᴛ, ʟᴇᴛ ᴍᴇ ᴋɴᴏᴡ ᴡʜᴀᴛ ʏᴏᴜ ᴛʜɪɴᴋ ᴀʙᴏᴜᴛ ɪᴛ sᴏ ғᴀʀ ♥︎

ᴘʟᴇᴀss ʜɪᴛ ᴛʜᴀᴛ sᴛᴀʀ ʙᴜᴛᴛᴏɴ! ✰

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