CHAPTER FIVE:

On that round table we sat every one ready to give their opinion but whatever she decided was final it doesn't matter what our opinion was. Well I'm always against young girls being pregnant and keeping babies. So evil of me but don't you think it's even more evil to bring a child into this world only to suffer? Anyway I was first to cast my vote. "Well, y'all know I'm against this. The fact that he could even doubt you is enough proof of you getting rid of it." August went next "I wouldn't lie to you but you I've told you my story myself and you did cry. You choose though." The choice was hers and hers only to make. –"I don't want to keep it but I don't have fifteen thousand to see a doctor at the Marie-stopes Centre." I wasn't worried about the fifteen thousand but I was sure happy she never wanted to keep it. Hopefully we didn't force her into doing it.

"You need to worry less, I know a doctor who can help us at a cheaper price, probably five thousand," August assured her. She agreed with her and August rang the doctor who promised he'd come by at two in the afternoon. We sat there as we awaited the doctor. With the two of us on our phones and Anne sobbing on her bed I decided to whisper my fears to August. "I might be pregnant as well." –"As well!" she exclaimed. She began to quarrel me, Naya what were you guys thinking? Do you know how much your parents will be disappointed in you? Going home with a child instead of your law degrees, anyway let's deal with what we have here; we shall deal with yours later. I'm so disappointed in the two of you.

'Call him, call him not. Tell him, tell him not,' was the kind of argument in my head. However what was I supposed to tell him? I was pregnant? I was never sure about that. What if he did what Anne's boyfriend did? I decided I'd inform him once I had taken my test.

At exactly a half-past two the doctor came. He explained to her the repercussions of what they were about to do including if the ministry of health realized that he did help in an abortion, his license would be revoked. Being law students we already knew the same. Firstly our circumstance is not provided for under the constitution and secondly the doctor himself is not authorized to do the same. He asked her to lay in bed and open legs the way women who are about to give birth do. He wore his gloves, covered her with a sheet and placed a scissor into her vaginal area. He then said 'Your uterus has moved, it's very close to the vaginal area and that means that you could have given birth to a child with deformities.' He then took some pills and placed them in the opening of her vaginal area; it would be absorbed by the vaginal fluids. He also gave her some pills to swallow. He also explained that it would be painful and after swallowing the pills she wasn't supposed to drink water because the pills wouldn't work.

The doctor was paid half and he was supposed to be the other money on a later date. We sat by her side all evening long but the pain the doctor had talked about, she had not experienced an ounce of it. All throughout this time up to seven o'clock she was deep asleep. At one point we feared for her life, it was abnormal for one to sleep for all those hours. She suddenly moved like she was in pain. She strained to pull herself through the bed grabbing the sheets tightly as she coiled herself. The dreaded moment was here. From a distance we watched her not knowing what to do. She held unto her tummy and kept groaning painfully. She removed the light dress she was wearing and was left with her underwear alone. She used the dress to give herself some air. She swung from the bed all the way to the floor. She swayed like a snake. At that moment I knew I was supposed to help my friend. The only way I could do that was by taking away the pain she was going through. It was so disappointing that I couldn't do that. She struggled into the bathroom to puke. She began to bleed, the uterus or the zygote was coming off I'm not sure. That went on till late in the night. When she finally managed to sleep and we slept.

I had never given my parents any reason to be proud of me, I wasn't the best student in the schools I ever attended like my siblings who took the top positions in their schools. I somewhat felt like a failure. My biggest fear became proving them right that I was failure by being pregnant. A million thoughts crossed my mind right from the termination to my own suicide that morning as I dipped the kit into the tin of the urine. I sat on the toilet plate with a short and silk top. My heart throbbed faster than usual as I kept exhaling out loudly, but I didn't wake up either Anne or August. I wasn't relaxed, I was uncomfortable. I kept moving up and down , wishing and praying that all this was a nightmare and I was about to wake up. I let out a loud piercing scream from the bathroom waking them up and August rushed to the bathroom. What's wrong, she asked with her eyes wide open and her short shaggy hair could explain she had just woken up and she was still confused

'My test came out negative,' as I sighed out loudly. You freaked us out she said as she went back to sleep while Anne smiled humbly as if trying to tell me, you're lucky. "I told you, there's no way you could be pregnant,' she said and went back to sleep as well. I walked to the kitchen humming and as I prepared breakfast for the first time the thoughts of being infertile crossed my head. This is because whenever I went around fooling with Sidon, we had never used protection. It had me worried but also it kind of fascinated me coz the chances I was going to ruin my future were very minimal.

