Chapter 5

               ~LEONA~

I dragged it till it reached my knees before I peeped.

"OMG!" There's actually blood.

Oh Lord, I'm not pregnant. I just knew it.

"Ray..." I almost screamed but covered my mouth hastily.

I got out of the washroom and shuffled through my bag and took a pad out.

I went to the bathroom and had a quick bath and after that, I wore the pad happily.

I once heard a group of girls discussing their fear anytime they have sex and their period delays.

And when they think their period will never come but it finally appears, their happiness always knows no bounds. I didn't understand them then but now I do even though my circumstance is different from theirs.

My happiness was inexplicable. I didn't plan on combing my hair but I suddenly loses it from its bondage. I took my comb and slipped it into water before I began combing. 

It was extremely long so I gathered it on my shoulders before combing. I was intrigued at its length and texture and for a moment, I didn't believe that I have this hair.

I was so engrossed that I didn't notice the door creak open until I heard someone sigh.

My heart skipped a bit and I dropped the comb on the floor before turning to the person.

"It's you," I said with hands-on my chest when I saw Raymond.

"Were you expecting someone else?"  He asked and walked in fully.

"No one but I thought it was..."

"Mom or Elsie?" He read my mind.

"Yes. I thought it was one of them."

"Let me help you." He walked to me and took the comb I had abandoned on the floor earlier.

He made me sit on my bed and began to comb my hair.

"I love your hair, Leo. It's just like mom's."

"Sure?"

"Yeah, it's so pretty."

You're flattering  me, bro."

"But I am just being honest. I'll call you Rapunzel from now onwards."

"Why?" I asked and chuckled.

"Your hair is as long and beautiful as hers."

"Aww. Then mom is Rapunzel too." I replied.

"Yeah but she's senior Rapunzel and you're junior."

I grinned happily.

"Anyway, have you found a solution yet?" He asked, changing the topic suddenly.

I smiled. "Yes, I have."

"Oh really? With the way you're beaming so widely, I'm sure it's indeed good news. Mind to tell?" 

"I saw my period today, Ray. It means I didn't get pregnant." I went straight to the point.

"I'm not surprised, I know you're not like that." 

"Thanks for not doubting me."

Despite being three years older than me and being a boy, Raymond listens to whatever I say and always makes time for me. He's the one person who always stands by me through thick and thin. Though I don't have many secrets, Raymond knows everything about me more than anyone else.  He wasn't just a brother but a best friend as well.

"I can never doubt you, Leo but don't you think something is missing?" He asked and began braiding my hair.

"What is missing.." my heart sank then stopped beating for a moment when I had an idea what he must be talking about.

. Something is actually missing. 

My usual cramps. I wasn't feeling any discomfort even though it's the first day. I couldn't feel any blood pouring heavily either.

"Calm down, Leo. Don't think too much. I didn't mean to scare you.."

"You're right Ray. I'm not feeling that vibe that usually comes."

"It's okay, it happens. You don't have to feel pain all the time. It changes."

I wasn't convinced.

I got up and ran back to the washroom. I checked my pants and realized that the blood wasn't red enough and the flow wasn't prominent.

Dejectedly, I opened the washroom door and got out.

"How was it? " Raymond asked when he saw me.

"I'm terrified and perplexed Raymond. I don't know what is wrong with me anymore. I was happy a moment ago but now am not sure how I should react. Can you get me a pregnancy test..."

I didn't finish before the door burst open and revealed the devil 😈 herself with her minions behind her.

She looked at me dangerously like a snake about to spit venom.

"You think you can hide in here and I won't notice? Didn't I tell you not to step into my house with that bastard in your womb?"

And she actually spitted the venom.

She walked closer to me and raised her hands to hit me.

I closed my eyes and waited for the impact of her hands on my cheek but it never came. 

I opened my eyes to see Raymond holding her hands in the air with a hard glare.

"Don't you ever dare raise your hand to her ever again  else you'll have me to deal with?" He threatened and discarded her hand.

She looked speechless for a while before regaining her voice.

"I see. So you can now talk? Or you're now learning to? If you knew how to talk then why didn't you fight for what belongs to you?" Tasha mocked.

"The fact that I overlook your silly tantrums doesn't mean I'm weak. I'm just trying to tolerate a horrible creature like you." Ray retorted.

I gasped. I never knew Raymond could talk this much.

"Ehn? So you've joined forces with your wretched sister huh? I thought you're wise but I know better. No wonder you're wallowing under her shadow and following her like a lap dog."

Goodness! They should stop already.

"Don't waste your breath, mom. We just want her out of this house soonest." That was Elsie.

"If there's someone that should leave this house then it should be you and your mom." Raymond defended.

"No one can get me to leave my father's house." Elsie retorted.

"What about us? What are we? Are we adopting children to dad? No right? That is why no one except dad can kick us out without us fighting back."

Elsie stared at him angrily. She's the exact copy of her mom.

