Something Unusual

𝑃𝑅𝑂𝐿𝑂𝐺𝑈𝐸.

ℝ𝔼𝔹𝔼ℂℂ𝔸 ℂ𝕆𝕃𝕃𝕀ℕ𝕊

Becca sat at the office space she created which occupied most of the right side of her room, staring at her monitor. She read and reread the email opened on her screen, tapping her freshly manicured fingers on the cream colored wood table, as she tried to process the information before her.

How did she feel?

Well Becca felt a mix of many emotions. She felt relief; she wasn't jobless. The email confirmed a steady, well above meager, monthly income. That was good news.

She also felt anxious. But transferring schools always made everyone feel anxious, student or teacher. And this was a private school, not public. She knew she shouldn't stereotype but to her, private schools meant spoilt kids. Really intelligent, entitled, spoilt kids.

Then Becca felt thrilled. She had qualified to work at one of the best private schools in Lagos. Haba, man has got to feel himself.

Thank you Lord.

Becca reread the email smiling to herself before closing the tab and putting the monitor to sleep.

With the same excitement she stood up, and twirled a few times, laughing with the joy that bubbled in her belly. In the end she erupted in fits of laughter and flopped on her bed.

She had just landed a job at Herald Highschool of Herald International group of schools. The Herald International group of schools.

Thank you Lord.

She had got to call Jacob.

⸎

𝔹𝕖𝕔𝕜𝕪  𝕁𝕠𝕟𝕖𝕤

Jared squeezed her hand which was tucked into his.

"It's no big deal, I promise" he tried to reassure her. But that didn't stop Becky palm from sweating, or her throat from contracting, neither did it stop her heart from pounding. It also didn't stop her stomach from knotting, but that was probably hunger; it was 2pm and she hadn't eaten all morning.

She'd read various articles about the process; it wasn't necessarily painless. She also had a counselling session with a doctor that was not her family doctor. Though the lady tried to act neutral about it, Becky could practically feel the lasers of judgement the doctor shoot at her from her mind. It made Becky wish she chose her family doctor instead; Mr Riggs Utuk would never judge her. She didn't even get why someone would chose to work a field if they'd end up judging their clients. What was the difference between her and the doctors anyway? She made the decision, they assisted her in it.

But she was a teenager, barely eighteen and here she was, seated on cold metal next to her slightly older boyfriend in a gloomy hallway that was painted a rose shade of nude and had white tiles.

What surprised Becky though, was the number of people here today.

"Do you want me to come in with you" she turned he attention to her boyfriend.

"Nah, you don't have to" she offered him a weak smile.

"I don't have to, but if you want me to..."

"Jared, I can do this... Thank you"

"Okay" Jared shrugged "You're next"

And right on cue a young lady in nurse uniform with her natural hair packed neatly in a doughnut came out of a door an called on her.

" Number 16, the doctor will see you now" and she disappeared behind the light gray door from whence she appeared.

Becky's stomach knotted tighter, her throat tightened, her heart pounded, her knees felt weak. She looked at her boyfriend as he squeezed her hand again. His eyes seemed to ask if she needed him.

She did.

But she smiled up at him reassuringly and nodded before getting up.

She wondered how they looked to everyone around them. But she could care less.

She had an abortion to carry out.