A DREAM OF A MOTHER.

A DREAM OF A MOTHER.

Episode 2

Halima was the child nobody wanted their child to associate with. She was a Muslim, but she had gotten out of control of her parents. Her father was an Alhaji who was more concerned with making money than whether his daughter was walking in the path of Islam. Her mother had a big fabric shop in Ayegbaju International market, where she sold imported fabrics which she imported from Dubai and all around the world. So, Halima went out with aristocratic men, for her, it was not about the money, but about the domination of these men in bed, and the class. Halima was just 18, but she had the body of a grown woman with luscious hips and ample buttocks, her fair skin glowed and her eyes which were always coated with Kohl, held Nubian promises. Aside her physique, Halima had also aborted so many pregnancies, that girls her age could not have done.

When Khadijat started crushing on Damilola, it was Halima she told. Halima advised her to go after Damilola, but Khadijat was a reserved girl and even she knew that Halima’s ways were not pure. But when Damilola began to pursue her, he was too charming to resist and she threw caution to the wind. Again, when Damilola asked that they consummated their love, it was Halima, Khadijat went to, and asked for advice. Halima advised Khadijat to give in to Damilola, that if she didn’t, another girl was going to give it to him and he would leave her. Khadijat, afraid to lose her new found love, gave in to Damilola, and here she was.
She had told Halima when she first found out she was pregnant, the latter told her not to tell her boyfriend, Damilola, for he would look at her as a girl who could not take care of herself. She advised her to abort the pregnancy, but Khadijat was too afraid to do an abortion and she had chosen to tell Damilola. But now that things had become worse, she had no other option but to abort the pregnancy, and restore peace to her family. So, she called Halima.
Halima: “I told you, telling him was not the right option, everyone knows you are pregnant now. Anyways, it is not too late, meet me at Shoprite, I will take you to my abortion doctor” she said when Khadijat called.

When Khadijat got to Shoprite, she was still sure she wanted to abort the pregnancy, so she went with Halima to the clinic where she told her was where she did all her abortions. But when they got to the clinic, Khadijat looked on, with horror, at the young girls lined up, some coming out of the inner consulting room with pain on their faces. She sat down with them and looked on with confused eyes, as Halima booked her for a D and C. She told herself she was doing this for the love of family, she was so sure that if she aborted the pregnancy, her family would be whole again, and things would go back to the way it used to be. But no one told her that, even if she aborted the pregnancy, the deed was done and her father would never see her as he saw her before.

Her name was called and she walked tentatively to the inner room, while her friend, Halima smiled at her encouragingly. Halima was smiling at her phone and tapping away in a chat with one of her lovers when Khadijat ran out of the inner room, screaming on top of her lungs.
Khadijat: “I can’t” she cried.
Halima: “What do you mean you cannot?” she asked, turning around abruptly, twirling her long Brazilian weave.
Khadijat: “The prodding with metal objects, inside me. I am practically still a virgin, I did it just once. There is no way that metal will enter my body without destroying something” she cried.
Halima: “Stupid girl, you are no longer a virgin, you are pregnant, and if you don’t go in there, this pregnancy will destroy your life and family” she yelled, hoping she could yell ‘sense’ into Khadijat’s head.

Khadijat: “I will not do this” she said vehemently and walked out on her friend, who shook her head sadly and followed her.
Halima followed Khadijat home, hoping that she would be able to convince her friend to heed her advice, but the latter was adamant, and too scared to ever consider abortion again. When she had entered the inner room, the first thing she had seen was the bucket full of blood and obviously foetal elements. Then she had seen the different scalpels, and knew that they would go into her body, destroying the developing foetus and probably her womb. In horror, she had run out of the room, and there was nothing Halima could tell her that would make her go back there or anywhere else for abortion.
The two girls were still talking when Khadijat’s mother walked up to them.
Khadijat’s mother: “So Khadijat, this Omo ale is your friend? This girl that is the reject of our society is your friend. Why then am I surprised that you got pregnant? Ha, Khadijat you have made me the laughing stock of the society, you were not what I thought you to be” she said and burst into tears.

Khadijat: “Mother, I am so sorry. Forgive me mother. I am so confused right now” she cried and rushed into her mother’s arms. Despite her mother’s push, she clung to her mother.
Khadijat: “Help me mother, I don’t want to do an abortion and I want our family to be whole again”
Khadijat’s mother: “Oh my Khadi, you naïve little girl. Don’t you know that, no matter what you do, our family will never be whole again? Your father put so much trust in you, it is the reason he sent you to school, to prove to everyone that female children are worth something too. Look now, you disappointed him, nothing can ever be the same” she said as she stroked her daughter’s hair.
They were in front of the house, and Damilola’s mother watched them from the balcony. She shook her head at the pitiful sight. If only girls would be wise, they let themselves go and have fun with a man, but they were the ones who bare the pain and shame of that fun. Her son was there in India, while the girl he had impregnated was here in Oshogbo, suffering the consequences. She decided right then that she would not let the girl’s life be destroyed because of one mistake. She hurried downstairs to meet them.

Damilola’s mother: “Khadijat’s mother, please, let me send Khadijat to my sister in Lagos. If she continues to stay here, she would go through some much emotional trauma After delivery, she can fight for another admission into school. She is still young and has her life ahead of her. Let us join hands and make sure that this one mistake does not destroy her life” she said soberly.
Khadijat’s mother saw a kindness she had not seen before in most Christians she knew, in the woman’s eyes she saw a genuine concern for Khadijat’s well being.

Khadijat’s mother: “Thank you, thank you very much. Perhaps it is Allah’s will, that our families be joined together by a child” she said and embraced the other woman.
The Imam stayed away from his home as much as he could, and his wife concentrated on her business. She was galvanized by the fact that her daughter was in good hands. She hoped that with time, her husband, the Imam, would come to accept things as they were. But she was soon to find out that, her husband was not ever going to accept things, in fact, he was going to take care of the cause of all the trouble.

Khadijat wished that Damilola would call her even for once, she knew that his mother had called him, but yet he had refused to call her. Did he even care for her at all, or had she just been someone he could manipulate. She wiped the tear that threatened to fall, and summoned courage. She had made a vow not to cry anymore, as God had been good to her to give her a second mother in Damilola’s mother.
“Did you think I was going to allow you destroy the name I have worked years to build?” she heard the voice, and knew who it belonged to, even before she turned.

She turned, with fear on her face and stared at her father. The Imam was as angry as the first day he had heard about the pregnancy. He even looked more ferocious, but what was more frightening, was the knife in his hand.

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