Desmond breathed in and out but air wouldn’t enter his lungs. He starved for air as his heart raced tremendous speed. He stood right there for what felt like eternity but it was five minutes. Kike just wrote his trouble series! She told him her father said he would like to meet him immediately. How did the parents even find out about the pregnancy? How? He has entered this hot pot of soup and no one can show up to help him out.
He tried to push his feelings down but he couldn’t. The face of Kike’s father flashed back into his mind and he wanted to tremble. How would he do it now? What would happen to Feire? Everything was happening so fast, so fast that he was now confused on what to do. He didn’t know if he should tell Feire about the issue or just play along as the father of the unborn kid, or possibly go to meet Kike’s parents to tell them the truth.
He gathered himself after spending extra minutes outside and he walked back inside. He told his friends he had to leave at that moment because it was an emergency call for him. He barely waited to entertain questions before he hurried out of the place. Feire was seeing everything but was wondering why he could have been rushing, she first felt he was rushing because he already saw her with someone but she saw him when he went outside to receive his call. She didn’t want to interfere because of the presence of his friends.
She shook Fola and told him she was ready to take her leave, at least there was nothing more for them to also discuss. She fastened her steps even though Fola followed her to see her off to her car. As she got outside, she couldn’t find Desmond again. She first stood, wondering how he could have left that place so early. She hoped something bad was not happening with the facial expression and rush he left that place with. She hopped into her car and hoped she would get to meet him on the road, if not, she was going home and would call him later to know what went wrong with him.
** ** **
Kike paced around her room. She wasn’t really that kind of person, but letting Uche father her kid? No! She wouldn’t allow that for a second. She has been in awe over and again on what could have made her give in to him. He raped her! Yes, he did. Though it didn’t look as though it was by force, she was drunk and he took advantage of that and had his way. He was not even in the office of being a father, nothing for her child to emulate, not to talk of loving her deeply. She hoped she was not making mistake by hiding who the original father of the child was, but what would she do? Abort? No way!
She woke up that morning and it was too hard to hide the morning sickness of that day, little did she know her mother has been paying close attention to her, she tried to deny when her mother suddenly walked up to her and asked her if she was pregnant but at the mention of visiting the hospital, she confessed. She had vomited that morning and already told them she was feeling feverish earlier than then. She didn’t know who else to tell them than Desmond.
Her father has been quiet since then, just told her to invite Desmond because he would love to meet him immediately. She wished she could ask him why he wanted to see Desmond, but she was sure it was not for him to be dealt with. She already made it clear to them that it was with her consent, so they wouldn’t think that she was raped.
She picked her mobile phone to call her but dropped it again. She didn’t want to be on his neck and also didn’t know the hint to give him because she really didn’t know what was in her father’s mind. She just needed him to help her out of this mess, if not, she would tell her parents the real father and wouldn’t want to end up with Uche.
Sitting down, her mind crawled back to what she just thought about. Could it be that there is something inside her that really wanted to settle down for Desmond? She didn’t know. She liked him, yes he is handsome and eloquent, just the way she would love her guy to be but it wasn’t as though she specially thought in her mind that she would want to marry him or let him end up with her. An average person would see her as a devil, but it wasn’t as if she wanted to destroy Desmond and she knew him to be single. Though, they’ve never talked about it, but she knew that if a guy has no interest in a lady he’s getting close to, he would show his babe off, or at least mention her once in a while but he’s never mentioned that there’s any girl somewhere, so she felt him to be the best one to stand by her.
She heard a knock by the gate and whisked to her feet. That should be Desmond. What should she expect? She slammed the door as she left the room and dashed downstairs. She opened the door to the living room and stood by it as she watched him walk in. He surely didn’t have the liver to drive his car inside the compound that day.
Desmond, on his own side walked into the compound and the beauty he saw in the compound suddenly disappeared. His eyes were seeing something farther than beautiful house at this time. He sighted Kike by the door and tried to calm himself down with the thought that she would stand up to defend him. Kike signaled to him to come inside the house, opening the door wider for him and he was expecting her to come outside and close the door so they could talk before he enters the house and end up scattering everything. He stared at her with a blank expression as he entered the living room.
“I am sorry.” She whispered to Desmond as he entered the living room.
His mind relaxed, not seeing her father on seat was a relief. He faced her but didn’t know what to say. “Why? Kike, why me?” He whispered back.
“There was nothing I could do anymore, Des. They already found out and I couldn’t have mentioned Uche. I had to just tell them the truth, Des.”
“But this isn’t the truth. What if I am ruined by this so called truth?”
“Nothing can happen. I believe he only wants to meet you on the platter of questions and answer, Des. I am sorry, I couldn’t do anything at that time again.
“What if Uche finds out this is for him?” He pointed to the tummy.
“Who knows about it apart from you and I? Who will tell him?”
He scratched his head.
“Young man, welcome.” He heard the voice of her father approaching the living room. Kike showed him to a seat instantly and sat beside him. “I am going to defend us.” She told him.
“Us.” Desmond repeated and gave a dry smile. “Good morning sir.” He dashed to his feet as he saw him.
The father stood and stared at him for a moment. He couldn’t not figure out any expression on his face until he took his eyes off him and was looking down. “Good morning..” He repeated before the father had his seat opposite him.
“So what is your plan now?” He asked him.
