FATE

57 - Hiding it.

I made a decision to keep the pregnancy a secret. I decided to hide it like my friends suggested.

But the real question is how long am I going to hide it?

One day, I know they will all get to know.

I haven't talked to Lemuel since this week. He's been calling, texting, leaving voice notes, sending mails and all that shit but I just didn't feel like talking to him.

I was scared of his reaction.

And I was angry at him for saying that he didn't want kids.

Ignoring the maids who were cleaning up after the dinner, I climbed the stairs slowly, tiredness engulfing me.

I pushed my room door open and turned on my light.

"Jesus!" I clenched my chest tightly on seeing the feminine figure sitted on my bed.

"Mum!" I yell, throwing my bag to the cushion.

"What are you doing here?" I demand, plopping down into one of the sofas as 9 undid the buckle of my sandals. I yanked them off and massaged mg toes.

"Is that a way to greet me?" My mom's voice rose and she lifted her brow at me.

I rolled my eyes, fighting the urge to groan. "Good evening mom."

"How was your day?"

"Hectic." I yawned tiredly. I was freaking tired and I know that. "So can you tell me the reason for your suprise visit." Sarcasm laced my tone as I spoke.

I lift my legs up and cross them on the table as I untie my hair.

"What is wrong Lilly?"

I stopped what I was doing on my hair and shot my mom a blank expression.

"I don't get." I was dumbfounded.

"You're not fine, something in my spirit tells me that you're not fine."

I exploded to my feet and rushed to the mirror to examine myself, and when I from head to toe nothing was wrong.

I was checking to see if I am showing.

"Mom you see, I'm perfectly fine." I lied easily, a part of me feeling bad for lieing.

My mom came and stood behind  me.

"It's not like this. You hardly attend dinner, you skip breakfast and you are always locked up in your room. I don't even see you and Mabel greeting together anymore."

"What is wrong? Talk to me." She grips my cheek softly and turns me to face her.

Then she examines me carefully, checking my eyes, then my whole face, to my body.

"Yet you look good."

"Mom what are you saying? I said I am fine." I held her hands when she tried to touch me.

"Are you sure?" Her soft eyes stare back into mine. The only message they carried in them was love and care.

"I'm fine. I promise." I looked into her brown orbs.

"Okay." She didn't seem fully convinced.
"If you say so."

She turned to leave and I hugged her from behind, my hands draping over her shoulders and my mom reached to touch them.

"I love you mom."

"I love you too darling." She kissed my hands and titled her face to kiss my cheeks.

Then she left, after bidding me goodnight.

I sighed, feeling bad because I knew I was living a lie.

LEMUEL

Sometimes I wonder why Lilly does the things she do. What did I do this time?

Every time she's having mixed feelings, giving me silent treatment, keeping me in the dark.

I paced around the room still confused about what was wrong. I and Lilly talked about this silent treatment stuff. If I did anything wrong why didn't she call me or let me know.

Changing into my juggers and sneakers I stepped out of the house.

The sun had just risen, signifying a new dawn. Today would be a new dawn for the whole family.

I jugged round our farm and plantation three times in a row and I stopped to catch my breath under a palm tree. I have been jugging for almost an hour.

My mind often drifted off to Lilly wondering what state she'd be in. If she was okay, or angry or playing a prank.

I tried to distract myself by focusing on our garden. It was located at the back of the house and it was a mini farmland. We had crops like pineapple, coconut, curry leaf, tomatoe, pepper, oranges, palm tree, and even corn. Around it were shrubs that were cut delicately, to give a pathway. Then we had benches, for resting under several trees.

After an hour, when I was sure that everyone in the house would be awake I decided to go back inside.

I was about to climb the stairs when I met with my pregnant older sister. When I tried to move from the left, she'd block my way. If I tried to move by my right, she'd block my way.

"Annabelle." I cursed impatiently, my temper rising.

"Lemuel what is it? What is wrong with you?"

Me??

Woman I should be asking you.

"You want to loose such a nice girl. What have you done to her to the point that she doesn't even pick your calls." She yelled.

For a pregnant woman, she was strong.

"Honestly, I don't know. She just ghosted on me."

She scoffed, folding her arms and giving me a daring look. "Because you failed. You must have done something wrong. What did I yell you about your anger? Didn't I warn you?"

"I didn't..."

She snapped a finger in my face. "You better go after that girl before she slips out of your fingers." She warned and walked past me, making sure that her shoulders brushed mine.

I ran up the stairs as I wondered if I could lose Lilly. Yes, as painful as it was, the answer is yes. Sometimes, love isn't enough. If I'm too late then I might lose her.

Annabelle just added fuel to the fire. She always blamed me for everything, never believed in her own brother.

Anger floods through me as I step into my room pushing everything on my table to the floor. The lamp, my files, the paper work and glass on my table all fell to the floor. My anger wasn't appeased so I punched my table hard in the middle, that it fell to the floor. Then I grabbed my documents from the nightstand and threw it to the floor. All the paper, falling to the floor. I grabbed my laptop and was about to throw it against the wall, when my hands stopped in the air.

I remembered Lilly. Actually, the day I met her and my anger died down.

What the hell is Lilly doing to me?

At that moment I knew I had to make her mine before she slipped away but then, I had to visit her first.