Sigh of relief

"Ahhh!!" Bassy screamed out, it was as if the baby was playing football in her womb, it continued kicking none stop. She sat down on the weeded grass not knowing what to do with her left arm supporting her waist, she couldn't help but continue groaning.

"What is it again?" Zoe's mum muttered, glancing at her in disgust.

"My stomach, my baby," she tried to force herself to speak but all she could do was groan in pain.

Zoe's mum started scolding Bassy because she thought she's only faking it because she wants to go home just like she'll always tell her she's faking it whenever she's in pain.

"Get up and start going home if you are tired and stop acting drama here but don't forget there is no food for lazy man, you can't expect me to be doing all the work and you'll be sitting down at home eating like a lion. Don't abuse the charity I did for you because you will regret it. Besides, I only did it for God, because I don't know why a little girl like you will be opening those your tiny legs for men at this young age, you got what you deserved and now you are expecting people to pity you all the time. Please yet up and go home," she uttered with disgust written all over her face.

Tears streamed down Bassy's eyes, the harsh words and the pain she's going through mixed in her wounded heart to bleed. She struggled to raise up, each attempt met with a sharp crippling pain that held her captive, tears mingling with her sweat, she fought against her body's resistance, each breath was a battle.

Zoe's mum stood with the hole she was using to weed grass observing her with her irritably gesture. "What kind of problem have I landed myself into huh. So you mean you want to put to bed in this far away farm? I'm not a midwife and I can't carry you at my back, besides I can't leave this my farm work to start taking you home," she muttered with her tone mixed of sympathy and disbelief.

Bassy clenched the grass beneath her with her fingers seeking solace in its earthly embrace, it was like the sun is painted golden hue across the horizon, stark contrast to the shadows that danced with her face. She had always known such a moment will come since she found herself pregnant but it seemed more than she imagined as she could see life stir within her, as each attempt brought a symphony of agony.

Zoe's mum's voice turned to echo, "I don't see any reason why you can't get up, I've been pregnant twice and I know how it feels to be pregnant, yes it can be more painful in your third semester but your mind plays the most important role of how the pain controls you.

You have chosen to accept defeat already that's why any little pain you sit back and start crying as if I'm the one you opened your legs for to get you pregnant. Please I beg you for the sake of God to not die in my hands because I can't handle a corpse, don't let the villagers call me names just because I decided to do what your mother's sister couldn't do for you Bassy please I beg you." She clapped her hands to get her moving towards Bassy.

The echoes of the word sounded like a flicker of encouragement to control the pain from her mind. She tried fixing her mind on she can do it if her mum could do it. If her own mother could go through this pain and still bring her to this world without losing her life on the spot then she can. It was like a beam of determination sparked within her, a word piqued her that she can't die just like that without looking at Edu into the face after she has had her revenge on him.

She summoned courage drawing strength from within pushing pass the pain raising rapidly but determined she must this. She stood up tall amid the chaos that sounded her causing Zoe's mum to be amused of how she got up suddenly believing it was due to her words of encouragement. She grabbed her hand and led her home.

Zoe's mum left all the working tools in farm leading Bassy to the modern hospital.

While they walked on the road slow but steady, whoever passed them would praise Zoe's mum for her charity work, some say a word of prayer to Bassy sympathetically, while some mocks and humiliated her for getting pregnant and can't identify the father of her baby.

It was like a privilege for the villagers to get back at her, most people never liked the way Edu and her hold hands to walk together in the village at a young age. Lots of the villagers don't believe Bassy, they say she's only accusing Edu he's no longer in the village believing if Edu was, some had even said it to her face that how come she didn't get pregnant all this while that Edu was here, why is it months after she got pregnant she's accusing him, telling her that she's only saying Edu is responsible because she can't spot one man that got her pregnant as she has been sleeping with lots of men, calling her an abomination.

"The nurses rushed to attend to them the moment they entered the hospital. They took Bassy to the delivery theatre while Zoe's mum waited in the hallway, swinging around.

Bassy's grip tightened on the cold metal railing of her bed. She pushed with all her might with each wave of pain, the room echoed with the rhythmic sound of her labored breath, punctuated by the encouraging voices of the nurses.

After hours of pushing, it felt like Bassy was fading gradually, her body was too tight for a baby to pass. They wanted to take her to the operation room to operate on her, but there is no money for that. Bassy was running out of her strength. The nurse that followed her home the last time she was in the hospital, to beg her aunt, encouraged her to keep trying.

"You are not the first person to give birth to a child in this hospital at sixteen, Bassy. Don't accept defeat, if no one believes you, I do. It's reviewed here that you have not been sleeping with men, which is why your body is so tight. Ignore that voice that is saying you can't do it and keep pushing."

The woman's words of encouragement echoed in Bassy's inner turmoil, surpassing all the negative voices that have been speaking in Bassy's mind, urging her to just give up and die, because even if she gives birth successfully, there won't be any means of raising the child, and it's only going to be nothing but child abuse.

With a deep groan, Bassy turned all her frustration and melancholy into a heavy push, furiously causing her to feel her body strain and tremble, the feeling left her with the thought of cradling her own baby in her hand at a young age. At that moment, nothing else mattered than to push out the baby at all costs.

Amidst chaos and emotion, Bassy pushed with all that she got. She could feel the baby going down with each push, the echoes of the nurses' voices encouraging her to push made it better for her to ignore the pains and negativity.

A sigh of relief washed over her as she felt the baby dropping down from between her legs. Immediately, the nurses said, "It's a boy!" The sound of the crying baby echoed in the delivery room, causing everyone to chuckle. "Did you want to come out as a girl?" one of the nurses asked in a jovial manner, causing a grin on Bassy's face.

Zoe entered a few minutes after they'd cleaned up everywhere. She was amused at how cute the baby looked. "He looks just like Edu," she said, amused with her voice barely audible. It was only Bassy who heard what she said. The sound of Edu's name made her stomach crumble. It was like a piece in her wounded heart. She acted like she hadn't heard anything.

"I wonder how much they will ask us to pay. Your delivery took a lot of time. I only have five thousand naira," she murmured with the baby in her hand. She turned to Bassy, attempting to ask her how much she had before the door was pushed open by the doctor.

With a huge smile on his face, he tossed his gaze to Bassy. "One of the nurses paid for your hospital bills," he uttered with a kind gesture.

"Wow, that's a miracle," Bassy's Zoe's mum muttered, peeking at Bassy with a smirk. "Yes, Ma," Bassy grinned.

The doctor left the ward after delivering the good news, leaving the both of them all alone in the room.

Zoe's mum went home to bring food for Bassy. Zoe was doing her assignment when her mum arrived. "Well done, my child. Continue with your studies so you can be a great woman," her mum praised and encouraged her. "Where is Bassy?" Zoe wondered because they both left the house together. She couldn't help but jump up in glee when her mum mentioned she just gave birth. But all her happiness vanished when she also mentioned that she's not letting her come back to this house because she can't start nursing a newborn baby and his mother when she's not getting paid for it. Besides, she only begged to stay for one week, and this is her third month."