Memories Of The Sun - Chapter 17 CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

By Prescoviah Merilyn

I haven’t been myself lately. Simeon left early to supervise some workers in Bundibugyo. I feel like my dad is over working him on purpose. Ever since Simeon became the general manager of all farms, my dad barely leaves the house.He is either swimming, reading or watching TV. He does nothing and overworks my man. If this is part of the test, as the heiress, I don’t like any bit of it. My dad should retire, I take charge.

Torah and Dalia watch me closely as I swallow my breakfast. What have they become? Invigilators? Do they know how awkward they look? One, embracing age and the other one, well, fighting every bit of it. Oh, Torah painted her nails sky blue? Oh Jeez!

I want juice, black-berried, to be precise. I feel like yorghut and crisps. I want jackfruit…I want pancakes… What the hell? What’s wrong with me? The smell of eggs almost chokes me… I feel like throwing up … Dalia runs to me.

“Honey is everything okay?”

I don’t know what the hell is wrong with me… I feel dizzy. I stumble to the corner of the table, and each step I take, my stomach tightens and aches the more. I shiver violently. I feel bruised inside. It feels like something is vigorously squeezing me inside. I form a small mouthful of bile from my quivering lips. Curling in Dalia’s arms, I pass out.

I wake up to the pungent smell of hospital disinfectants, invading my nostrils. The room is silent except for my heavy breathing, and the beep beep sound in hospitals ,that indicates your still alive. I slowly open my eyes, squinting, attempting to sharpen the blurred images before me. It’s white and blue. How long have I been here? I close my eyes, to remember how I got here, in the first place. Then it hits me hard, I fainted. Why?

“Hey Mrs. Mats relax… Am Doctor Blick” I shake his hand. Yeah, doctor, why am I here?

“How are you feeling?” I don’t answer. “Everything is going to be just fine.. I have been talking to Miss Dalia here… About your condition.”

“Excuse me? Which condition? Am I sick?”

“No, you aren’t. It’s actually a great condition” they eye each other. What the butt?

“Which freaking condition Doctor? ” am tired.

“Your pregnant ma’am”

“What?”

Ever felt your world crumble? Just when you thought everything was back in a perfect piece, back to normal, and you get pregnant! I sink into my hospital bed, eyes fixed on the ceiling…tears flowing freely. Dalia tries to speak but I summon her out. How did this even happen? My God! Am freaking nighteen. Everything is ruined. Am not going for college. Am freaking pregnant. Am going to be a freaking mother, a freaking teenage mother! What do I do? Oh my God!

You never wake up from reality. It wasn’t a dream. When I wake up again, after dozing off… I remember, am still pregnant. I touch my belly smoothly. Who is in here? Who are you, baby? Who are you who is ruining my freaking life? Why did you come now?

Touching my full stomach reminds me of my worst reality. The father! We did it multiple times with Simeon yes, but I was raped. Who is your father baby? It must be the lunatic’s… Why Lord? Why me? What did I ever do? I just want to die.

When we are at home, all eyes are on me, the pregnant one. My dad taps my shoulder, telling me it’s okay to have a baby. I run upstairs. Simeon finds me in my room. My eyes stay fixed on the wall. I don’t want to talk to anyone.

“Hey Vanny”

“Hi” I reply angrily.

“may I?” why do you ask, do your thing, bump in. I nod affirmative. He sits by my beside.

“hey it’s okay, it’s just a baby!”

“What? Just a Baby? This looks like just a baby to you? ” he is quiet as I continue to burst. “This right here is the end of my life… My whole life… I won’t be able to go to school next year, because of this right here… And you say it’s just a baby! You don’t care about me, do you?”

“Baby…”

“Don’t baby me, this pregnancy is what you, all of you wanted… To end my freaking life… To ruin my plans.. You know the worst part?”

“Vanessa!”

“I will tell you the worst part. The worst part is, I don’t know who the hell this child even belongs to… You or Evans… I don’t know!”

“Honey it’s fine.”

“is it? You think being pregnant for two men is fine? According to you it is… You have ruined my life… Don’t you get it? ”

Simeon watches me as I go on and on, saying nothing. I don’t know what’s wrong with me.. I don’t want to nag him, but I can’t stop. I feel it’s his fault… Evans’ fault. Everyone.

“Please leave me alone”

“Okay. I will be out if you need me.”

“Yes. Thanks… Now go” he leaves.

The next day I pay a visit to Evans, am disgusted. He looks pale in the uniform. His hair is still curled though. He looks thin. Prison is treating him right.

“Vanny am so glad you have come. I thought you would never… Please forgive me… It’s terrible in here… Look at me… Vanny just have mercy.”

“am not here to pity for you!”

“No? ”

“No. Evans… I… am”

“your what? Are you sick?”

“No… Am… pregnant.”

“What… Wow.. That’s good news… It’s mine, right?”

“am not sure… But I think it is.” he holds my hands.

“Wow Vanny, that is the greatest news I could ever get… I love you… Thanks… Thank you princess. I know this baby has been blessed to us, not in the right circumstances, but he, she is a blessing, my hope. When you give birth, you name her Hope… Look Vanny, hate me all you want but please don’t hate my Hope, our Hope… Please.”

I let go of his hand, and as am leaving, I bump into Ashanti who has apparently come to see Evans too. She looks stressed. When I open my mouth to say hello, she just leaves. The only words I hear them talking about are pregnancy announcements?

“Evans, it’s yours.”