Chapter Ten

I didn't come out of my room and dad kept banging on my door, screaming at me to come out so he could drop me off at school. At some point, he got angry and broke down the door. Saw me huddled in a corner of my bed, shivering.

"Now what", he asked, looking irritated. 

I opened my mouth to respond but only the sounds of my teeth chattering could be heard. I clamped my mouth shut, pressed my palm against it, and flew to the toilet again. That was the third time. I felt a thousand years old, my whole limbs were weak.

He was still in my room when I stepped out of the bathroom after washing my mouth and face. He had his back to me so I couldn't see the expression on his face.

"Dress up immediately. We're going to the hospital"

I obeyed immediately,  slowly though.

We got to the hospital and I was relieved it was where doctor Audu works. Doctor Audu stopped visiting since mom died. Possibly, if he hadn't stopped visiting, some things wouldn't have happened and even if they eventually did, I'd have had someone to confide in. He seemed a nice man. 

We walked into the hospital and were asked to wait in his office because he was a bit busy. Fifteen minutes later, doctor Audu walked in and smiled when he saw us. We exchanged the usual pleasantries. He hadn't changed one bit, still had the bald head and high-pitched voice. The atmosphere was a bit awkward.

"Run some tests on her", dad ordered him and walked out of the office.

I was asked to lie on the bed while he checked my pulse and blood pressure. Then he asked me what happened and I explained to him I had been feeling so sick since I woke up that morning. He looked at me, a stranger... And disappointedly

"You're pregnant Ruby. Even without running any tests on you, I know. Why did you do this? What happened?" he didn't even wait for my reply, just walked to the door and called dad!

Oh my God! Dumbass! Just when I thought I could spill everything out to him... But wait, who was I even kidding? Who would have believed that distinguished Mr. Peters raped his daughter! And got her pregnant! At the age of sixteen! Incest!!!

"She's pregnant, doctor Audu exclaimed immediately after dad walked in. I had my head bent so I didn't see the slap coming. Dad slapped me! I raised my head in awe and opened my mouth to say something but tears and shock choked my voice. I was carrying my Father's child. He got me pregnant and he still had the guts to slap me and pretend to be innocent... Wow!

"You are just like your mother. Sleeping around and now you come home pregnant!"

"Mr. Peters please calm down. It has happened and we can't reverse it"

Then he turned to me;

"Ruby, tell us who the father of the child is"

My hands were still on my cheek, I looked at dad and his eyes shut me up yet again. Then I lowered my head

"I was raped on my way home from school... A few weeks ago"

"Ruby... Why didn't you say something?"

"Because I was scared", I replied. Nice lie.

Hours later, after shouting, more slaps, counseling, and telling how much of a disappointment I am, we drove away from the hospital. I thought we were going home but we passed the junction leading to our house and in no time, arrived at another hospital. There we met a younger doctor and from the way he exchanged pleasantries with dad, it showed that they had been close friends for quite some time. How come I didn't know this one?

Long story cut short, he scheduled me for an abortion that same day, in fact in a few minutes. I didn't care about the abortion, I didn't want to hear the such child. A fruit bore of rape and incest... It's a sin to abort the child right? But wouldn't it be a bigger sin if I let the child live and then hate it and not show any care for it at all? Wouldn't the child's existence be a constant reminder of how much of a monster my father can be? A softer part of my heart felt bad and guilty but... What will be will be right?

After the deed, I discovered I could still walk and even had a little strength to run. Is the doctor a pro or am I a strong woman?

On the slaughter table, I had made a firm decision that after everything at the hospital, I would run away, as far away as possible, and never come back. Thank God I wasn't sedated. So a few minutes after the doctor was done, I found an escape route and ran out of the hospital. I was sobbing silently not because of the pain I felt, but because I was scared. What if I was caught?

I got to the gate successfully without drawing any attention. I ran down the first street I saw. I didn't even know where I was. I heard a voice calling my name while I was running, AB's voice. I looked back and yes, it was AB.

Words cannot explain the relief that...

"Oh AB, is this you? What are you doing here? How did you find me? I'm so glad you came. They killed the baby and they want to kill me too", I sobbed.

I guess it was shock or fear that made me talk so much. I don't know. And the confused look on AB's face confirmed that I had given out much information.

"Ruby, look at me... Hey... Hey... Look at me. Calm down and talk to me. Why are you running? Whose baby and who wants to kill you?"

"I can't tell you. They said I'll die if I ever breathed a word of it to anyone", I looked behind me, and the hospital gate was still in sight. Security guards were all over the place, searching for me I guess.

"We need to hide", I said fearfully. 

I had changed back into my clothes before exiting the hospital so I wouldn't be easily spotted or noticed.

We walked down a path that led to a semi-thick bush. There was a little river there too, well hidden. We sat on a lot of wood.

"Now Ruby, tell me everything. You believe in God don't you?"