"You're such a dummy, Raymond. Why are you fighting for someone who had betrayed us all and left our future in jeopardy? We trusted her and thought that she was really going to graduate and take us back to school but she just disappointed us by getting pregnant. And now if we decide to keep her around, then dad has to use his meager money to take care of her and the baby in her womb until the baby is of age to go to school which is going to take a pretty lot of time and my patience has already run out. The little money left should be used on us instead." Elsie said.

"Who else should I fight for if not my sister? If she has made a mistake then we should give her another chance.."

"Chance? I have a lot of respect for you, Raymond but I never knew you're this selfish and biased. You're being partial because she is your sis but what of us? Didn't you think of what we're going through?" That was Valerie.

"What would you do if it was your..."

"Stop it, Raymond. That is enough!" I shouted.

"But she can't talk to you like that "

"Who's she? She's just a cheap slut!" Elsie spatted.

Raymond raised his hands swiftly.

"Stop it, Raymond! Stop it both of you!" I screamed as I began to feel dizzy and fuzzy again.

I tried to keep my eyes open but it was of no use. I landed on the floor with my head hitting the floor.

The pain was enough to whisk me into darkness.

***

I woke up and saw Raymond sitting on a chair in front of my bed. His head was buried in his palm but when he noticed that I was awake, he looked up.

"Thank God you're awake. Are you alright?!"

"Yes, I am but I can't say the same for you. Tell me, is anything bothering you?"

He looked worried and there's a sadness I've never seen before in his eyes.

"No is nothing.."

"Don't lie, Ray. At least not to me." I chide.

"Hmmm." He sighed and run his hands through his hair.

I became nervous. Whatever he has to say won't be pleasant.

"You're indeed pregnant Leona, the doctor just confirmed it but if you still don't believe it, then we can take the test now."

I took in sharp breaths. "What about the blood I saw earlier?"

"It must be an implantation bleeding. You're two weeks gone already."

I sighed again. His eyes went to the pregnancy test tube on the bedside table. I need not be told.

I took the device to the washroom and forced small urine out. After that, I read the instructions.

After ten minutes of waiting for the results, I saw two strokes. It's positive.

Everyone was right after all. I'm pregnant but how?

I got out and Ray raised an eyebrow.

"I'm pregnant Ray but I don't know how and why. I've never been intimate with anyone either." I sat on the bed in disappointment with all hope drained from my system.

"Did you attend any party you shouldn't have while in college?"

"No. I didn't go to any." I was too busy with books to attend parties.

"Then did someone attack you anywhere at all? Or did someone try forcing himself on you in the last two weeks?"

"No. I don't remember anything like that. I'm always in the library." 

I was quite respected and no one dared to bully me or disturb me. 

He ran his hand through his hair again and got up, pacing to and fro.

"Have you been feeling weird lately? If yes, when did it start?"

Gosh! I feel like I am in an interrogation room.

"I can't remember."

"Then have you been to the hospital lately?"

"Yes. But what has that got to do with this situation?"

"What happened to you?" He asked instead, dead serious.

"I had slight malaria so I went to get it treated."

"What else? Any medicine that was given to you?"

"No. It was an injection." I remember how weak I was that day. I barely saw what the nurses did before I left.

"That explains it!" He exclaimed.

"What do you mean?" I asked.

"Who knows, they must've given you the wrong injection."

"But how? And what injection could that be?"

"How was the injection given? Did you lie down and did they do something down there?.. I mean.." He scratches his neck.

He looked shy to mention my V area. I decided to save him the trouble.

" I think. But I didn't see what was going on down there. My vision was blurry so I can't remember what exactly."

"But you are sure they got down there?"

"Yes," I replied and then.

"How could you be this, dumb Leo? I didn't expect this from you. Didn't you question why they had to do that?" He scolded angrily.

I got confused. I didn't understand what he meant.

"I don't understand anything Raymond. All I knew that day was that I was being treated. I didn't think further since I was really sick. Okay, stop blaming my ignorance and tell me what they actually did."

"An IUI may have been performed on you and that's the only way you could get pregnant if you didn't have sex." He explained, shocking me.

Why didn't I think of this before?

"What is an IUI and why do you know so much about it?." I know that Raymond has always wanted to be a surgeon but I didn't expect him to know so much despite being a dropout.

" IUI is an Intrauterine Insemination where semen get to be transferred into the uterus cavity through the cervix using a syringe." He explained.

He's right.  I already know what it was. I just wanted to test him.

"How did you know so much, Ray?" An involuntary smile spread across my lips.

" Seriously, Is that what you're concerned about?" He eyed me.

"What else? I'm convinced that the baby I am unknowingly carrying is a mistake. All I have to do is to abort it so that I can take care of my family. My family's happiness is my top priority."

"You're a fool. Why would you kill someone else's child?"

" When I don't know who the person is and why should I keep it? I'm not some Father Christmas am I ?" I questioned.

"But it was a mistake! You can't punish the innocent baby Leona." He reasoned, looking intensely at me.

What he said just now actually got me thinking twice.

Should I keep the baby and face the consequences or abort it and make my family's dream come true?

What should I do?