Chapter 2

Two weeks later.

On my way to school, I saw Kelvin at our usual spot, then I ran to him and held his clothes.

'You lied to me, You deceived me, You made me missed my waec' I cried.

'I am sorry Ufuoma, things was tough in Lagos, I was rejected and I had to hustle around to have money to come back, Please believe me' he said as he took my hands off his clothes.

'I will make sure you write waec next year' He vowed.

Even though I was angry, I thought about how tough it must have been for him in Lagos, Kelvin saved me from being raped and he has been very good to me, there was no way he could have disappointed me intentionally.

'What if my parents finds out? they will be very sad, they have somuch hope in me' I sobbed.

'They wont find out and you will register for waec next year' Kelvin said as he wiped off my tears.

Instead of going to school that day I followed him to his place and he kept assuring me that he would register waec for me next year.

When Waec Examination started, Kelvin suggested that I wore my uniform and come to his place so my parents would not find out that I wasnt partaking in the exam.

So every morning of the exam, I dressed up, carried my school bag and went to Kelvin's house then returned home in the evening and it was this period that he took my virginity.

1 month later, My fathers sickness had worsened by now and My uncle, who was my fathers only brother had come to visit us.

'Waec result is out, Ufuoma and I will go to the cafe to check if she is among those that passed it, then I will take her with me to Asaba and make sure she register for JAMB, this will lessen your worries, you just need to focus on your treatment' He told my father.

'Ha!' I exclaimed.

'I will go alone to check my result' I said as my heart was already beating fast.

'Why do you want to go alone and you never said anything about waec result coming out' my father said in his sick voice.

Immediately tears fell from my eyes.

'Why are you crying? my mother was the first to ask

'I am sorry mama, I replied her then looked to my fathers direction and said. 'I am sorry papa'

'I didnt write waec' I confessed.

'But you were going to school during waec period' my Mother said.

'I didnt go to school, I was just hanging around till I saw others returning from school before coming back home' I lied.

'Jesus ehhh' my father screamed as he held his chest and started coughing.

As Ejiro ran inside to bring him water, My uncle and my Mother rushed to hold him.

'Brother are you okay?'

'Papa Ufuoma'

They called out to him as they tapped his shoulder and held him close.

But there was no response from my father.

The shock from my outburst has killed him.

We all wailed and screamed.

I couldnt believe my eyes.

My mother was rolling on the ground crying and shouting, as she held my legs. 'You have killed my husband, You have sent your father to his early grave, You have made me a widow'.

Ejiro too was on her knees crying beside my father while my uncle stood on his feet shaking his head.

With the little support from relatives and the money from my mothers plantain business we did my fathers burial and my Uncle returned to Asaba without me.

I became an enemy to My mother and Ejiro, they never said a word to me and they both continously blamed me for my fathers death.

During this period, I distanced myself from Kelvin.

Life became tough for us, we could barely survive as there was no plantain to sell or any money and My uncle didnt bother to render any assistance to us.

My mother gradually fell sick and Ejiro and I began to do minor jobs to feed and buy her drugs.

Soon I started to notice changes in my body, most mornings I would threw up and felt sick, I just assumed it was stress.

A man called Otega had come to ask for my hand in marriage, he promised to take my mother to hospital for proper treatment and send me and Ejiro to school which I agreed hoping that if things got better for us, my mother and my sister would forgive me and forget all that has happened.

The day he came with his family to pay my dowry.

My sickness had become terrible, that morning, I couldnt stop vomitting.

My mother noticed it , she touched my breasts and my navel and for the first time since my father passed away 2 months ago, she spoke to me.

'Ufuoma you are pregnant'

'Ha no oh, mama' I exclaimed.

'When was the last time you saw your period?' she asked.

I tried to think and realise it was months ago.

'Heeeeiiiii' I shouted.

And with that, my mother and my uncle gave Ejiro's hand in marriage instead of me which Mr Otega complained at first but later agreed to the change.

As Ejiro carried her things and set to follow Mr Otega and his people, she looked at me with somuch hatred.

'It was you he wanted to marry, I never said I wanted to marry at 16, yet alone to a man in his late 30's, You killed papa and now you have ruined my life' she whispered to me.

Tears clouded my eyes.

Before they left, Mr Otega gave about #100,000 to my mother for her treatment.

'I will send for you to come for proper treatment soon' He said to my mother then he looked at me with disappointment.

'Who got you pregnant'! my mother fired at me. After they left.

'My boyfriend, Kelvin' I answered in tears.

'Ufuoma, you have a boyfriend? Heeiii God! she screamed.

'Your sister just married the man who was supposed to marry you and better our lives, so you would have taken another man's pregnancy to him and disgrace our family abi? carry your things and go to the useless boyfriend that got you pregnant' She shouted as she threw my bags outside.

'I am sorry mama' I cried.

As she pushed me out, I could feel the weakness in her hands.

I wiped my tears, picked up my bag, kept it in the backyard and went to Kelvins place.