Chapter 62

El Cairo, Egypt. One week ago.

Days went by. With them, tests came along with the first term evaluations. Samanta was under so much stress and pressure, it started taking its toll on her. In the past few days, she had been eating a lot, sleeping excessively and she still felt exhausted.

One night, as she finished studying a few pages from the long questionnaire with every possible question coming in the test the next day, Charlotte was getting ready to sleep.

“Turn off the lights and go to bed” she said, almost growling.

Sam looked at her from the corner of her eye and could not omit a smile.

“I'll turn it off in just a minute” replied Sam while she took a bite off her cinnamon bun.

“You shouldn't eat so much” snapped her friend at the same time as she covered her face with her pillow.

“What are you saying” Samanta felt irritated.

“You're gaining weight” muttered Charlie from her bed.

“I'm sorry, I can't help it. I've been getting so hungry lately.”

“You should sleep more and eat less” she joked, but instead of laughing, Sam started crying. “Oh no, Sam! I'm sorry. I didn't mean it like that.”

Charlotte jumped out of bed and rushed next to her friend, to hug her.

“Sorry” said Sam with her mouth full, sobbing. “I don't know what's wrong with me. I can't help it. I lay down to sleep, but I feel more awake. I can only think of eating. Besides, these mood swings are driving me insane.”

“You need to relax a little. They're anxiety attacks…”

“I'm starting to feel chubby. My clothes feel like they're getting smaller. I feel so fat and ugly…”

“No, Sammy. You are none of those things” Charlotte took her friend's face between her hands. “You're gorgeous. You just need to relax.”

“I can't relax. I must get perfect A's if I want to apply for the scholarship…”

Samanta could not finish her sentence. She started gagging. She stood up all of a sudden and rushed to the bathroom, where, she could not help but to throw up the cinnamon bun she was eating.

Charlotte ran after her friend and patiently held her hair, patting her back while Sam threw up.

“See? This is horrible! I must look disgusting. What is wrong with me, Charlie?” Some tears fogged up Samanta's amber eyes.

“Samanta?” Charlotte squinted and scrutinized her. Sam had huge dark circles under her eyes, a bulging stomach, nausea, vomit and mood swings. “When was the last time you had your period?”

“What?” Samanta opened her eyes, trying to process what she had just been asked. “Ehmmm… Don't remember. My periods are very inconsistent. One month on, one month off…”

“Let me see” said Charlie and squeezed her friend's breasts.

Sam jumped back.

“What the hell are you doing?” Sam said concerned.

“Stay put, let me see” she took her friend's breasts again. Samanta let out a slight moan of pain. “They hurt?” She asked. Sam nodded. “Let's see, try pinching your nipple underneath your bra.”

“What for?” Sam frowned.

“Do it!”

Sam hesitated, but then proceeded to check as her friend suggested.

The moment she did, she felt terrible pain, like a burning sensation.

“Fuck! That hurts” snapped Samanta.

“Girl, I think I know what's wrong with you.”

“Really? Is it serious?”

“No. Not serious. It'll be over in a couple months.”

“What do you mean?”

Charlotte grabbed her by the shoulders and looked into her eyes.

“You're pregnant.”

Samanta's eyes nearly popped out of their sockets. A chill ran down her spine. Her blood pressure dropped and she turned pale, white as paper.

“What? No way.”

“When was the last time you had sex?” Her friend asked.

“Maybe…” She thought about it for a few seconds, “three months. Actually, my last time was just a couple days before I came here…” her face suddenly lost whatever little color was left in it. She put her hands on her head. “Oh no! No, no, no…”

“The last time you were with somebody was back home?”

“Obviously. Have you heard of me banging somebody here?”

“Oh my God! If you are indeed pregnant… the father must be…”

“Dominik” she mumbled.

“I might just be jumping to conclusions. We need to get you to a hospital for a real check-up, take a serious pregnancy test.”

Samanta nodded, trying to stay calm. A baby at that point in her life, was not the most suitable. She  got up from the floor, walked towards the sink and washed her face.

Charlotte went ahead and helped fix her bed so she could go to sleep.

“You need to rest. It could just be stress.”

Samanta got in bed and Charlotte did the same thing.

“Good night” said the blonde and turned off her lamp.

A few seconds later, Charlie was fast asleep. Sam, however, stayed up for a really long time, touching her stomach, remembering the wonderful night when Dominik made love to her, reminding her sex could be very pleasant if done with love.

She smiled and could not help but cry.

If she was pregnant, she was sure Dominik was the father. Thinking of that made her feel a tingle running in her womb. She bit her lips, trying to keep her sobbing from waking Charlotte.

«No, this cannot be. Why now? I beg you, Lord, let this be a false alarm».