Desmond looked at Kike. What was he supposed to say?
“Sit down.” Kike’s father addressed and he sat down. His glance shuttled between Kike and her father. “Em… plans, sir… I…” He began to stutter.
“See, you don’t need all these that you are doing. I know my daughter well and even though I am so disappointed in her, I am not going to let you off the hook. I don’t mean any harm, I just need to hear a word from you, once I hear it, forget it, our meeting has ended.”
“The pregnancy was a mistake sir.” He started.
“Okay?”
“I take full responsibility for it sir.”
“Okay?”
He scratched his head again and looked at Kike if there was something he needed to say again that he hasn’t said. Kike too knew what should be said but was afraid it was hard to tell him this was what her father was expecting from him. She didn’t know how she would interrupt the discussion at this point and wouldn’t want it to be that it is from her mouth her father heard what he wanted.
“Oh…” Desmond’s mind thought of something. He heaved a sigh and finally opened his mouth. “I love her sir.”
“You don’t even have a choice, you couldn’t have slept with someone you hated.” Her father’s reply was sharp and unapologetic.
“I am going to… em… I am going to marry her sir.” He finally dropped the bombshell.
“Good. I need the whole processing to start almost immediately. Her tummy must not protrude before she leaves this house. That means, she has to get married latest a month’s time.”
“Ah!” Desmond exclaimed.
“What? Were you not planning to marry my daughter before pounding her like yam?”
“No sir, I am going to marry her sir.”
“Don’t worry, every finance is on me. In fact, I am going to supply everything you will need to be a good husband and a quality father. It will be a reproach for me that my daughter got pregnant and is living under my roof. I have no issue with you, this mistake has happened and we can’t start fighting you two because of the mistake you have made, but the thing we can do very quickly is to rectify this mistake. Do you understand?”
“Yes sir.”
“So don’t think I am trying to enforce my daughter or trying to enforce marriage. No! But it would be bad if that child is born without a father figure and it would also be bad if she starts carrying her tummy all around with ring in her finger. I don’t want to be named the name my parents didn’t give me.”
He sighed again. “Sir, can I talk sir?”
“Don’t see me as wicked or heartless, Desmond. You have become my son-in-law and you can express your mind.” He replied him.
“Thank you sir.” He glanced at her again before facing her father. “Sir, I am also concerned about the plans I have… sorry, I meant that the plans we have, sir. I am thinking one month is too close, sir.”
“Desmond, one month is too far. By one month she would have had a protruded tummy. You two have made a mistake and I wouldn’t sit and watch the mistake kill the two of you. You have to rise as early as possible. See, I am going to transfer a lot of my business to you, Desmond. If it is the financial aspect, forget it, I cannot send my daughter out and expect her to feed on grass. But!” His facial expression changed. “But if I find out that you are maltreating her, or you don’t love her like you have told me, I won’t pity you at all, Desmond. I am not going to pity you!”
Desmond stuttered. “I won’t do such sir.”
“So when do we expect your parents, Desmond.” He heard from her mother, approaching them.
His breathing was heavy and his heart was racing. He looked at Feire again. “I am going to tell them about it sir, they will come as early as possible ma.”
“Please do, we have started the whole preparation from this moment.” She replied him.
“Yes ma.”
Kike dropped her head. She has landed him in deep shit.
** ** **
“I am sorry.” She begged him.
He dropped his head on the steering rack. Frustration was the least of what was flowing through him that moment. He hated himself. “Is it too late to tell them the truth?” He asked her without batting eyelids, he wished he could just close his eyes, open it again and see that it was all settled.
Her face wrinkled as if she wanted to cry. “Please Desmond, help me. There is no other person who can help me except you.”
“See, only Jesus can help a man. He is the savior, he is the one who knows how to help. Didn’t you hear all the things your dad said? I am done for.”
She sighed. “What do we do, Desmond?”
He looked away. The two were in his car, outside the compound. He didn’t know the deep mess he has landed himself into. Why did he ever meet her? Why? Would he leave Feire now and marry Kike at this stage? Marrying her would have been easier if she was not carrying another man’s baby, it would be explosive when the father of the child finds out that he has a child with her. He dropped his head on the steering again.
“I am sorry, Desmond.” She repeated.
“So the end of everything now is that I marry you, right? See, can’t we just abort this baby and tell them it’s a miscarriage?”
“Were you not the one talking about Jesus now, Desmond? How did you quickly divert your thought towards this angle? Abortion?”
“See, let us put spirituality to one side and face the reality, Kike. Don’t you know this thing is hard? It is! It is just as if I have been snared.”
She sighed. “So abortion, right?”
He glanced at her and looked away. His conscience could not allow him speak. That’s murder! But leaving Feire too is equally like killing her. When would her suspicion not be justified? “Don’t kill the baby. I think I will just get back to you, Kike.”
She was relieved. “Please Desmond, I am sorry. I just need you to help me out.”
“This is no longer help, Kike. It is now marriage. I am not even ready for it. Having money is not the criterion for this thing, I have never planned my tomorrow with you, not to talk of future. It is not easy getting married to you and living with the child of another man. I think I just need to be alone and think. I am burning out.”
“I will just leave.” She said and alighted. He watched her leave and kicked the engine. He had to just go home.
** ** **
to be continued.