1 Our Child 1

Shut up!

Noise filled the room which was lit up by the setting sun, they were alone in the house and the house was situated in the middle of nowhere so no one could come to break up this fight. Anger and love was in the air, the fight only grew hotter, everyone wanted to make their points heard and at the same time no one wanted to listen. What cause this argument?, how will this end?

Our story begins with Nathaniel, he had everything a boy could ask for except freedom, he never chose for himself but he never realised. Raised in a very strict christian home, the son of a renewed Pastor, a lot was already expected from him and without asking, with the naivety of a child bent on making his father smile accepted his father's goal for him after all dad knows best. The motto a good name is better than silver or gold stuck to his heart man and protect your name at all cost. He was so engrossed in his old man's motto that he didn't realise when he became a slave to it. His old man was a Pastor and as the first son everyone expected him to take over from his old man's work and I'm no disappointment he always said so he vowed not to disappoint, he would live up to his old man's expectations but the race to heaven is a personal journey not a hereditary one. Did he even bother to know God for himself or it was just a will poured out to him.

He growled in the teachings of his father, accepted everything without questions, "Honour Thy Father and Mother, that your days may be prolonged in the land which the LORD your God gives you".

Entering his twenties, he grew up to be a fanciable young man, not much had change from his ideologies if anything he was more committed to them but sometimes our thoughts and actions don't always match up.

He was confused but he hoped somehow, sometime and somewhere everything will add up, confused but still, that was his current dilemma, he had fallen so deep that he could touch the ocean floor but the darkness around him made him believe he was on Mount Everest

Just mere weeks away from his coronation as the new youth Pastor, he was one more step closer to his father's goal and he couldn't let anything derail him, yeah anything but himself which he didn't put into consideration. He thought he was the perfect one and the constantly changing world was imperfect.

Everyone was so happy with the upcoming news, preparations had begun even months before, but everything was about to come crashing down just two weeks to the D-day, he thought of how heartbroken his father would be, the shame he would bring to his father's name, at that moment his Father's word rang loud in his ear "A good name is better than silver or gold and protect it at all cost", with that he knew what had to do.

At the end of the spectrum of society was a young woman who to the world around her was so worthless that even the author didn't bother to think of a backstory for her, everyday had being a war barely hanging on, the society deemed her worthless that she eventually accepted that as her truth, it was that way for long that her love deprived heart would take anything given to her as love and that was when he stepped in, someone she could look up to. He made her feel warm, they didn't have the best relationship but it was better than nothing, they had being in secret for years, had fights, she even fund herself doubting at times but the promise of marriage made all those fears go away, and when they get married there will no longer be a problem, if only she knew how wrong she was but you can't blame her. She was a prostitute, condemned by the very men she had satisfied and by her fellow women who constantly stigmatised her line of work, she was the very definition of what not to be as a young girl. But that past was slowly behind her, she had a lover who saw her as a human I guess. After exiting the hospital she couldn't tell her younger lover about her discovery, she wondered if his expression would be the same as the last time, how do I even tell him.

Two wannabe lovers who lived in different worlds. A man with false perfection and a love deprived lady, what could go wrong except everything.

Leaving the doctor's office after her check up, he asked her a question "So what will you do this time?, or it's all up to him"

Confused on what to reply

The doctor called her by her name "Ada, I hope you know you are worth more, I know you've been through a lot but I want you to rethink your decision very well and do it for you, do it because you want to do it so you can accept the consequences whole heartedly".

She replied "Doc thanks, I feel this has been a good luck charm, all my life I've been treated like garbage even I didn't connect with the other ones but these one I've connected with it, I even started believing in God funny right" her eyes beamed with joy as she spoke. She had never being happy and she because of these privileged situation she decided to take life head on, no more playing the victim. I'll be the best I can, love does motivate but for how long.

Her phone vibrated, a message popped up

"Hey, how'd it go?"

It was from him the one who made her feel warm

"I feel like we should have this conversation in person and I've made my decision". She replied, filled with worries and fear but in with those fears and worries she saw hope and clung to it.

On her way home looking out of the window of the rusty bus she was riding, everything seemed brighter, seeing the way mothers held their kids filled her with joy, she was ready for anything that would come up.

Her phone kept on vibrating, she chose to turn deaf ears to that.

When she got home he was already there waiting for her, Nathaniel she called him Nath for short.

Nath was already losing his temper but she tried her best to calm him down.

Nath had bought a house for her, in the middle of nowhere, she had pleaded countless of times to meet his parents but to no avail and she came to understand why, no dad would want his son bringing a prostitute as a wife and talk more of a renowned Pastor. She knew Nath and knew his ideology very well "A good name is better than silver or gold", she also knew the length he would go to protect it but what she was about to witness today she never predicted it, she knew he was an extremist but at that still saw a light in him, she believed he would be change one day, but will she be alive to see that day.

"Why haven't you done it?" he said in a calm tone, it was obvious he was trying to hold himself from letting lose

"I'm scared" she replied with her eyes already tearing up he was breaking his promise to her once again and he didn't care how that made her feel.

"Don't be darling, I'm here for you, I'll never leave you. Always and forever remember". He consoled her and with that he closed the gap between them, once in his arm she tried her best to feel safe and protected but couldn't

"But you promised me we wouldn't abort the child. You said last time was the last time." She said with a tone filled with disappointment. The tears increased, falling to her knees confused on what to do. He knelt with her, trying his best to console her.

"I know I said that and this decision breaks my heart as well but, I think we should face the fact that we are not ready for this."

"Life doesn't give you the chance to get ready but we can learn on the job Nath. I'm ready to learn, I'll give it my all Nath"

At this point it was clear they were on different paths, they both hoped the other would abandon their paths and give in.

"Ada, I love you and I understand your pain, but this is not the right time, please be patient the right time will come."

Ada now vexed cause this was not the first time she had heard that line neither was it the second it was the fourth, this scene was getting too familiar and he always won.

She blurted out, "Don't give me that bullshit, when tell me when... when will the right time ever come, it���s always like this Nath I'm tired of this, what if this is my last chance of getting pregnant" ".. Ha-a-ve you ever thought of that" Her emotions were over the place she had never spoken to him like this in their four years together, she was finally becoming aware of the power she had and he knew that. The way things were going wasn't good for him, it was like she had become a new person, where is all this coming from he thought to himself. Where is my sweet, quiet, obedient Ada. Who is this standing in front of me

"Ada, why are you being unreasonable?" at this point he had lost it and didn't even bother to hide it

"I'm so close to my dream and you want to destroy it all, Ada I'm begging you. What will the congregation think" with that he made his true intent known to her, he didn't care about her, it had always been his reputation.

The truth she never wanted to believe the truth she always ran away from finally dawned on her