Battles in the shadows

A GLIMPSE OF THE PAST

December, 1986

"Get out of my house! You are a liar Koketso!" Vincent Moabe yelled at his girlfriend of three years. They had been dating since form 3. They had just finished writing their BGCSE(Botswana General Certificate of Secondary Education) when Koketso broke the news about her pregnancy. Vincent denied he was responsible.

"Vincent! What are you trying to tell me? We slept together! I'm pregnant! I am three weeks gone! Why is that so hard to believe?" Koketso yelled back at him.

"You've been cheating on me with someone else Kukie. That bastard you're carrying is not mine!" He yelled at her face. They were at his parent's house and his parents would be home anytime soon.

"Vincent I love you. Please don't do this to me. It's our baby and I don't know what to do about it. Please don't reject us." Vincent looked at her with pity. He knew she was telling the truth. But a baby was never meant to be part of their relationship. He cannot jeopardize his studies.

"Kukie, listen to me. I'm very sorry. I'm scared too you know. I love you. Do you love me?" It was a rhetorical question and he knew it. Koketso said yes and he held her in his arms.

"What are we gong to tell our parent? My mother will kill me." Koketso sobbed.

"I have a great idea love." Koketso looked up at him hopefully.

"What is it?"

"Well you could get rid of the thing and like you said, it just three weeks old"

Koketso slapped him hard across the face. She slapped him again. Hot tears ran down her face. "You are sick! I hate you! Why didn't I see this coming? You are the liar Vincent. You want to endanger my life? Forget it!" Vincent grabbed her arms violently.

"Listen to me slut!" Koketso went rigid. "I have a future to think about! Now get out!" Koketso realized she has been a fool. She dried her tears.

"So you think I don't have a future too? Thank you Vincent. I refuse to beg and argue with you. But I promise you this; you will regret what you just did. You will know no peace until you accept this child. Goodbye Vincent." She walked slowly to the door, hoping that somehow he would stop her and tell her he was sorry. But Vincent did not do that. She felt alone all of a sudden. What would happen to her studies? What would she tell her single parent mother? She knew her life was over as it is. No Vincent and no mother to support her.

"I will have to do something fast. But I am not getting an abortion. Never." She walked to the bus stop and climbed a Combi home. No one else must know about this.

"But you my child, you will know about this treachery and great injustice done to us. My father did the same thing to me too." She thought deeply as she headed home.

TWO MONTHS LATER

The BGCSE results came out and Koketso did very well. Her stomach was still very flat. No one noticed yet. Koketso was washing the dishes after sharing the news with her mother who was very much excited and afterwards went to the shops to get some groceries. Koketso felt very bad. After all, her mother was trying hard to feed them both. An extra mouth meant trouble. What was happening to her now was what happened to her mother. Her drunk of a father had promised to marry her mother. Koketso had believed she was meant to be with Vincent forever. How wrong she was and now she is on her own. Just then someone entered their yard. Koketso looked back.

"What are you doing here? Get out!" she bellowed. Vincent sauntered towards her with his arrogant male ego glowing all over his face.

"I'm here for you babes. I want us to get back together." A warning bell rang in Koketso's head.

"Liar!" she replied sharply.

"Do what I told you." he said with an evil grin on his face. Koketso grabbed a knife on the floor and cut Vincent on the right shoulder. He cried out in pain.

"Does that hurt Vincent? I am not a slut! Get out before someone finds out our secret. I will destroy you! So help me God." She went back to do her chore. She promised to get even with him if it was the last thing she would do.

........................................................................................................................................................

Sometime later, Koketso decided to spend her holidays with her maternal Grandmother after her application was accepted at the University of Botswana. Her daughter was born prematurely; two months early. It meant she could go back home as if nothing happened. Her grandmother agreed to keep the secret as long as she gets rid of the child. Like mother like daughter. Three days after giving birth she packed her baby and put her in a pink baby basket and at dawn and walked out of the house. It was still dark when she left. She had written a long letter telling her story and the name of her daughter; Lauretta. She dropped the basket near the dumpsite of the village.

"Goodbye Lauretta. I love you. I will come back for you."