The Accidental Night

Critical Decision

The r**e issue was having its toll on me, but I was able to forget the trauma with time, even though the pain in my heart is still there.

Mum always came to my room every night to console me about the r**e and that seemed to help me get over it with time.

"Honey, don't worry about anything, I know it's hard and hurts but you need to let go and become a new and better person." Mum always says when in my room.

Dad and mum told me I couldn't tell anybody about the r**e because it would ruin my reputation and theirs. So we decided to keep it secret. Besides, I wouldn't want to be the one that ruins his reputation he has made up all through the years.

The society we live in is quick to judge females on such issues. The guilty could become the accused in our society, so I agree with them.

George was released on bail but was frequently invited to the station now and then.

He was asked to keep working so we could keep an eye on him.

I didn't feel bad for him because i don't even feel human anymore. All this drama in the family is so sickening.

Things seemed to be getting back to normal, except for dad, who was yet to completely forget the loss of his 40 million dollars.

I knew since dad was a multi millonaire, he could pay off the money but it was a huge amount of money nd it would seem insane for him to just let it go out of his hands and that's whats annoying him the most.not even the fact that he can't pay it.

I was becoming fatter, with bigger boobs, blooming skin, and always very dizzy. I felt nauseous atimes and I wondered why.

Mum should have noticed but she barely pays attention to me now. She only comes to give me goodnight kisses at night and I was ok with that.

Soon I fell seriously sick,

"It must be a fever", my mum said before I was rushed to our family hospital.

"Of all times to get fever, no is the time?I said irritably

The doctor came in to attend to us in his office since we pay him a considerable amount of money.

The doctor carried out some tests.

Soon the result was out.

The results came out.

The first result was beautiful news.

"You don't seem to have any health issues or infection or even a disease." He said and I breathed a sigh of relief.

He continued. " Miss Celine, you are four weeks pregnant" he said. That means I have something inside of me growing. Not something; a baby.

"You are pregnant." The doctor broke the most shocking news to me.

"What?" I asked wide-eyed.

My mum looked at me, hot tears rolled down her eyes.

"Nobody should hear of this, doctor. You know my family's status and it would ruin my husband and I" she said.

"Ma,you should know everything we do here is with the utmost secrecy" he said, dry.

"Thank you doctor" mum said and motioned for me to send up.

We left the hospital and drove home. The drive home was a quiet one except for the consistent sighs of mum.

I was confused that I could not even utter a word. I kept fiddling with my fingers till we arrived home.

We got home and told dad everything. He sighed and looked at me concerned.

He was devastated, he cursed the r****t like though he was there.

Mum kept crying.

I was too confused to know what to say or do. I had three hundred thoughts going through my mind at once.

It felt like my whole life was crumbling before me,

I was 18yrs, with hopes and dreams,

In my second year studying law.i wanted to be the best lawyer in the whole country and now my dreams are squashing before my very own eyes.

I was a very playful and active child. Had many friends who look up to me and all that stuffs

How did I even deserve this?

What did I do wrong?

Who did I offend?

Many questions but no answers.

" I think I'll go to my room now" I said, dejected.

I walked to my room, shut my door, and cried out. How has life turned from being a rose to a thorn? I hadn't wanted a baby at this age. I thought of many things till I later fell asleep without getting my dinner.

The next day, mum knocked at my door at about 10 am, saying that my dad wanted to have a word with me.

I came out with the same clothes I had worn the previous day, which indicated I hadn't had my bath ...

My eyes were swollen from crying

I mean who wouldn't cry?..

Myself, mum, and dad sat down in silence, waiting for who will speak first,

I had nothing in mind, so it definitely wouldn't be me speaking first.

Soon my dad cleared his throat and spoke, breaking the silence.

"Lina," I am Celina, but dad and mum prefer to call me the last four letters of my name, LINA. They only call me Celina when they are angry.

"The situation you have found yourself in is no way your fault, hence I have no right to be mad at you, but you can't keep the child of a criminal, with no trace, a bastard child." He said softly.

"It is going to affect my political career and your future, so my dear, your mother and I have agreed that you should terminate the pregnancy."my dad said.

I was shocked to my bones. I knew I wasn't ready to be a mother, but abortion was out of it.

"Dad, but we are Catholic, and abortion is a sin. I can't possibly kill an innocent child". I said shocked.

"And I can't possibly be the grandfather of a bastard child," he shouted angrily. "Celina, you are terminating that bastard in you and that's final" he said adamantly.

"Well dad, I will do no such thing, you may be my parent, but you don't have the right to plan my life," I said and angrily left. I still don't know where I got the courage to speak to my dad like that.

I heard mum telling him she would talk sense into me...Mum came to my room later in the evening to talk some sense into me as she had promised dad, but unfortunately, I wasn't ready to give in to them.

"Mum, no matter what you and dad says, pointing a knife to my throat as the case my be. But I am not going to be a murderous woman by killing an innocent child" I said angrily.

"Be reasonable for one Celine, you are going to ruin your life by keeping that child" mum tried to reason with me.

