Unfulfilled promises 35

Unfulfilled Promises

Written by Audrey Timms

Episode 35

She had decided to change location then to forget everything and she had chosen Port Harcourt. It was when Oleng was two years old that she had gone to bring her to live with her in Port Harcourt. To worsen matters when she had met two other men who wanted to marry her, they had deserted her when they discovered she had a child. So Oleng was indirectly responsible for her loneliness though she had not killed her father who would have been a companion to her. It had caused her great pain when she went to Calabar once and saw Umoh with his wife and kids. What she had lost because of Oleng made her more bitter. That had brought a greater gap between them because she couldn’t forgive Oleng however childish it seemed for taking her happiness away even though it wasn’t her fault. All thesemade her cold, bitter and authoritative. Itmade her swear off men because they were all bastards!

As her heart turned colder, she knew the saying was true that if a female got pregnant out of wedlock and gave birth to a female child, the girl would follow her foot steps. She had gotten pregnant out of wedlock and now Oleng had done the same at an even younger age.

Hell no! She wasn’t going to allow history repeat itself. She had been secretly molding Oleng to become like her. She had withdrawn emotion from her because emotion didn’t get one anywhere in this world. She had left her alone for her to endure hard times and become mature without motherly love. To help her cope in this wicked world yet she had disappointed her by getting pregnant for that bastard! Such foolishness she couldn’t fathom. Had Oleng ever seen her with a man? Why hadn’t she taken cue from her? Couldn’t she have used a contraceptive? It made her very angry. She knew what she was going to do. She sat there just staring into space until late evening when Oleng came back.

Oleng ignored her mother and went to her room. She had made up her mind to tell Ricky. At least to get away from this house before her mother poisoned her. She had no idea if Ricky’s mum would accept her but she had to try. Anything was better than staying here where she knew surely her mum would make her life a living hell.

Eric was offline but she still typed the message. She told him she was sorry but she was pregnant and needed help. She asked if she should go to his mother. She pleaded with him to reply and she was sorry for shutting him out all this while. She waited and waited but he didn’t come online. She slept off still waiting. She woke up the following morning yet Eric had not replied. She became sort of scared. Her mum didn’t go out, much to her annoyance. She went to the kitchen to get herself breakfast thanking God that her morning sickness had let down. She ignored her mum.

By afternoon, Eric had still not replied. She became worried. She picked up her phone and sent him a message to call her as soon as he got the message. She waited and waited, yet nothing.

What’s going on? She wondered.

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Zinny and Marvy were amazed when Oleng‘s mum opened the front door when they came to visit her after school.

“Yes?” she asked harshly, “What are you prostitutes doing here?”

They glanced at each other in wide-eyed amazement but she continued, “Isn’t the fact that you have ruined her life enough?”

“Ma, we don’t know what you’re talking about.” Marvy managed to say.

“Oh! You want to tell me you don’t know she’s pregnant? You want to tell me you all haven’t been sleeping around but are wiser. Why didn’t you tell her what you normally do to avoid pregnancy? Or is it that you girls have done so many abortions you want her to join your club?” she lashed at the bamboozled girls.

“Now before I lose my temper, you harlots better get out of my compound.” she furiously told them.

“Let’s go, Zinny.” Marvy told her friend who stood looking at Mrs. Akpan in anger.

“No Marvy,” she shook her friend off. “She’s going to tell me when she saw us standing on the streets looking for men and if it is her hospital that we did the many abortions.”

“Zinny, please let’s go.” Marvy tried dragging her but she stood rigid.

“Oh! So you want to know?” Mrs. Akpan smiled bitterly.

“You’re only looking for who to blame when the person to blame is you. Have you ever been there for your daughter? Have you ever discussed sex with her before? Is it not a mother’s place to teach her daughter the dangers of premarital sex? Now you’re blaming us. We did our best. I think it’s God that is punishing you for your wickedness but it’s a pity He’s using poor Oleng as a pawn.” she continued yelling as Marvy dragged her towards the gate where the gateman stood staring.

To be continued