~ECHOES OF SORROW~
Episode 1
I am sitting on the floor, I have been crying for a long time. I cannot believe I was so careless, what am I supposed to do with a baby? How am I even supposed to save up for school with a baby on the way, I should have abstained from sex like auntie advised. And speaking of auntie, she will skin me alive when she finds out that I am pregnant.
Eventually I stand up and go to the bathroom I take a quick shower, brush my teeth and change into my pajamas. I am about to get into my bed when my stomach growls reminding me that I haven’t eaten all day. I head to the kitchen and eat my supper, afterward I wash the dishes and head back to my room.
Grabbing my phone I dial Kasen’s number but it takes me straight to voicemail. He actually said he would check on me at lunch time but he didn’t and I was too busy to notice that he didn’t call. At least I am not working tomorrow I will just go to his house in the morning so we can see the way forward about this. Placing my phone back on the table I close my eyes. Too many things are running through my mind leaving no room to think of sleep, my head is pounding with the effort to find a solution. I turn and toss until four in the morning. When my body finally gives in, I sleep hard.
I get out of bed at 8 the next morning, and as usual I rush to the bathroom and kneel beside the toilet bow and throw up. After that I shower, get dressed and head to the kitchen, i feel very hungry and tired.
‘’Good morning,’’ Angela our maid says when I walk into the kitchen. She is washing the dishes.
‘’Good morning,’’ I yawn.
‘’Did you sleep well?’’
‘’Like a log,’’ I lie.
‘’You look tired.’’
‘’It’s been a busy week.’’
‘’What do you want to have for breakfast?’’
‘Don’t mind about me, I will make myself some tea.’’
‘’Okay.’’
I make myself a cup of lemon tea and some toast before I sit at the table to eat. Angela and I talk about random stuff as I eat and when I am finally done, I say bye to her and walk out of the house. When I get to Kasen’s house, I feel a knot in my stomach, Kasen and I have never talked about having children, I don’t know how he will take this news.
I knock on the door and wait, listening till I hear his voice asking me to come in. I slowly open the door and walk in watching Breaking Bad, there is a glass of wine and some snacks on the side table.
‘’Mak! What are you doing here?’’ he asks staring at me as if he has just seen a ghost.
‘’I am here to see you.’’
‘’You should have called,’’ he says.
‘’I have been trying to call you since last night but your phone has been off.’’
‘’Oh,’’ he says rising to his feet. ‘’What exactly do you want to talk to me about?’’
‘’Why are you acting strange? Won’t you ask me to take a sit?’’
‘’I think you need to leave,’’ he says.
‘’But I need to talk to you.’’
‘’We can talk later, now is not a good time,’’ he says walking close to me so he can walk me out.
‘’I am pregnant,’’ I quickly say. Even saying the ‘’P’’ word makes my stomach lurch.
‘’What do you mean you are pregnant?’’ he shoots me a serious look.
‘’I am pregnant Kasen,’’ I say louder than I had intended to.
He laughs before he says, ‘’Congratulations, you can leave now.’’
‘’What?’’ I stare at him in disbelief. This is not the response I expected.
‘’You said what you wanted to say now leave,’’ he grabs my hand.
‘’Kasen! Babe! What are we going to do about this?’’
‘’We? You are on your own.’’
‘’This is your pregnancy.’’
He laughs, ‘’We always use protection and you assured me that you are taking birth control pills, what is this now?’’
‘’I don’t know what happened, I thought we were safe,’’ I say as tears begin streaming down my face.
He quietly paces back and forth for a few minutes before he finally opens his mouth and says, ‘’I am not ready to be a father, you cannot carry this child, you must terminate the pregnancy.’’
‘’Abortion?’’ I nervously ask.
‘’Yes, you have to get rid of it.’’
‘’I can’t have an abortion, that’s murder and it’s a sin.’’
‘’You and I have been sex for a year now and I have never heard you say that it’s a sin, why now?’’
‘’I am scared,’’ I say. I have heard stories about people who lose their lives in the process of abortion. I know I already made a mistake by having sex outside marriage but I cannot correct a wrong with another wrong.
‘’You need to get rid of it, I will get you some medicine from a friend, it’s the only way out but for now you need to leave.’’
I am about to respond when the door swings open and a lady carrying some Shoprite plastic bags walks into the house.
‘’Babe!’’ she smiles.
‘’Babe?’’ I shoot her a quizzical look.
‘’Babe’’ Kasen smiles at her- she walks closer to him and lightly kisses his lips before heading to the kitchen.
‘’Kasen! What’s going on?’’ I ask, I can feel my heart breaking into a million little pieces.
‘’You need to go,’’ he says again but instead of moving I stand frozen in a moment of dread.
The lady emerges a minute later from the kitchen with a glass of wine and sits on the couch.
‘’Who is she?’’ she asks.
‘’My ex- girlfriend,’’ Kasen responds.
‘’Makayla?’’ she asks.
‘’Yes.’’
‘’And what is she doing here?’’
‘’She just needed my help--,’’
‘’Help with what? Money?’’
‘Don’t bother yourself darling, I will see her off.’’
‘’Okay.’’
Kasen holds my hand and walks me out of the house.
‘’I am sorry about that, I will explain everything later to you,’’ he says.
I look at him unable to respond, I don’t have the strength to deal with him right now.
‘’I will call you later,’’ he says. And with that he walks back into the house.
Tbc