She cried a little bit longer, until she fell asleep.

*****

Samanta woke up feeling hungry. She turned her head and spotted the apple she had left the night before and devoured it mercilessly. By her third bite, she remembered something and anxiety took over.

She jumped out of bed and sprang for the sink, throwing up whatever much she had eaten off the apple. Charlotte woke up from the noise and rushed to help.

“This is horrible” said Samanta as soon as she could talk.

“I know. Calm down” her friend rubber her back. She turned around to look at the clock on the wall. “It's six am.”

“I wanna be the first at the doctor's office.”

“Alright, take a quick shower. I'll go change.”

“You don't need to come, too. You'll miss history class.”

“I'm coming with you. Hands down. I'll borrow Amir's notes.”

Both friends left their dorm room almost a half hour later and headed for the Auditorium Square. Samanta was not very sure of what she was doing, but she had to do it. IT was the only way she could get back her peace of mind, or losing it. She took a deep breath when she stood by the column before the nurse's office. She stopped on her tracks.

“I'm scared” she said. “If I'm pregnant, that means I can't stay in our room…”

“Calm down. If you are pregnant, I am not leaving you. We'll figure something out.”

They both went into the building and walked up to the front desk.

“Good morning. We would like to have a thorough examination, please” said Charlotte.

A brunette with black eyes and dark hair rose her frowny eyes from the documents spread across her desk.

»English? Do you speak English?” Asked Charlie. The woman nodded.

Samanta tried running away, but her friend held her by the arm.

»My friend is not feeling well” she said.

“Symptoms?” inquired the woman, staring at Sam.

“Exhaustion, nausea, vomit, mood swings…” Charlotte looked at her friend. “What else?”

Samanta declined with her head. She was not talking.

“End of the hallway, to the right. They'll see you there” the woman snapped, without elaborating.

Sam and Charlotte walked along a broad hallway, following the woman's indications. When they arrived to the room they were told, Sam was petrified.

“If somebody finds out, I'm done” she mumbled.

“Done with what? Don't be silly. We don't know what's wrong yet.”

Saying that, Charlotte knocked on the door. A female voice asked them to come in.

Samanta felt like she would pass out. She took a deep breath and forced herself to walk in after her friend.

“Good morning. What can I do for you?” The woman was so nice, Samanta could not help but panic.

“Ehmmm… I…” she mumbled.

“We think she may be pregnant” let out Charlotte.

“Charlie!” Samanta said dumbfounded.

The blonde shrugged.

“Wow! Pretty straight forward” the doctor laughed. “Sit down, please.”

They abided.

»Tell me. What makes you think you're pregnant?”

“Samanta has had a terrible mood lately, not to mention…” Charlotte tried explaining, but the doctor rose her hand.

“Please, let her” she pointed at Sam with her head, “talk me through her symptoms.”

“Alright” said Charlie begrudgingly.

“Samanta?” the doctor urged.

“I've…” she hesitated “been feeling a bit off lately. Very hungry, excessively tired, crying from everything.”

“Also, the vomit and the nausea” intervened Charlie, but she shut up when she realized the doctor was glaring at her.

“Hmm… I see. Have you taken any disposable tests?” The doctor asked.

Sam denied with her head.

»Well, the safest way to find out is through a blood test” she took a pen and a piece of paper. “I'll issue you and order to get it done. You get your results immediately after. Come see me again, when you have them. Alright?”

Samanta nodded by inertia while panic started taking over. The plain idea of being pregnant at that moment in her life, made her tremble.

»Our laboratory is at the end of the hall, to the right” she indicated and handed the paper to Samanta.

They both headed for the place where Samanta was to get tested, wasting no time, they handed the order to the man who was there. He signaled them to sit down, and a few minutes later, the man came out with a syringe in his hand. He leaned on over her, put on a tourniquet, slapped her arm and inserted the needle in her vein. He drew some blood, poured it into a test tube and put a piece of gauze on Samanta's arm, right where he had pinched her.

“Wait outside. I'll be calling you when the results are out” he said and disappeared back into the room.

As they were told, Samanta and Charlotte waited on the chairs on the sides of the hallway.

Sam was sweating, she felt like her heart might beat out of her chest. She was frightened she might lose everything she had worked so hard for. A baby meant a huge responsibility, she was not ready for it. Needless to say, the dorms' rules were so strict on children. Where was she supposed to live? How would she manage to finish her studies? Teresa would kill her if she found out!

Charlotte was talking, but Sam could not listen. Her mind wandered off, thinking how she could fix the mess she got herself into. Telling Dominik was the easiest way, at least he would help her with some money. But… What if he didn't believe her?

