"MY BABY"
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( #Cherish the one thing that makes you happy, don't give up on it #)
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A young lady in her early 20's; precisely is pregnant, sitting and watching, admiring the view of the morning sun in front of their low budgeted apartment, containing about seven people.
Yes... "theirs".
She's married, but not really married.
Her name is "MARY-JANE" , my mother and that's me in her belly, so you should know i haven't been born yet.
She got pregnant for the man she loved so ever since then she has been living with him and his families. So precisely, she isn't legally married cuz no marriage formalities has been performed.
The compound is filled to the brim cuz of the presence of the neighbours children and fellow neighbours who didn't go to work, all of them in their daily basic performance.
"Mary-jane!!!!' the mother in-law (old lady Lucy) of mary-jane called
"Yes ma?" She answered politely
"What are you doing here dear, shouldn't you be resting inside? You know you're pregnant and these is your first time. You shouldn't be out here. You should be resting, my child" old lady Lucy sympathetically told her.
"No ma, I'm fine, just feeling a little bit cold inside so I decided to come out here and take the early morning sunlight." Mary-jane answered with a bright smile on her face.
"Okay dear, but be careful, okay? " Old lady Lucy told her.
"Sure ma'am, I will." She replied respectfully
"Mmtchwww"
The both ladies looked to see Lydia, mary-jane's sister in-law and her husband's younger sister hissing. From the look of things, it would be affirmed that Lydia never liked her, despite being pregnant for her brother.
It's not her fault anyway. She loved her brother, but no one told her it's going to reach to the extent where she has to be pregnant before marriage.
It was never the plan for herself.
"Lydia, what's the meaning of that?" Old lady Lucy asked
"Ma please, don't start.... cuz I already know where these will end even if I say what's on my mind. Of all the people for my brother to get pregnant it's these wretched rat that they mother abandoned, huh?" she flared.
Abandoned.
The word striked Mary-jane badly to every nerves in her system.
Though Lydia isn't lying cuz their mother, Louisa, abandoned them with their father, who barely feeds himself let alone feed them. Their mother left when she was still ten, warranting her father handing her to her wicked aunt.
Her mother, Louisa, gave birth to four children.
Lawrence, the first in male
Samuel, the second in male
Chile, the last in male, and lastly her;
Mary-jane, the first in female.
She's the Senior to Chile, who was just three months old when their mother left them. Living the new born baby to their care, no breastfeeding!!!!!
The first male, Lawrence, who was just 25 then, decided to travel to the city and struggle for the well-being of his family.
As God may have it, he made it. He became the best dressmaker in the city. Things were going very well for them. They even eat three square meals a day and are living healthy.
Unfortunately, all these went down the drain when it was announced to them that their beloved brother, Lawrence dead of food poisoning.
Young mary-jane tears flooded like river. Her eyes swollen beyond recognition. She looked haggard. She couldn't talk as she watch her young bloodied brother being put to the grave. His laughter, words of encouragement, charisma, all gone.
"I promise you, when I come back again, you will go back to school"
The sweet melodic voice of her brother resounded in her ears, the promise he made before going back to the city.
Their old father, Mr. Anthony couldn't do anything, he couldn't cry, couldn't talk. Nothing!!!! He did nothing as his first fruit was being buried. To him, history is indirectly repeating itself.
'Are we cursed?' he asked himself inwardly.
'i went to hustle for my family when I was at his age, but nothing fruitful came out of it, I couldn't make out anything out of my struggles. I couldn't even build a house for my family.
All the money I sent to my brother then, he lavished everything, my life savings, spending the money only on his children, while leaving my own children to suffer. I came back hoping for a new change for me and my family, but everything went down the drain just like now' he thought inwardly again.
Despite all these that's happening, their mother never for once came back at least to morn with the family.
Two weeks after the burial of Lawrence, everything he owned was handed over to the second male who is Samuel, who handled everything smoothly.
Their came back to their feet again. Living well and Fine.
But as the devil may have it, Samuel lavished all the accessories he made out of the business being handed to him.
Their weakly went back to square one again!!!!! Life wasn't easy for them after that, cuz their father is old and couldn't work to meet earn needs.
All they rely on is their brother, Samuel, until these tragedy happened again.
Poverty being their second names, they decided to take mary-jane away. She was handed to her wicked aunt at that same age; 10.
She meet the view of the cruel world.
She sleeps outside whenever she bed wets, doesn't eat when she doesn't finish her errands at the exact time displayed to her, doesn't go to school on time, eat once in a day while the children lives in luxury.