For three consecutive days we ensured that she always had a balanced diet in order for her to be strong and prepare for the final exams. Her boyfriend catered for everything, he always sent money on a daily basis. He even refunded the one which the doctor was paid at first and the remainder he also cleared it. We also agreed that this was going to be our small secret even when we were not talking to each other.

Luckily enough she regained her strength before we could start exams. On one of the free Thursdays that we had no exams I headed over to August's to pick some grocery. She pleaded with me to watch out the store for her she had received a call from one of her suitors who wanted to see her. I had no problem standing in for her after all she was my friend. So she left in a hurry. I had my headphones on when this guy after picking some noodles and soft drink he approached the counter to pay. I was so into the movie I was watching I didn't recognize his presence till when he removed my headphones. Where's August? He asked. Awkwardly smiling I replied, "Today I'm the one who's here, how can I be of service?

Has anyone ever told you that you have brilliant white seductive eyes? He said. I looked at him as if trying to ask if he was still talking to him. I was short of words so I didn't say a single word but instead I smiled sheepishly. He then stretched out his hand and said "My name is Lucca and I pursue education, languages in the same university as you. What's your name? He asked. I stretched my hand back as well and introduced myself "I'm Naya Lavelle, a law student."

"Your eyes always catch my attention whenever I come here, only that today I had the guts to approach you because you were alone, he concluded.

I thought he was some kind of liar because that was the first time I was seeing him around. Either way once his receipt was out from the computer I packed for him and he walked away. For the first time I had seen the men who are always described in novels and movies. Tall, dark and handsome. Not forgetting how masculine he was because he did hit the gym definitely. You could clearly see biceps and abs through his tight shirt. The cargo pants he wore matched quite well with the combat boots he wore. When August came back I hurriedly walked home because I was aware Anne must have grown tired waiting for me.

A week later we were done with our exams so we headed to August's to pass time. While there, Lucca passed by he knocked by the window and waved at me and I waved back before he walked away. My friends began to nag me to tell them everything. Well there was nothing to tell them except what had happened. He came her days ago and said Hi. All of us were supposed to head home for our Christmas holidays. I clearly recall I might have been the first one to break the code of secrecy. I told my boyfriend, Finley, about what had happened. He went all fatherly and the caring boyfriend quarreling me. "Seriously babe, how could you vote against? I'm so disappointed in you. Trust you me if you ever become pregnant and I'm aware it's mine you won't get rid of it."

I was so pissed off with his last statement because he had never at any point in his life laid his finger on me leave alone setting eyes on me. The worst part of it all he wasn't ready to make the first move and come to meet. He always wanted me to book a ticket and travel all the way to his city. I also swore not to do that. After all isn't it the boy's role to go to his girlfriend's place for the first time. Mostly we had arguments over the same and whenever he asked me why I never wanted to travel to his city I'd say it was because I never liked to travel. Since I never wanted to argue with him I asked him not to tell anyone what I had told him and I hanged up.

On the Christmas Eve, I was in my small disorganized room, clothes all over mixed, dirty and clean. I received a call from an unknown person. At first I didn't pick, when the phone rang the second time and was about to end I picked. A deep voice said 'Hello sexy eyes, I goggled your name it means beautiful soul, Naya means Beauty and Lavelle means Soul, Beautiful soul.

(Chuckling) 'You're right but if I may ask who is this? He took time before he answered I thought he was going to ask me to guess. So I told him I wasn't good at the guessing game before he could ask me to guess.

(Giggling) I wasn't going to ask you that. It's me Lucca." I shouted his name, Lucca? I don't know anyone by that name"

Lucca, we met at August's stall, he clarified... Ohhh!! I exclaimed out loudly. Lucca how's you? It's been a minute.

