Vagrants

Chapter 31

Things became worse after I got discharged. The doctor congratulated us and gave Uncle Jide the envelope containing my test results.

"No, no. Don't open it here." The doctor said when Uncle Jide wanted to open the envelope.

"Why?"

"I've seen how emotional your family is and rejoicing over good news in the hospital would disturb the patients." The doctor smiled.

"Okay, we understand. Thank you."

Mother hugged me tight. She thought they carried out tests to see if my body was okay and that I was not sick. She was happy and was grinning. Mrs. Bukola had scared her by saying that I was dead.

But that was not the case when we got home.

Uncle Jide opened the envelope and read the results out loud. They carried out few tests on me and he was reading them out one by one. Mother was standing beside me and she was grinning.

"HIV test." Uncle Jide smiled. "Negative."

"Urine test..." He kept calling them out until...

"Pregnancy test." He frowned and closed the paper.

Mother stopped smiling. "Ki lo wa n be?" What's written there?

"Positive." He sighed.

"Impossible! I know my Adeola very well. She lives by the word of God. She is..." Mother snatched the paper and peered through it.

She staggered backwards. "Adeola se oto ni?" Adeola, is this true?

I looked down at my feet.

"Adeola? Se o ti loyun?!" Adeola are you pregnant?

My gaze shifted to Aunty Kemi and Abisola. They gave me a stern and pitiful look. We've all feared this day and had planned to cover it all up but things ended up this way.

Mother turned my face to her. "Tell me this is fake. I trust you. I want to hear it from you. They mixed up the tests right?!" Mother yelled in yoruba.

"Oto ni." It's the truth. I looked away from her. "I'm pregnant ma."

Then, I noticed Mrs. Bukola standing there. She got the gist she's been wanting for free. Actually, everybody had everything for free and I had to bear the consequences.

"O de n fenu so!" And you're opening your mouth to say it! Mother gave me a hard slap that sent me to the floor.

Aunty Kemi and Abisola surprisingly rushed to my aid.

"Didn't you hear that she got pregnant? Get away from her!" Mother hissed.

Aunty Kemi and Abisola helped me up.

"Didn't you hear? I said..." Mother paused. "Wait, you know about this?"

They didn't say anything.

Uncle Jide turned Aunty Kemi to face him. "Kemi so mo ni pa e?" Kemi do you know about it?

Aunty Kemi sighed. "I only know she lost her virginity but I didn't..."

Uncle Jide slapped her hard across the face. "And you didn't bother to tell us?"

Aunty Kemi gave me a stern look that made me uncomfortable. She got slapped because of me.

"No! Uncle Jide please. It's my fault. Please!" I begged.

"Iwo! Ashawo oshi." You! Stupid prostitute. Uncle Jide hissed.

"Who owns the baby?" Mother asked.

"D-D..."

"Soro soke jare! Talo lo mo?" Speak up! Who owns the baby? Mother yelled.

"D-Damba."

"Ahh! Aye mi o." My life. Mother placed her hands on her head. "I told you not to trust him, didn't I?"

I nodded.

"Where is he now?"

"He abandoned me."

"Lati igba wo?" Since when?

"Abuja."

Mother slapped me again. "Ahh! Iwo omo yii." You this child. She bit her finger. "You want me to cry abi? You want to see me cry! What did I not do for you Adeola?!"

Mother started beating me with her hands and anybody that came in her way got beaten too.

When her hands started aching her, I thought she would stop. Instead, she flogged me with slippers and then started flogging me with Bayo's belt.

When Mother finished flogging me, she asked. "What will you do with the child?"

"I-I will abort it."

"Are you mad? You sinned once and you want to commit another?" Mother hissed.

"It is people like you that won't let us to have children. You will keep aborting and..." Mrs. Bukola said.

"Please mind your business." Aunty Kemi hissed.

"What? Is she not in this house? Will she turn a blind eye to it?" Mother hissed.

"It's not that." Mrs. Bukola sighed. "I've asked God for this child since and I didn't get it. She got it for free and she's not appreciating it."

"Can you hear that? Why did you even do it Adeola?" Uncle Jide asked.

I didn't say anything. I just watched and listened to them insult me and call me foolish for my acts. This is now my life. I have to carry this child in my womb and singlehandedly raise him.

I wish I didn't meet Damba and never knew him. I wish I wasn't posted to that camp in Oyo. I wish everything that has to do with Damba never happened.