(Continued from last week Saturday)
She felt so happy that, at last, she was pregnant for the son of a rich man. She was so confident and excited with joy that she would soon start living in fantastic opulence and stupendous wealth. “Life would be sweet,” she thought.
She made up her mind to visit Bayo early on a Sunday morning to give him the good news. She had calculated well, because that Sunday morning, she met Bayo at home and told him she was pregnant for him.
She was giggling with joy while telling Bayo of the ‘nice’ development.
“Pregnant for whom?” Bayo said in anger. “You, of course…darling,” she replied, very worried. “It can’t be me; you must be kidding.
What is the matter with you, you numskull and poverty-stricken idiot?
You must be out of your mind. You can’t expect me to marry a cretin like you,” Bayo replied, sarcastically.
Peju left Bayo’s room in tears and went to see Bayo’s parents. They too were blunt and hard on her.
They told her their son wasn’t ready for marriage or to father a child at the moment and that she should look elsewhere for the father of her yet unborn child.
Peju left them in tears and resolved to terminate the pregnancy. She was in dilemma and thought abortion was the only option and way out of her predicament.
She went to a doctor to abort the pregnancy, but she was told that if she tried it, it could lead to death. She tried another hospital, but she was told the same thing.
Later, she resolved to have the baby. For nine sad and lonely months, Peju carried the pregnancy. Her misery and pain were deep throughout this agonising period.
Her parents, who were very poor, had always warned her of her waywardness and loose lifestyle, but she had always refused to listen and change. So, they watched her as she bore the burden of motherhood on her own, as there was nothing they could do, being so poor.
It was only her friend, Jane, that always consoled her throughout those painful and pathetic nine months of pregnancy.
Jane was a brown-skinned, intelligent and hardworking young girl. She was the direct opposite of Peju. She was five feet tall and very humble also. She was a student of Lagos State University (LASU), studying Mass Communication.
“Why did you have to take the plunge just like that?” Jane asked for the umpteenth time. “A man you barely know, a total stranger, you allowed him to make love to you without considering the dangers involved.
There are lots of venereal infections out there. What about HIV/AIDS pandemic? Peju, stop crying; you caused all these yourself. You should be careful the way you live your life,” she admonished.
“Look before you leap next time,” Jane concluded.
“It’s a mistake, Jane,” Peju cried. “I’ll never fall for such a thing again in my life,” she added, sobbing, with tears streaming down her cheek.
The next day, Peju was delivered of a baby boy at her parents’ house in Ajegunle, as they couldn’t afford to take her to the hospital for delivery.
The young child, who till today remains fatherless, was named Igba Oluwa, meaning, God’s time.
All that glitters is not gold after all and a word is enough for the wise. Life is delicate and one should wait for the right time, which only God knows.
(Concluded)
[ad unit=2]
