Too Many Chances

Chapter Thirty Three

Mubarak clinked his glass with a spoon, demanding everyone's attention. We were at the Mwandawiro mansion celebrating Mrs Mwandawiro's fifty second birthday.

Riziki and my friends, Jamila, Anita, Alicia and William had accompanied me. Faith, my high school daughter was also present. I learnt from Alicia that she was Edward's younger sister.

Too bad Christine did not make it to the party due to a stomach bug. On the other hand, Edward and my mother were at work. Mubarak smiled as the room fell silent and all eyes were on him.

"Sofia, I was hoping that I would do what am about to do when your mother was with us, but I feel that waiting any longer could result in losing you forever. Anyway, I already sought your mother's blessings when I went to see her at the hospital thus she knows what my intentions are. I want you in my life because I cannot imagine a future without you. You have made me a happy and better man and I hope to remain that way. Though there's room for improvement." He paused, took a breath, then continued, "I am not the Nigerian man you hoped to marry, but I promise to go on a trip with you to Nigeria any time you want." There was a roar of laughter. He smiled and I smiled back. "I love you, Sofia."

My throat tightened with emotion at his speech. My hands automatically flew over my mouth as my eyes welled with tears.

"Will you marry me?"

"Mubarak, I...I..." I swallowed hard. His words were so overwhelming, I faltered.

He stared at me anxiously and I could tell he was praying silently. I asked for some water and Jamila gave it to me right away. William stepped forward and narrated how he had been against any other man that had approached me.

However, Mubarak had made an impression on him for he had taken good care of me in a way that no other man had ever done. Though William had doubted Mubarak's intentions in the beginning, the latter had surpassed his expectations. William was now vouching for him, asking me to let in love and be happy.

I wiped away the tears that were threatening to ruin my makeup and was about to answer Mubarak's question when I saw Anita walking away quickly followed by Alicia. Did Mubarak's speech remind her of Donald? I wondered.

The people around me kept telling me to say yes but their voices sounded faint. Their words faded away as I started to follow my friend. I heard murmurs as I left the room, but nothing else mattered.

I needed to know what was going on with Anita. I saw the two sisters heading for the washroom and rushed towards them. I wasn't fast enough. When I caught up with Alicia, Anita was already in.

"What's wrong with your sister?" I asked Alicia.

"I don't know. She's been vomiting ever since we got here," she replied. "Could she be pregnant?"

"No way! She can't be. I mean, she shouldn't be."

"My teacher once said, mtoto wa kwanza ni wa bahati mbaya. I agree with him now. Most first pregnancies are unplanned."

"Well, it is said that children are blessings," I reminded her.

She rolled her eyes. "Yeah. Yeah."

If Anita is pregnant, Donald has the right to know, I thought silently. What if he refuses to take responsibility? No, he won't. He is a good man. What if he agrees to support the child but Anita wishes to get married to him and raise the baby together? What if he is seeing someone else? 

I pushed away the endless thoughts telling myself that my friends and I would cross that bridge when we came to it.

Until the pregnancy is confirmed, I would not stress myself out, I decided.