The Last Tears

“VERO, if I ever see you with that boy again,” Mr. Ogho roared, “I’ll beat you silly!”

“But dad,” Veronica replied, “he’s just a friend. You keep beating and warning me as if I’m a baby. I’m 18, dad. I know what to do.”

“Your dad is saying the truth, be careful Vero,” her mum added, “there’s more to life than being wayward.”
“How dare you talk to me like that!” her dad thundered, “You good-for-nothing girl! I said I don’t want to see you with those wayward boys again!” This time he drew out his belt angrily and flogged the young girl with it. Veronica shrugged her shoulders defiantly and ran away in anger. For two days her parents didn’t see her. She didn’t come home to sleep at all.

Veronica’s parents were used to her promiscuous lifestyle despite the fact that they keep threatening and warning her; there was nothing they could do. she was in secondary school but she was academically poor. Her other younger siblings were serious with their education and life. Veronica at the moment ought to be either in the polytechnic or the university if she had been more serious with her education at the early stage. Her loose and debauched way of life was a pain in the heart of her parents, particularly her dad, who wanted the best for his children; and he tried both morally and financially for the upkeep of his three children.

That Wednesday evening, three days after the clash with her parents, Veronica strolled in leisurely. She was dressed in short, skimpy brown shirt and a top that revealed her lower abdomen, almost showing hairs close to her navel. Her dad (Mr.Ogho) was seething with rage, which was visible on his face.

“And where are you coming from?” he asked angrily. “For three days you didn’t come home Vero! What kind of life is this?”

“We went for an excursion at school dad,” she replied, “we went out of town.”

“I was at your school and your principal told me nothing of such! Don’t make me lose my temper again. You have decided to live a dirty and unwholesome life Vero, why? For God’s sake, why?”

Her dad was lost for words and he broke down in tears. Her mum shook her head dejectedly in tears and sighed continuously, she put her right hand finger in her mouth, pouting heartrendingly. Veronica was bad through and through. She smoked cigarette like chimney, and loved disco parties with a passion so unfathomable. Her boyfriends called her by her nickname: ‘Miss Hot Pants’. She kept late nights. She had about 10 boyfriends scattered all over the town.

Emeka was number one, Uche was number two; Kunle was number three, Adamu number four… and so on. She even dated married men and sugar daddies. Her insatiable thirst for a turgid phallus was legendary. She dated boys and older men just for the fun of it, because Mr.Ogho, her dad, had a good job and did his utmost best to take care of her and her younger siblings financially. Her mum too was a successful trader who wanted nothing but the best for her three children.

Truly, Veronica was beautiful. Possibly, she got heady and out-of-control because of her beauty. She had round and firm boobs, and very attractive. She was light in complexion like her mum. She was tall, gazelle-like and charming. Actually, it would take the resistance of a monk or a castrated gentleman to ignore her enchanting backsides. She had a well-arranged sparkling white teeth, well-curved and alluring shape, and gap-toothed too. People wondered why she became so lascivious and lewd when her parents had no history of being promiscuous and wayward. Perhaps she was flaunting her God-giving beauty the wrong way; and perhaps societal ills had eaten too deep into her soul, making her lost control of her senses.

It was the month of September, and Veronica realized she was pregnant again! For who? She didn’t know, because she had lots of men dating her at the same time. Just like in the past, she made up her mind to ‘yank off’ the pregnancy her usual way. She hurried to Adamu that afternoon after leaving school to inform him that she was pregnant. After so much so much wrangling and persuasion Adamu parted with some money for the abortion.

She did the same thing to Uche, she told him she was pregnant for him; unwillingly and annoyingly Uche parted with some money, too. Veronica got money from almost eight of his men friends and was now with more money than what Dr.Peters demanded for the abortion. She contacted Dr. Peters in Lagos that sunny afternoon and within few minutes the abortion was done. Veronica got home that evening, weak and tired. About 7 p.m, all alone in her room she started feeling some pains in her lower abdomen.

The pains were excruciating and debilitating. Her eyes were getting dimmer and dimmer. Her head was spinning round and she became so dizzy. She fell down from her bed onto the floor and screamed in spasmodic pain even as tears welled up in her eyes. Her parents heard her agonizing screams and rushed to her room.

“What is happening, Vero?” her dad asked, shaken and confused. Her mum was wailing and sweating. Veronica was rolling on the floor in seismic pains; she began to bleed profusely. She didn’t talk. She couldn’t utter a word. Blood was all over the floor. Her dad carried her up in fear and said: “Quick , we must take her to the hospital! Mama Vero, our girl is dying…I wonder what she’s gone through!”

“God!” screamed her mum, “Vero, why? Why? Why d’you have to treat us this way?”

They rushed her to Healthway Hospital in Lagos Mainland. All the way to the hospital she was bleeding ceaselessly. She was quickly taken to the emergency ward and about three experienced doctors battled to save her life.

But alas, Veronica died exactly around 10p.m at the emergency ward of Healthway Hospital! The autopsy examination and report showed that she suffered too much internal bleeding and pains due to abortion she’d undergone from a quack doctor. Sometimes, it pays to heed to a word of advice. You never can say what might happen.