Our Child is Out

‘I know others will love to have you beside them. That guy might still be interested in you, but remember that it won't take long. I promise it won't. You're already mine, and we'll always be together, no matter what.’ What was I thinking when I heard those words? I didn't understand what he meant by those words until the day it happened.

***

Throughout the day, Aisha didn't go out. She stayed in our room, acting as if nothing had happened. I wondered if the calm side of her had taken over, as it used to. I thought this, as I sat on the bed after returning from the kitchen.

“Girl, I'm bored. How is the food? Is it ready?”

“Which food?”

“The one you're preparing. The food—”

“Aisha. Rest. Why are you like this?”

“Is this how you'll lose…damn! Our food is burning." Aisha trailed off while I ran back to the kitchen as soon as we smelt burnt food.

I had been known as a chubby, strong-willed lady before being paired with Aisha for a project. That was the reason she was surprised to see a slim lady as her project partner. Although I started my weight-loss journey before the project, my roommate used to tease me by reminding me of how chubby I was before.

“See what you've caused. You are seeing it, right?” I complained as I tilted the pot towards her. “Now my food is burnt because I was answering questions that didn't deserve an answer.”

“Jesus! How is it my fault? It's better that the food is burnt. Yes, how can you be cooking during your weight loss journey? It's not making any sense,” Aisha replied with a smirk.

“Let's go for a walk.”

I ignored her and took the pot back to the kitchen. I wasn't in the mood to go out, but on second thought, I decided to keep her company.

“Come on! Let's go. I know you're bored,” she said again, putting on her flip-flops.

I walked to my wardrobe, took out a piece of clothing, and was surprised to see my friend staring at me.

“What? Why are you looking at me like that? I don't think I want to hear what you have to say.”

“I can't believe you want to change your clothes. Girl, it's almost dark, and we're just taking a stroll,” Aisha said as she watched me put on a pair of black pants with a tight, sleeveless top.

“I can't believe you're showing off.”

“Shut up. It's good to show off.”

I don't like living with people who tell me how to live my own life. That was the reason I lived alone during my school days. The project was the only thing that brought us together. Imagine sharing a room with someone who's completely different from you. When I lived with Aisha, I was always talking because she loved communicating, mostly in Pidgin, just like my twin sister.

“Girl, please! You're making a noise.”

“I don't understand, so I can't talk again because I've got a roommate? Do you see my black bag?”

“Check the wardrobe... Girl, drop phone. How you dey find bag dey press phone for hand?”

***

My twin sister, Treasure, had been crying since we started the voice call. She knew her pain better than anyone else, so she didn't listen to mum who advised her to forgive her fiancé.

“Are you still crying? Please stop crying for him, okay? Don't cry, for he doesn't deserve it,” Mum said consoling her. But how could she know her daughter’s pain when she wasn't the one in her shoes? I thought, not knowing how else to console my sister.

“Mum, you don't understand. I had never cried for Kenneth before, and I won't cry for him. I'm crying because I'm tired. This is the fourth time. How many times have I talked to him? Countless times. He wants to make sure I'm disgraced in the presence of our colleagues.”

“Sis, that was why we said you shouldn't cry. You had a life before you met him. Your entire life doesn't have to change because of a man. Trust me. You know how it feels when you're well known; sometimes you forget the hand that feeds you. I pray he recognizes what he's doing before it's too late, but you've got to return to your normal life girl, for no one can be you,” I said, wondering if Treash was stubborn.

I looked down at my fingernails, which reminded me of what had caused the darkened nails. When we were kids, we went on a holiday to our granny's house. One day, while she was cooking, we wanted to roast corn alongside her, but she asked us to wait until she was done cooking. I ignored her and went ahead with roasting the corn, only to burn my fingernails.

“Don’t tell me you want to sleep!” Mum continued. “I can't believe you, my baby. You were crying a few minutes ago, and now you want to sleep? Come on, Treasure, that's such a boring lifestyle. There's a place I was about to go to...” her voice trailed off.

“Why are you peering at me? Do I look like Kenneth?”

“Mum. Sis.” I could hear her breathing. “I want to sleep. Mum, if you don't mind, can you please leave my room? Thanks for caring, though.”

I was surprised. I wasn't expecting to hear such words from someone we had sacrificed our time for. You're always impatient. That's why you quarreled with your fiancé. I thought as I took my makeup kit from the table.

“Who do you think you are? Who doesn't want the best for their kids?” Mum shouted, regretting that she had missed the ceremony she had been preparing for.

***

I rarely went home. I was only home if I had nothing else to do at school or if I wanted to rest from school activities. Sometimes, I travelled home when my sister was in town.

“Hello, sis. Time to wake up. Your twin is back,"I said immediately after I entered her room. “Don't tell me you were crying?”

I asked Treash, who was rubbing her eyes.

“No, I'm not. It's just a headache,” she replied, touching her head.

“Welcome home.”