«Fuck!». She had to shake her head hard to shush her conscience from talking back.

“Samanta Andrade?”

The man's voice woke her up.

«The results», she thought.

“Here” she said, raising her hand.

“There you go” the man handed her an envelope and turned around, going back into his cubicle. Samanta was pale and almost breathless. Panic took over.

“Calm down. Breathe deep” Charlie tried to comfort her. Sam was shaking. “Look at me” asked her friend. Samanta looked right into her eyes. “Before you open this envelope, I want you to know, no matter what it says, you can always count on me, alright?” Sam nodded nervously.

Charlotte opened the envelope and pulled out the papers, She unfolded them and her eyes opened little by little. Her breath was gone, she went quieter than a tomb, threatening to destroy Samanta's remaining sanity.

“What does it say? Tell me!” She squealed.

“Positive. You're pregnant.”

Samanta's vision blurred and she was losing her balance. Charlotte held her, keeping her from falling over.

*****

Although Samanta tried as hard as she could to focus in class, she could not do it. What happened the morning of the day before stole her peace and filled her with anxiety. Her plans were overturned. She had to find a solution, although Charlotte offered to help, she knew she could not stay in the dorms much longer. If the doctor did not send a medical report with her test results to the Student's Affairs desk, she would have to leave the dorms as soon as her belly started to show.

Where would she go?

Renting an apartment would be too expensive. What she paid for the whole semester in the dorms, she would have to pay for only one month's rent. She would have to find a job to thrive. Anything, as long as she did not have to return defeated to the United States.

How the hell would she tell her sister, without causing her a stroke?

How would she deal with school and raise a child?

Mother of God! If she kept thinking, she would go crazy.

She stopped right in front of her dorm room, took a deep breath and gathered all the courage she could to get in. That walk on her own, instead of helping her calm down, made her freak out even more.  

When she walked in, she realized Amir and Maher were there. She forgot everybody had the morning off that day. They agreed to meet and study for their tests next week.

She could not hide her sickness and had to sprint to the bathroom.

“Damn” muttered Charlotte.

“What's with her?” Asked Amir.

“She has been unwell” Charlie got up from the floor and rushed to help Samanta. What's “the matter, Sam?”

“The smell, Charlie. It made my stomach churn when I walked in.”

Charlie came out of the bathroom and started picking everything up.

“Hey! What are you doing? I'm not done with my breakfast yet” said Amir seeing Charlotte decided to pick everything up, food included, throwing it all away.

“You can eat later. Help me pick up, don't just sit there.”

“But why?”

“Because Sam feels sick from the smell of food.”

“Sick? Like she was pregnant?” commented Maher, blissfully unaware.

At that time Sam walked out of the bathroom and had her eyes set on her. Charlotte stared at her, too.

»What? Why are you looking at me like that? Did I say someth…” Maher stood there in the middle of her sentence, realizing how Samanta's face changed. “One moment. Am I missing something? What is going on here?” Charlotte and Samanta looked at each other. “Can somebody explain to me what is going on?”

“I am  pregnant” answered Sam, bluntly.

Amir opened his eyes big like plates.

“What?” Amir almost choked on his drink.

“Yes. About three months along.”

“Three months? That makes no sense” protested Maher. “Whose is it?” She could not help to look at her brother.

“I wish!” Amir rolled his eyes. Unwillingly confessing. He cleared his throat and crossed his arms. “No, not mine” he said trying to sound very serious.

Samanta smiled from Amir's reaction.

“No. It's not Amir's” Charlotte told Maher. “Samanta came here with some extra luggage”.

Maher frowned.

»She brought the pearl inside the clam?” Said Charlotte, sensing. Maher denied with her head. She could not understand the blonde.  “She already had a bun in the oven?”

“Fuck! She was already pregnant when she came to Cairo” snapped Amir, rudely.

All three women stayed in silence, looking at Amir who seemed very irritated.

“Sorry, Amir. I didn't mean…” Samanta tried talking. It was no secret he had feelings for her.

“Don't worry. It's not like you decided to get pregnant right before you came here…”

Amir could not hide his contempt. He had very strong feelings for Sam, this news was like a bucket of cold water on his face.

“Who's the father?” Maher's question upset Samanta.

“That's the craziest part of the story” commented Charlotte, laughing.

“Is it?” Amir set his eyes on Charlie.

“Will you tell them or should I?” Inquired the Polish.

“Do me the honors” Samanta seemed a little sarcastic with her friend. She could not believe how she took this.

“None other than Dominik Weigand” Charlie said like it was some sort of achievement.

“Who?” Maher could not follow.

Samanta sat on her bed and some tears rolled down her cheeks.