I've been doing great. Just that I haven't been seeing you around lately and I decided to ask for your contact from August who didn't hesitate to give it.

Well that's not much of a big deal,' I said. "Hope we will be in touch now," he said and I agreed before he could hang up.

I didn't know what he was up to, or whatever he was trying to communicate but I knew he was every woman's dream guy and if given a chance I wasn't going to say no at all. Early on the Christmas morning, Anne called crying I asked her what had happened she told me that her boyfriend had asked him to break up and the reason they had been together since the previous incident was because he wanted her to recover. "Shit! That good for nothing a** hole, he's got shit for brains, may conspirators assassinate him in the mall," I cussed. "Don't shed another of your precious tears for that highly fed and lowly taught slime, he's not worth it at all. Just do you the favor of blocking and deleting his number,' I added. "I will," she said. I wanted to tell her about the whole Lucca situation but that wasn't the perfect situation. I left it for another day.

I celebrated Christmas and New Year with my family; we never want to make a fuss out of it, because my dad had received an interdiction letter from his work place earlier in the month of August. So we had a simple basic celebration. There was no money to make a big deal over the same. I was sure I was going to have one of the toughest semesters ever but I would endure the same.

When time to report back to school came, my siblings left home first. I would report back later. Whenever anyone asked me when I would report back I'd say once my grandma had healed. I never wanted to get pitied by anyone. Lucca used to check up on and tell me how much he missed me. Same thing applies to my best friends. Soon my time to leave home came, three weeks later after everyone had reported to school.

The first place I went to when I got to school was August's because I knew that's where I'd find both of them. I was right, both of them sat by the counter telling their endless stories laughing at the top of their voices. When I walked in both of them stopped whatever they were doing and came to give me their hugs. Naya! Both of them exclaimed "We missed you, where have you been? We have a lot to tell you, Anna said. "Now I'm here spill the tea." August couldn't hold herself she began to pour as we walked to our spot by the counter "Lucca has been asking for you every day for the last three weeks, and he even told us to call him once you set your foot in this goddamn store, she said as pulled out her phone and dialed him. I tried to stop her but all was in vein.

"Lucca, I'm sorry for disturbing you, but can you come over like right now?' she asked and he said that there was no problem, he was on speaker so we all heard him. Once she hanged they all began to scream out of some overjoy I couldn't explain. A few minutes later he walked in and the first person he came in contact with was me. I can't forget the smile on his face, it was so pure, sincere and real, I as well smiled back sheepishly. "Awww! In unison they said. "This is the reason as to why I called you' she said. He stood in front of me and opened his arms wide for a hug and I jumped in for it. The feeling was so heavenly in his arms, you feel protected and petite even when you're not. His scent was so passionate, some sought of addiction, and you can't do without. It was like a fine morning with hopes for the future.

"How's my wifey? He asked while I was still in his arms. I moved back and looked at him from the position I stood, I wanted to ask him what he meant by wifey but I never wanted to ruin the moment. "She's fine,' I said as I lay back to his chest.

Enough of the hugs and romancing, you're making us feel like orphans,' Anne said. That's when he decided to release me from his strong arms. Where have you been? He asked and I told him what I was always telling everyone who asked that question. I was at my granny's looking after her. Is she fully recovered? I nodded with a smile full of the lying guilt.

I'm happy to see you but I was headed to the gym, would you like to join me? I shrugged my shoulders as I nodded my head turning down his offer. Okay I'll see you later, he said as he walked out.

After serving some customers we got back to what we did best, talking. At least one of us is happy, said Anna. Please make sure you have represented us well, August added. Smilingly but with a burning question I turned to August "Does he have a girlfriend?"

-"I doubt. I have never seen him with one, every time he comes by, he comes with his male friends," she replied. With a yes I stand a chance grin, I took the key from August, put my headphones with loud music and I walked to our house. In case I had not told you, August was now staying with us. She had moved in with us. Yeeees! Finally we were together, now we could do everything together and stay at August's store the whole night, and do you know what that meant?

It meant I'd see Lucca every night before sleeping. I'd even dream of him. A splendid night with sweet dreams were about to be my daily routine.