*picture of Alma
"Samuel,I'm pregnant",Alma said over the phone.
There was a long pause,and then he replied "How can that be?We went to the Hospital last week to get rid of it".
"I don't know what happened",She said.
"My mum took me to the hospital today to conduct some tests and it has been confirmed that I am three months pregnant".
"What are we going to do?" She asked.
"We? Did you say we?"he thundered
"We will do nothing. I took you to the hospital to remove the baby and if it's still there,it's because you told the doctor not to remove it." He concluded
On hearing those words,She screamed and began to cry "Samuel,I never told the doctor to leave the baby,He assured me that the baby was out",she replied.
"That does not matter now",he said with a sigh "But the issue now is that I am not ready to have a baby".
"What are you saying?" She asked tearfully. "Are you denying the pregnancy?"
"Don't be silly",he snapped at her."I know it's mine but you have to take care of it. I will come for the child when he is much older".
"No,you can't do this to me. My parents want to see you"she pleaded.
"Well I don't want to see them..so goodbye". With those words he hung up.
Alma was in shock,Samuel whom she expected to stand by her had abandoned her to her fate. And she had no idea how to get a hold of him.
Over the weeks that followed she faced mockery,verbal and emotional abuse from her parents. It was a monumental nightmare; one she wished she could wake up from but found no escape in sight.
Her parents were able to track down Samuel and tried forcing him to take responsibility but alas he wanted nothing to do either with Alma or the baby.
Alma was told to quit her job by her parents and she was locked up in the house on a permanent basis.
On numerous occasions,her sister,Hadassah tried comforting her but it was all to no avail. She spent her days hiding in her room and her nights soaking her pillow with tears of shame and sadness.
Her dad was finally released from the hospital,but ever since the day he discovered she was pregnant,he never looked at her again. He never even stayed in the same room with her unless it was to lash her verbally for her mistakes.
So many times,Alma thought of ending it all but was too cowardly to do so.
Finally,Alma's mother took her to see a friend who also called her some unsavoury names and asked her mum to send her away till the baby was born.
That night Alma cried herself to sleep yet again and swore that she would never allow any man take advantage of her again.