She really suffered even at that young age. No love of her mother. Her brother who promised to send her to school, dead, her aunt went to the extreme of dropping her out of school with the excuse that their's no money.
Her family asset went down to nothing. At that age, she doesn't know what education walls looks like. Her aunt children will be going to school while she will remain at home doing errands like a slave.
When she was coming here, she was very excited. To her, she believed she's coming to her second home. Where she will be loved and cared for. But not all that glitters are gold.
She lived like that until she turned 20 when she got pregnant for her man. Their were friends from when she came to live with her aunt though.
The deed happened when she was chased out of the house as usual. But that day was unfaithful cause it was in the midnight.
Not having anywhere to go she decided to sleep in the nearest abandoned catholic church near the house.
In the midnight, she couldn't sleep cause of the strange noises she's hearing inside the church.
She has heard stories about ghost before, even stories about them, but never for once believed in their existence, but as of that night she started believing in it.
The rusty drums in the church played, chattering could be heard from different directions, but she couldn't see anyone. She hid in the small hidden space there cuddling herself there like her life depended on it.
After that night she vowed never to come there again. As if on cue she was chased out again the next day.
But these time around she has someone. She decided to branch to her man's house. On that day, the deed happened. She never planned for it, but when one doesn't have control over the desires of the flesh, you shall surely fall.
Though he didn't deny, he accepted her, on one condition, for her to abort the pregnancy which she and her mother in-law blantly refused.
"You will tell her such... you're here today all grown up cuz I didn't abort you even when my parents insisted.. so mary-jane will not abort hers" old lady Lucy will always say.
And now she's living with the family of six, husband and wife, four kids, two boys and two girls, and her, making them seven.
Lydia and her brother, who she calls 'her man' are the only ones against her pregnancy, others are on her side, supporting all through.
"Mom, she should better leave, she's not wanted here." Lydia said with hateful galance towards mary-jane.
"And as your mother, I will recommend that you keep that thing you called a mouth shut, you hear me? She's giving birth to these child and I will carry her as her grandmother to be" Old lady Lucy said with seriousness laced in her voice
"Mom, I've told you, she should better leave and carry that bastard out of these house, if she doesn't....." Lydia said leaving the rest of her words in suspense.
The word 'bastard' struck mary-jane like lightning. Her tears flowing down her plumpy cheeks that are now chubby due to the pregnancy.
Her child??? A bastard?? Her first seed, a bastard!!
"Lydia why calling my child that, it hasn't even been born into these world yet and you're already hating her these much" mary-jane asked with her overflowing tears.
"Of course the child is a bastard, isn't she? Has my brother married you legally? No, right. So literally that child is a ba..s..ta...rd" Lydia spelled the word for her.
"Lydia!!!" Old lady Lucy flared
"No mother, stop!!!! For your reminder, the ladies of these house don't have any say in any matter, so better keep shut!!!?" Lydia warned her mother fearlessly.
"My child is not a bastard Lydia" mary-jane said, choking on her sobs.
"What's going on?" A voice asked walking into the compound.
That's Henry, mary-jane's brother in-law. The second in male, tall, muscular and handsome.
He looked at mary-jane affectionatly to see tears still streaming down her cheeks. The whole family knows without in denial that Henry has a soft spot for Mary-jane. But that's confidential.
No one needed to tell him what happened to her, but he decided to ask anyway.
"Mary-jane, what's wrong?" he asked lovingly, wiping her tears and hugging her afterwards.
"Nothing" she said freeing herself from him, wiping her tears and walking out.
"You see? she even walked out on you Henry, which is against these family rules. She's disrespectful and my brother isn't marrying her" Lydia said with finality.
"And who are you to decide?"
"(2 mins pause).Listen, You seem to have forgotten that the ladies of these family shouldn't talk the way you're talking, that's disrespectful from your side and their aren't meant to decide what rules in these family.
So you deciding who and who not for our brother to marry has a penalty on it's own. Bear that in mind" Henry said walking out too.
"Mom....."
"Shush, next time I hear so degrading words about her baby, you will be sent packing out of these house" Old lady Lucy cut her off immediately, walking out too.
"Seriously mom?? Is that what you have to say?" She stumped her feet.
"My family is probably mad....but believe me or not mary-jane, you will never become a member of these family. Never" Lydia declared with finality.
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IN THE NIGHT: 11:50PM
"Are you sure it's gonna work?" The voice of a man could be heard outside the compound, but close to mary-janes' window.
"Yes, I'm sure of it. What you should do is make sure she takes the medicine, once she does, the baby will be flushed out" a female voice said.
"Really?" The man asked in an enthusiastic voice
"Yes, make sure she takes it and your problems will be solved" the female voice said smirking evily.