“A footballer” Amir told his sister as he approached Samanta. “Why didn't you tell me?” He sat next to her. “Why didn't you say you had just finished a relationship? I would have understood, I wouldn't have been so insistent.”

Since that weekend over at their home, Amir tried desperately to get Samanta's attention, but to no avail. Samanta showed no interest into forging a relationship other than a friendship and he could not help but wonder: Why? He was handsome, well off and very smart. He could not see why Samanta was not into him like everybody else. That was what kept him going.

Samanta put her hand on Amir's cheek.

“You're a wonderful man. You know? I feel great when I'm with you, and I would be lying if I said I haven't considered your propositions, but…”

“You're still in love with him. Aren't you?”

She nodded.

»So, what are you going to do?”

“I don't know” she shrugged.

“I imagine you're telling him. You have to.”

“I'm scared” confessed Samanta. “I don't want to give this all up” she looked around. “The dorms, school, Egypt.”

“You don't have to. I won't let that happen” he said.

Samanta held him close and let her tears fall on his shoulder.

Maher and Charlotte noticed they were third-wheeling and decided to sneak out of the room. Apparently, Amir and Samanta were too busy to notice their absence.

“Dominik Weigand” said Amir, under his breath. “Who knew? Is there any way you can contact him?”

“Yeah” she said. “I have his phone number.”

“Fine. Call him. This can't wait” he said, offering his phone.

Although she knew this was the right thing to do, Amir could not help but feel bad. Sad, and somehow, defeated. The woman he was very much into, was pregnant by another man. And some man! None other than a freaking star footballer. Amir was wealthy, very well off. However, nothing compared to the millions of Euros the footballer made every year. Something was for sure, this child would not be growing up with limitations.

Sam took Amir's phone and dialed Dominik's number. She knew it by heart. She felt her heart was beating out of her chest.

A few seconds later…

“Hello?”

Samanta hung up when she realized a woman answered.

“What's wrong?” Inquired Amir.

“A woman answered.”

“Maybe a sister, cousin or his mother?”

“Maybe” she shrugged.

“Try again.”

Samanta complied, but there was no answer this time around.

“Nothing.”

“Any other way to get in touch with him?”

She denied with her head.

»Text him. If this is still his number, he might still read it someday. It's the only way to tell him. Try it.”

Samanta held the phone in her shaky hands. She had no idea what to say to him.

»Be very specific. Write who you are sending this to. If that is no longer his phone, maybe someone close to him has it. News like this, they would share with him.”

Sam smiled at Amir's positivity. How could he be so adorable?

“Fine” she said and huffed.

She started typing very slowly, measuring each and every single word. Her body was trembling. She was terrified. Little by little, one by one, each word started composing this message.

Once she finished, she hit “Send”.

“Done. I think that's it” she said.

“Let me see” said Amir.

“Hello, Dominik. I know it's been three months since the last time we met. I also know things didn't end the best possible way. You may be very surprised from receiving this message, trust me, if it wasn't extremely important, I wouldn't be bothering you.

I don't know how to say it. I know this is not the best way to do it, but I have no other means. I am pregnant with your child.

I don't want to cause any trouble, or demand that you do anything at all. I can manage. Don't worry about that. The reason I am writing is just to let you know, I think you have the right to know. We're both parents to the life growing inside of me. He or she has the right to know they have a father, too. Please, as soon as you read this, call me. This is the phone number to my address”.

“Diplomatic, concise and straight forward” he commented after reading it. Now we wait for his response.”

“I don't know. I don't think it was right.”

“It was the right thing to do, Samanta. He would find out sooner or later.”

“Things ended very wrong. What if he doesn't want it?”

“A child is a blessing from God. If he doesn't want it he's a…”

Amir's phone rang when he received a message.

»Wow! That was fast.”

“What?”

“I think he just replied” Amir handed his phone to Sam again.

Samanta felt her heart skip a beat. Knowing from Dominik after all this time made her shake uncontrollably. She took a deep breath and opened the message. A few seconds in, she let out a moan she drowned covering her mouth with her hand, while some tears fogged up her eyes.

“What is it, Sam? What is he saying?”

Samanta handed over the phone and started to cry.

Amir was horrified by each word he read. All this hate and all this scorn was unbelievable.

“A child of mine? Do you think I'm an idiot? Three months? Three months, Samanta! Three months where a lot of things could have happened. How can I be sure it is my child? It must be the guy kissing you outside your house that night, since he didn't want to own up to it, now you're trying to blame me. No. I'm not playing this game. I've met many opportunists in my time, and you, Samanta Andrade, are nothing but a one night stand, a fling. I'll appreciate it if you were so kind to stay away from me. I'm better off without you.”

“Oh Allah!” Amir was dumbfounded.