Laura was really disappointed not to find her closest pal at work in church for the solemnization ceremonies. He didn't even make it in time for the picture sessions even though she made his.

She didn't want to bring herself to think that he was still angry with her over the events of many months back after the incident at the hotel with the one she shared a ride to and from work with. She hadn't told him of the incident, but had asked for his advice regarding securing accommodation somewhere closer to work so she could reduce the hassles of commuting to and from work, as the man who had been helping her had been transferred out of the state, and finding another will be difficult, with the prospect of returning to her former schedule likely to expose her to the dangers of been mugged again.

He linked her up with an estate agent, who had helped him secure his apartment, as well as adviced her regarding securing funding for the venture. It was during the weeks of taking sometime off work to seek out and inspect some spaces that she noticed she was always becoming nauseous. She had missed her period twice already and she was already due for the third, but this wasn't the first time she would find herself in this situation. She also hadn't had sex since that incident at the motel, and even at that, it was only once.

When she was certain she had missed the third, she called the man she knew was responsible for what she suspected had come upon her. He was glad to hear her voice, after such a hiatus, and agreed to meet with her after work to hear what she intended to tell him. She told him, when they met, that she was pregnant, and that he was responsible for it. He didn't appear startled when she told him, he apologized, reminded her that he was married with children and there was no way he could accommodate her, or the unborn child in his life, he was however willing to provide financial assistance if needed to help offset the cost of terminating the pregnancy. Her response to his remark was to simply walk away from him. She saw "SCUM OF THE EARTH" written all over him.

She had made up her mind from the onset as to what to do with her situation, what she hadn't been able to do was fashion out the way to go about it without blowing her top. She now understood the truism behind the words that, "a woman will do anything to get rid of a pregnancy she doesn't want, as well as do anything to have a baby when she desires it". Because she hadn't been in this situation before, and was unwilling to seek help she tried some of the "remedies" and concoctions she'd heard friends discuss while growing up, but none seemed to give her the desired results, as her bosom continued to become more rounded, and she continued to add weight, enough to be noticed by her friend in the office. Infact, it was because he so rightly hit the nail on the head that made her decide to confide in him one day after work, after some cocktail she got at the "chemist" close to her home caused her to stool and bleed relentlessly at work.

When she told him her predicament, and asked if he knew any doctor that could help her terminate the pregnancy, or remove what was left of the now four month old foetus, he appeared to be shocked but promised to get back to her in a few minutes. He did give her a doctor's number, but after he left the office, she got a text message from him, telling her he'd rather she kept the baby, but she knew it was already too late.

She managed to get home that night, with no let up to her condition. She had managed to get an appointment with the doctor whose number she got from her friend at work but found herself prostate the next day that she couldn't even stand, talk more go to see the doctor for her appointment, as she had already taken permission to be off work the day before on health grounds. Her brother and sister had both left early for town to attend to their issues and had felt she was suffering from the normal bout of malaria. Though she was in so much pain, she was glad they hadn't bothered to make a fuss over her condition.

Suddenly, she felt this urge to be relieved of something from within her, she wasn't sure if it meant to urinate or excrete but she made her way towards the commode but hardly got there before it came out of her, mingled with some bodily tissue and lots of blood, amidst bone crushing pain. Luckily, it hadn't happened in the sitting room where there was a rug, but at the tiled entrance to the passage that led to other parts of the house. Relief from pain was almost instantaneous after the "expulsion" from her body, but her body shook and trembled in tears as she examined what had come out of her. The bloodied foetus could fit into her palm, and she could tell that it would've been a boy.

She wrapped it in sheets of serviette paper, and wiped the floor clean of all the traces of blood, before proceeding to bury it at the foot of the only tree in the compound, amidst tears but devoid of peering eyes. She was startled when her phone rang, and it was her friend from the office, she didn't pick it, but she sent him an SMS intimating him of all that had happened.

She was brought back to the present when the "MC" at her wedding RECEPTION, called her attention to come with her husband to cut the WEDDING CAKE. She looked at the table reserved for staffers at her office, but didn't see him, then wondered if he'd deliberately miss her wedding. She smiled later when after returning to her seat, she saw him and his wife join the others at the table. He alone, knew about the part of her life that she'd prefer covered for ever, and she was happy he had come to felicitate with her on her special day. She had always imagined what he'd do if he lived to see that day, but the day was still young, and she couldn't tell how it'll end, or the days to follow.

'kovich

PICTURE CREDIT: http://clinicquotes.com

LAURA (II) | madukovich's cogitations - https://madukovich./2015/01/09/laura-ii/