"Okay then" he said collecting the package from the female with smiling face.
"Goodnight " they bid each other.
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IN ANOTHER STATE: 1:25PM NIGHT.
The night here doesn't look like it. It's these time that people go about with their daily activities like they're vampires.
It isn't their fault though, the whole city is well protectedand guided and most importantly they live in harmony.
Music playing in different backgrounds, children playing with their friends, parents cooking, the father's with their friends in one place or the other while some in their midnight working place for daily breads.
Louisa, mary-janes' mother carried her new born baby she birthed just last week in her arms, breastfeeding.
Ever since she got married to another man, leaving mary-jane and her family to suffer, she hasn't bother for once to call or ask about her family.
To others out there, she's enjoying her new marriage without any stress with her four daughter, but to her, she's in hell.
Yeah
Four daughters birthed in her current marriage, no male. Her first child already grown up about 9yrs old, while the others are 5 and 6 respectively, and a week old baby she's carrying.
"Mama, is papa still coming back?" The first child, promise asked looking expectantly at her mother and the little baby.
"Of course dear, he will" she said, concentration all based on the baby she's feeding.
"Okay mama" promise said staring adorable at the little baby.
"Go tell your sister, joy, to bring the baby diapers for me, hurry up " Louisa told her.
"Why mama, what do you need it for?" Promise asked squinting
"Promise, just go and do what I asked of you" Louisa said with tired expression.
"Okay mama" promise said jogging away.
As soon as she left, Louisa engaged herself in a very deep thought. She misses her family. She missed them so much that it hurts.
She can't go back. She couldn't go back when her son, Lawrence died, Let alone now, what will become of her?
How will her children look at her?
Her three months old baby she left, will surely hate her for life for what she did to him.
Or her husband?? Gosh
That's worst. She's thinking herself into depression. She wants her family back, but faith isn't on her side.
If only she could turn back the hands of time, she would've stayed. What pushed her into leaving her marriage is still unknown till now. She's regretting and she's tired of these loveless marriage she put herself into. At these rate, she might hang herself.
She didn't know what came over her and her husband's people to chase her out of her marriage, accused her of what she isn't guilty of.
The only regret she's having right now is her inability to fight for her marriage, she couldn't fight for her marriage, that's all she's devastated about.
If they didn't chase her away that night, she wouldn't have gotten into these mess.
"Louisa, is the food ready?" Her new husband, Emmanuel asked.
Emmanuel is a local business man. Who eats from hand to mouth when she meet him. He began this his local business cause of her influence and connections.
He works throughout the day, till late at night.
"Um.....Not yet, it's not. But once I'm through breastfeeding the baby I will go cook." She said
"What?!! Is that what you have to tell me? Didn't I give you money before leaving here?" He thundered
Louisa sighed exhausted.
"I know. You did gave me money to cook for you, but I said I will cook once I'm through with the baby. I didn't say I wouldn't cook" she said in a frial voice.
"Listen, I'm giving you just five minutes, if that food isn't ready till then, get ready to face my wrath" he said walking out of the house.
"Hmmm" Louisa sighed. Daily routine for her. She isn't surprised.
"I wish I didn't leave my husband's house" she said.
"Mama, here's the diapers" promise interrupted
"Tsk"
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MARY-JANE'S COMPOUND, 8:55AM: MORNING.
"Here" Collins, mary-janes' husband said handing a small polythene bag to mary-jane, who was helping old lady Lucy in the kitchen.
Collins is the first and foremost child of the family. Helps in the family business and all. His mary-jane's husband.
"Collins, what's that?" Old lady Lucy asked.
"Tsk...mom could you stop asking too much?" He fired
"I'm your mother, and I care for these family. So I have the right to know what you give my daughter in-law" Old lady Lucy fired back.
"Mom... it's fine, please. No need to banter words. So if you must know that's a medicines." He said nervously
"Medicine? For what? Mary-jane...are you sick?" She asked now facing mary-jane, who was just looking at them all the while.
Mary-jane couldn't say anything cuz she well know there's wrong with her and she couldn't even remember telling Collins that she's sick.
She's fine!!!
"Mom, she doesn't have to tell you before knowing that she's sick. Lydia told me yesterday that she saw her sitting outside cuddling herself.
So I went and asked the doctor and he prescribed those drugs for me" he said fidgeting inwardly
"It's for her well-being mother, nothing else" he added
"Oh really, that's so nice of you. But mary-jane is fine now, so no need for the worry." Old lady Lucy said smiling
"Yeah...I'm fine Collins, no need for the bother " mary-jane said
"What are you trying to say?" Collins asked, daring mary-jane to make a wrong move and face his wrath.
