MOVING ON

For days, she didn’t leave her bed except to relieve herself. She slept on the bed and cried all her eyes out, when she didn’t have any tears left, she slept like never before. She kept sleeping even with the fact that her temperature had risen to the max, her body was so hot but she was also feeling cold at the same time.

The fever had seeped into her body cells and broken her down. It was worse because she had no one to take care of her and wallowed alone in the painful agony. She managed to get out of the bed on the fourth day, crawled to the kitchen where she gulped down two bottles of water at a go. She wiped her mouth clean and saw cream breads in the fridge. She finished the whole six pieces in the pack, staining all her mouth and chin with the cream in the bread.

The bread went the wrong way due to the fact that she rushed it on her stomach that has been empty for days so she got puked and ran to the toilet to vomit everything she ate, she hated her life so much. Why did she have to go through all these struggle? Why was the universe cruel to her this way? What is her next step to take? These were the questions that filled her head as she sat with her head buried in her knees inside the bathroom.

She managed to shower and that gave her some strength before going back to her bed. She tried Mike’s number he had given her the other time on her new phone but it kept bouncing back that it was switched off.

After pondering over and over, she decided to summon up the courage and visit Mike’s house. Upon getting to the house, she met another person entirely who told her that he just bought the house few days ago.

“What do you mean you just bought the house? Where is the former occupant? I still came here last week” she protested and the man responded politely “The young man occupying this place moved out last week Saturday and I moved in this week. I think you should try asking around if anyone has his contact or a way to get to him” before locking the door.

She spent almost two hours asking around for Mike in the neighborhood but everyone kept saying the same thing; he had left the neighborhood. She could not wrap her head around this sudden news that hit her like a hailstorm.

Her mother jilted her and now the father of her baby is nowhere to be found. She didn’t want to jump to conclusion that he ran away because she had not even told him about the baby but her patience was running out with each hour passing.  She went back home dejected and broken with no one to console her or even advise her on what to do.

After brooding over the issue for three days more, she finally came to the conclusion that she has to choose between her life and the baby. She has a bright future in front of her and she will not allow the presence of the baby to hinder her life. She acknowledged her mistake, let the fact that her mother has left her sink and concluded that life goes on.

Thankfully, her mother had paid her school fees before the incident happened so she just printed her admission letter and registered for every other things. The allowances remaining in her account which she doesn’t touch was enough for her to get an abortion after making enquiry so she decided to visit the hospital the next day to get rid of the baby.

She got to the hospital and registered with the gynecologist who directed her to take a scan. She asked curiously how the baby was and what was on the screen and the kind attendant carefully explained to her.

“The baby is now forming and the heart beat can be heard faintly. The limbs are starting to form and the eyes and ear is developing well” the attendant said in details and she burst into tears.

She didn’t know when she started to sob heavily because her heart suddenly ached for the fetus. “How can I rid this beautiful thing of life? How can I take away the chance its chance to breathe?” she kept crying and the attendant had no choice than to hold her closer to comfort her.

She finally calmed down and went back to the doctor who asked for the result of the ultrasound. The doctor was still checking it out when she stood up and said “I will not be getting rid of this baby” firmly.

The doctor smiled before telling her “You know, when most mothers come and ask for abortion, we often send them to take a scan so we can know the necessary steps to take after viewing the form and position of the fetus but forty percent of them end up coming back with a resolution that they will not be going through with the abortion. I don’t know why you have suddenly made this decision but I can provide a free counselling session for you twice a month, I will be your attending doctor if you register for your ante natal care here and also I can gladly recommend a platform that helps single mother out to you”.

She burst into another round of tears at the words of the doctor, she could not believe that she was experiencing this much kindness from a stranger when her own biological mother abandoned her and maybe the father too because she still has hope that he might come around soon.

She thought about deferring her admission for a year and consulted the school administration but she was given the option of joining the mother’s online program that was being set in place. She would be joining the lectures at home and turning in her assignments with others, she only has to come to school during the exams. She could not believe what was happening to her, everything was going her way just because she decided to keep the baby and she can’t wait to put this beautiful blessings to bed.

Bridget joined the association that the doctor gave her and she received some support from them in terms of materials and finances. She received her class schedules and started classes, set her date with her doctor and also visit the foundation that was supporting her.

She decided to take up a part time job of helping people with assignments online which raked in some income for her to support the one she was getting from the foundation. Her bump was now showing and her due date was getting nearer so she had to reduce some stresses and focus on the baby as instructed by the doctor.

Everything felt new, yet fascinating to her. She was happy with her decision of getting through the situation even when she was left alone by both parties. It’s been six months but neither her mother nor Mike called one, she was always hoping that their call would come through but she decided to put every hope to rest when she realized that she was indeed on her own.

One evening, she visited the foundation and was talking with some of the pregnant women when they started blushing over a guy that dropped down from the car.

“The handsome guy is here again” one of them muttered and covered her mouth. The others rushed from their seats and glued their faces to the huge window as they tried to get a glimpse of him.

“He’s so handsome, oh my gosh!” another remarked and they all giggled before rushing back to their seats as they saw him approaching the room.

Bridget who was confused raised her brow at the commotion before asking “Who is he? Why are you all giggling?” and they paused to look at her in surprise.

“You mean you don’t know the popular guy?” the eldest among them asked with her eyes wide opened and she shook her head “I have never heard of him”, this only made them more astonished.

The said hot guy walked in gracefully in an all-white outfit of a tight pant and loose shirt thoroughly tucked in his belted pant. He greeted everyone with a wide smile and they all rushed to welcome him while still gushing over him.

“You didn’t come by all these while, we thought you have abandoned us” they all jumped at him and he waved to deny the accusation thrown at him “I didn’t abandon you, I dare not. I was busy with school activities” he explained as they guided him to a seat amidst them.

“I see. I am sure the activities went well” Madam Joan, the eldest among them said to him and he nodded in confirmation before Madam Comfort turned to her suddenly.

“You also attend the Brown Halt University here right? He’s schooling there too” Madam Comfort announced and he turned to look at her.

His eyes lingered on her for a while before he locked eyes with her while smiling and she wondered what was funny to him as her lips shifted in disgust. He stretched forth his hand for a shake as he said “Hello, I am Steve and I also attend the same university as yours”. She gazed at his stretched hand for a while before slowing extending her hand to receive the shake when she noticed the silence everywhere, the madams were waiting for her to either reject or accept the hand before they pass their judgments across.