THREADS OF FATE

4

She ran out, bending over and spilling her guts, when she stood up she felt so dizzy, she rubbed her eyes, then turned back, her mother stood, hands akimbo, watching her.

"Are you okay?" Her mother asked,

"Yes, I think I have come down with malaria" she responded,

Her mother eyed her suspiciously,

"I will call your aunt, go to her pharmacy, she'll check you and give you drugs" the mother said, the girl nodded walking back into the house, her mother watched her go.

***********

Aunt Mary looked at her, her brows furrowed,

"When last have you seen your monthly flow?" The woman asked,

"A month back, sometimes it's Irregular, but why do you ask?" She asked,

"Just checking, you'll carry out a test for me to be sure"

"Aunt, it's just Malaria, just give me the medicine" The girl said,

"We'll see"

After multiple tests, the aunt sent her home, the next morning the aunt came to the house and talked to the mother,

"Mary, how are you, what brings you here?"

"I am fine, my sister, It is something Important"

"What is it?, Eehn I remember, my daughter said, you didn't give her drugs but sent her home, why?"

"That is the reason I came here today" Mary said, calmly,

The mother was beginning to panic,

"What is it, is my daughter okay?"

"She is fine but................."

***********

The girl came back from the farm with her elder sister, they were talking and laughing, about what they saw on their way, when they arrived, they saw their mother teary eyed and angry and their father folding his hands with a solemn look,

"What is the matter, mom" the eldest sister asked,

The mother walked up to them, swiftly her hand connected to the younger daughters face, who instantly fell on the floor from the impact.

"You stupid girl, what have you done?"

The girl cried,

"Mother what did she do, why did you hit her" the elder sister asked, helping her younger one to get up from the floor,

"This useless child has brought shame to this family's name, she has burnt our roof and left us homeless" the woman cried,

"Why are you speaking in parables mom, whatever she has done cannot be that bad" the sister said,

"Your little sister over here, is not so little, you see, she has learnt the work of adults, she has gotten pregnant"

"What?"

The main girl was shocked, her eyes widened in surprise, was the malaria making her hear things as well, did her mother say pregnant?

Tears streamed down the mother's face,

"She has gotten pregnant, she is pregnant, she has eaten the fruit of a man" the woman wailed, she launched at the girl, hitting and slapping her nonstop, the elder sister tried to stop her,

"Useless child, what did you do?" She asked, landing slaps on the girl.

The girl landed on the ground trying to block her mother's attack as realization settled in.