"She said she's fine bro. No need for the bother " his younger brother Henry said, who has been standing behind them all the while, no one even knew when he came in.
"I might not like the fact that she's pregnant for me, but that doesn't mean I have to let her fall sick under my watch" he threatened.
"No need for the banters, I will take the drugs" mary-jane said.
"Drink it now" Collins said.
"Um... sure " mary-jane replied taking water and the medicine.
She took them all in feeling the bitterness behind her throat.
"See? think I'm gonna harm her?" Collins asked walking out on them.
"I know you Collins" Old lady Lucy muttered.
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5 MINUTES LATER.
"These already five minutes, but nothing happened to her. You sure that medicine isn't fake?" Collins asked.
"I'm sure of the medicine I bought. I make use of it too" Lydia said assuring her brother that the drug is effective.
"Are you sure she dranked it?" She asked skeptically
"Are you really asking me that, I was there when she drank it in front of me" he said.
"I'm sure that baby is a demon. Well.....not to panic . They're many ways to kill a demon. I have another plan." Collins said with an evil glint on his face.
"Really?"
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AFTERNOON: 12:34PM.
Mary-jane was having her afternoon sleep as a pregnant woman should. But the sleep isn't forth-coming. Helping her ' PARTIAL' mother in-law in the kitchen really stressed her out and she really needs to sleep to regain her strength.
Though she didn't do much, but as a pregnant woman it's expected.
Still in thought about the medicines Collins gave her. As much as she loves Collins, she wouldn't risk the life of her baby. That's why she did what she has to do then.....
✯ FLASHBACK✯
"Did you really drank the medicine? Please tell me you didn't." Old lady Lucy asked after everyone was out leaving only the both of them in the kitchen.
On cue, mary-jane deep throat herself with her middle fingers, vomiting the medicine along with some blood too.
"Easy dear" Old lady Lucy said sympathetically, patting her on her back for easy secretion.
"I'm...Fi....ne.....mama...." Mary-jane said with difficulty.
"It's okay dear. Thank God you threw up everything. Collins might be my son but I don't trust him at all." She said.
"I know ma'am" mary-jane said.
✯ PRESENT✯
Even though I love him so much, I couldn't risk the life of my unborn child knowing very well that Collins never wanted these child in the first place.
"I will protect you with my life baby. I might be young to be a mother, but I'm ready to take the consequences of birthing you." Mary-jane said, rubbing her throbbing belly tears threatening to fall.
Immediately, Collins barged into the room unanounced.
"Dress up, we're going for a check-up" he said.
Mary-jane squinted her face, but didn't make it obvious that she's uncomfortable with his request.
'atleast he said something productive ' mary-jane muttered within her trying to convince herself.
"Okay sir" she said.
She went into the adjacent room facing theirs. She rummage throughout the room dressing up and all. After she was through, again she looked at her belly through the mirror there.
"I don't know why, but I feel like I'm walking into a thorn of fire right now"
"But in all, I will protect you" she said leaving the room.
"I'm ready" she said to Collins
"Mmh... let's go" he said without even sparing her a glance.
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HOSPITAL.
Immediately their arrived at the hospital, they both went straight to the obstetrician/gynaecologist desk, sitting and waiting for her to arrive.
"Why are we here Collins?" Mary-jane asked nervously
"For a check-up" he said flatly, leaving no rooms for arguments.
"I don't know why we're here Collins, but I don't like whatever I'm feeling" she told him
"Well you have no reason to be. We're just here for a check-up and that's all. Stop being so naive" he thundered.
"We're not quarrelling Collins" mary-jane said with submissiveness.
Without further banter, they kept quite, waiting for the doctor.
"Oh.. Mr Collins. What a pleasant surprise." The doctor said immediately she arrived
They exchanged pleasantries.
"Well we're here about what we discussed" Collins said going straight to the point.
"Ohhhh, about that. Hope she's aware."
"No need for that, just go on with it." Collins said.
"Okay" the doctor said.
" So madam, you have to follow me to the RHC" she said.
"RHC? What's that ma'am " mary-jane asked.
"No time for that, we only have about 5-10 minutes " the doctor said
"How many weeks is your pregnancy?".the doctor asked again
"Um...I...I... I'm 20 weeks gone" she said, the drumming of her heart sounding to everyone's hearing.
"You sure?" The doctor asked again for affirmation.
Mary-jane just nooded signifying the truth.
"Okay then, let's go" she told her walking out hastely.
"Don't go." Her subconscious muttered in her head.
She shakes it off and left with the doctor.