"And I'd endanger my life if I abort it. So mum, I am keeping the baby." I said stubbornly.

Mum too became angry at how stubborn I was towards the issue.

"How can a girl want to keep the child of an unknown criminal who r***d her"? She asked shocked.

"Are you sure you were r***d, young woman"? She added.

"Mum!" I exclaimed surprised.

I couldn't believe my mum asked me that question.

"Yes, what do you expect me to think when you have refused to terminate the pregnancy? No reasonable person would think of keeping the child of a criminal who r***d her!" She said.

"But mum, I could die in the process, I could even lose my womb. I have heard negative stories about abortions." I tried telling her.

"My child, you are all your dad and I have. Do you think we wish you dead, or to have complications giving us grandchildren in the future?" She asked me again.

"God forbid, we are taking you to one of the best hospitals, so my dear, nothing can go wrong". She added confidently.

"But mum, it's a sin against God, we hear that always hear that in church." I said again

"Sweetheart, r**e is a sin against God too. We can always ask for mercy". She smiled.

"Mum, I shall think about it". I tried giving her hope.

"Okay my Darling". She replied, "please try and think fast, the earlier will do it, the lesser risk it will take"

Mum left my room to make dinner and I thought about the whole thing, over and over...

I know I was abused, mistreated, and r***d, but the child growing inside of me had no hand in all that. He or she is innocent and a victim like me.

The only person that should be paying for the crime is that r****t.

The most painful part is that I can't even recognize any of them, as they were fully masked.

I had always thought of a beautiful family, with three or four kids. Never did I imagine my first fruit would come like this.

Life is so unfair.

I had my bath at about 7:30 pm and went out to have dinner,

I needed strength for myself and the little one in me.

Dad and Mum were already seated at the dining table.

I walked to my usual seat, sat down, and ate my dinner of vegetable stew and white rice. It was really delicious. More like, mum added a little effort to make it special, since the maid was yet to return from her leave.

Nobody spoke, we ate in silence, and soon we were done. I was about to clear the table when dad's voice stopped me.

"Lina, please sit, dearest. Your mum told me you wanted to think about it some hours ago. I believe you must have finished thinking because time is of the essence in this matter." He said cooling me.

My heart stopped beating and I didn't know how to answer dad, because my mind was made up not to terminate my baby.

"Dad, mum, the process by which a child was made may be wrong in the sight of God and man, but there is nothing like a wrong child. Children are blessings from God." I said trying to see things clearly. "I cannot live with myself should I abort the first seed God planted in my womb. And dad, I am keeping my baby." I said smiling.

"What?" How dare you choose to disgrace me like this. What shame have you chosen to bring upon my name? What do I tell my friends?" My dad screamed at the top of his voice.

"Dad..." I yelled.

"My political opponent will mock me. The church will ridicule me. Oh my God, are you using your head at all?" My dad cut me off." He said.

"But dad, these people will all understand that I didn't choose myself to get r***d, I am a victim for God's sake." I replied.

"Short of that trash you call a mouth, and you think they will believe your story", they will just think it's a makeup story to cover up the fact that you don't know the father of your child." He said.

By now, mum was already crying profusely in the heat of her home.

"I give you two days to make up your mind, after which you cease to be my daughter." He said coldly.

"Honey, come on, that's too harsh, it hasn't gotten to that." Mum said.

"Woman stay out of this, I have spoken." He left angrily.

Did I hear what dad said, or am I hearing things?

Mum's voice cut my thought. "My baby, please you wouldn't want your father to disown you over a child without identity, please do as he has said." Mum said pleadingly.

When mum said this, I realized indeed I heard what dad said.

My head and eyes were spinning fast. I thought I was going to die.

How do I go through this tough battle alone? Should my dad disown me?

Who do I run to?

I cried my eyes out, and soon I fell asleep.

Two days came, and dad came knocking at my door as early as 5 am.

"Young woman, it's two days, and what is your final decision?" Dad thundered.

I went down on my knees, held his leg, cried before him, and pleaded.

"Dad, I have never disobeyed you all my life. Please dad, help me, I need you now more than ever, please dad, have mercy on me, I can't terminate the little one in me." I pleaded.

My dad kicked me and pushed me to the ground.

"You have by noon to pack your belongings and get out of my house. I don't want to ever see your miserable face again, and for the record, you can't go to any member of my family or your mum's family for help. I don't even want to see you in this city. Take your miserable self out of here, because if I do, that will be your end. You can't bring shame to all I have suffered to build for decades." He said.

Mum came out and, at my plea, "Honey you can't do that to our only child, you can't." Mum pleaded.

"It's better not to have a child than to have this bunch of disgrace. Get out of my house you ungrateful child." He said and went out.

Getting to the door, he stopped and turned to me, "If I meet you in this house, consider yourself dead."he said and left.

I cried to my room and started packing my things.

Soon I was done. I came out with my things ready to start my life on my own. My mother wept bitterly.

She knew there was nothing she could do to make dad change his mind.

Since all these started days ago, dad had frozen my acct and that of mum, probably to make me think straight.