ADOBEA

EPISODE TWENTY - FIVE

ADOBEA
(written by Klenam Gyimah)

I felt I was pregnant. I did the test and it was positive. I called Nii Okai to make him aware of the good news. He sounded not happy on the phone but promised to be with me after close of work. True to his words he came but this time round not in his cheerful mood. He sat on my bed, held my hands and said; “Adobea, I am very sorry to say this; I am a married man. I stay with my beautiful wife and three children. There is no way you can keep this pregnancy. The truth is I can’t marry you. I am begging you to forgive me. Thank you. I have to go.” Nii Okai ended his speech, stood up, opened the door and left. I sat on the bed for one hour not knowing what to do and what to think about. The episode of his action was like a fairytale. Tears replaced words. I knew my life has certainly ended. Pregnant again with no responsible father. I sat in the middle of my bed, read all his sweet – lies messages; I painfully deleted them all. Destroyed everything he gave to me. I shivered as I thought of the move. Grave ideas of vengeance occupied my empty thoughts. I had only two options to live on: insanity or suicide. I took the entire drugs available in the room. I swore not to see the next day. One thing I forgot was that death does not come to those who prepare for it. I stood in front of my mirror thinking I could find a different image of myself, but I couldn’t. I hit my head so hard to the mirror. It broke into pieces with blood stains all over. There I knew I was going off my senses. The multiple drugs I took started reacting. I couldn’t sleep that whole night. I knew I was going to die ultimately but the pain was unbearable. I started vomiting blood. My hair mysteriously started falling off. My skin became white. I screamed and my neighbour Naa Adjeley rushed to my door. it was locked. There was no way I could stand up from the floor to open that door. She did everything she could to open the door but it proved futile. She went out to scream in order to attract the attention of other neighbours. My door was forced opened. I was rushed to a Clinic close by. They detained me for about two hours but looking at the severity of my ailment they referred me to the La General Hospital. I checked the time and it was 8:50am. I was too sure Nii Okai was at work for him to see the indelible pain he had caused me. It was a deliberate request I placed to be referred to La General Hospital.

We got to La General Hospital and right at the car park I saw his car; but this time round it wasn’t driven by him. A woman sat at the driver’s seat making a call. In the car there were three children who I supposedly believed they were the children he spoke off, and the woman with them was his wife. I couldn’t walk nor talk but was sensitive to everything around me. A wheel chair was immediately wheeled to the waiting Taxi. It was just so sad. My condition demanded an Ambulance to transport me to the hospital but I had no money on me. I gave all my savings to Nii Okai to complete his building. He told me he was out of pockets and urgently needed money to complete his building after which we would marry so we move into it. I was excited so I gave him everything I had saved. The thought of that even today gives me headache. I literally gave him everything even money I had saved for school. Please don’t ask me how much it was? That was my life’s savings. The Attendant from the hospital was a nice person. He carried me unto the wheel Chair and wheeled me to the Emergency Unit. From a distance I saw Nii Okai with his luggage. He walked towards his car with smiles all over his face. The wife alighted from the car and responded to his smile with a hug. Oh heavens! Nii Okai had a perfect marriage; he only used me. I waved at him but he pretended not to have noticed it. So painful; I couldn’t even talk nor move. I wished someone could hear the words in my mind. Finally, he waved back acting as if he had seen a stranger. He sat in his car together with the wife and children and they sped off. The attendant and those accompanying me realized there was something else wrong with me apart from the medical ailment. Fortunately or unfortunately they couldn’t ask me because I couldn’t talk.

I was admitted for two weeks. How I paid for my medical bills will be another episode to consider later. I lost my pregnancy but developed stomach ulcer of which I am battling till today. Deacon Adotey and his father the District Pastor were too kind to me. They only got to know of my ailment the very day I was discharged. Hmm! You won’t believe this: the very day I saw Nii Okai at the hospital was his last day there. He was on transfer to Kumasi. He was so wicked. He left just like that without even saying goodbye. The pain of this very episode of my life has not been washed away. He will certainly pay for his evil deeds.

I started to build up my life again. I devoted my entire life to serve in the Church and still sold my sachet water. One Sunday after Church service the District Pastor called me to his office for a discussion. His message was simple: he wanted me to marry his son. I was quite confused but wasn’t surprised. Deacon Adotey made sure I fully recovered. He gave me capital to start the sachet water business again as a wholesaler. He rented a wholesale shop for me. He was such an adorable figure; but the truth was that I never loved him. It was too late to have told him. I had enjoyed too much of his favours. All along I never knew there were strings attached to them. I agreed to marry Deacon Adotey; but with a condition… (to be continue)