I mimicked my sister with a smirk on my face. “It's just a headache, and you think I'll believe you? Well, that's one of the reasons I came back home. Yes, there's so much to say.” I yawned.

“Dad asked me to check up on you. He said you had been sleeping since he returned from work. Come on, it's time to get up.” I said, pulling her out of bed.

“Alright. Stop. I've heard you, but promise me you won't tell him anything.”

“Why would I do that?”

When we entered the sitting room, dad was doing what Treash was also known for: going through some documents. He owned an estate in Lagos that was managed by Treash, who lived there.

He was surprised to see me holding Treash, whose eyes were red. “You've been sleeping. Are you sick?” he asked as he removed his glasses.

“No, I'm fine. I'm just stressed out,” she lied, sitting down beside me as I put on my headphones.

“There is something I have for you,” he continued.

“Dad, please don't be offended. Precious, reduce the volume of that song.” she grinned at me, which made me wonder what the song was about.

“That’s what I'm about to do. I know you must talk. I don't know why you're laughing; it's not funny.” I laughed too, realizing how we hadn't had such a conversation for a long time.

“Don't mind me,” she said as I smiled, remembering the old days. “You know, it has been a long time, sis.”

I decided to speak for Dad. “Stop doing too much, Long Neck. Dad wants to discuss something important with us.”

“What! You called me a what?” she asked, feigning surprise.

“Am—”

“You know, I don't know when you both transformed into kids. Are you sure everything is alright?”

Treash and I started laughing as dad handed the file to her. I was happy to see her laugh, but I knew she wouldn't let go of being called Long Neck.

“Everything about the new estate is there. Don't disappoint me, Treasure.”

“Trust me, Dad, I won't,” she replied and took out the papers from the file, ready to leave for her room.

“Dad, what about me?”

“You didn't tell me you wanted something. Do you?”

“No. Well, it doesn't matter as long as I'm allowed to contin—!”

“You’re going nowhere with me. Better stay where you are,” she said, laughing as I followed behind.

***

“Guess what.”

“What?” she coughed and continued. “I'm bad at guessing.”

“I'm pregnant.”

“Wha—!”

“Shh, don't shout,” I said, lowering my voice. I forgot I was back in Africa.

“What do you mean, don't shout?” she asked, wide-eyed. “Tell me you're kidding.”

“No, I'm not,” I answered, wondering how I could easily forget Nigerian beliefs.

“Alright. What… I don't know what you want me to say,” my sister stammered as she folded her clothes while I laughed. “Are you sure he loves you as much as you love him? If yes then I wish you two the best.”

“Thanks, sis, he loves me. He loves me more,” I replied as I hugged her.

Treash was more private than I was, but she used to say that I made her wonder if I existed because I hardly called her. I wondered what Aisha would say about her.

“Ken is coming over tomorrow morning.”

“Who is Ken?”

“My fiancé.”

“Ohh, his name is Ken. That's…”

“You see, you don't even know his name,” Treash said, hanging her jacket.

“Not my fault, sis. Yes, it's not my fault. Blame the school.”

“You are not the only one who goes to school. Okay?”

***

I was awakened by a Boney M. song playing loudly in my sister's room. Wondering what the issue might be, I dragged myself out of bed.

“What's going on here?” I asked and yawned. She was sitting on the reading chair with a file in her hand. I used to wonder if I had been secretly exchanged with some documents during our birth.

“Good morning, sis,” she greeted me with a calm expression on her face. “You've forgotten who's coming today.”

“Your lover. Mr. Kenneth.”

She nodded.

“Is that the reason you're playing a Boney M song? Are you happy that he's coming?”

“Yes, I am,” she answered calmly, ignoring my first question. “The conflict was caused by his carelessness with some documents. Right now, I think everything has been sorted out,” she said with a smile on her face. “He even wrote in detail how the income for the year was generated. You can imagine! Oh! My Ken,” she said, holding the file to her chest as she stared at the pear tree outside her window.

“That is good to hear,” I replied as I tried not to laugh.“But this Ken seems more like a tool to me than a human being.”

My twin was a workaholic. I found it hard to believe that she had quarreled with her fiancé because of business management. Treash told mum and me, the day we had the voice call, how she was Ken's backbone, how she made him who he was, which made me wonder how something so logical could cause an argument between them.

“Treasure, what are you still doing here? Kenneth has arrived.” Mum's voice came from the doorway. She was standing there with a ladle in her hand. We didn't know how long she had been there.

I went back to my room to change out of my nightwear. I was curious to see Kenneth—the man who made my sister cry.

When I entered the sitting room, Tresh was sitting on the lap of someone who looked like Stanley.

“Stanley, what's are you doing here?” I asked the so-called boyfriend. My voice was shaking. I didn't want to accept what my mind was telling me.

“Who is Stanley?” Treash asked as she turned to look at the man stammering behind her. I stared at both lovers, as I wondered how Treash would feel if I told her the truth.

“Sis, that's the man. The one I—”

“Wait a minute. This man. He's the father…” she couldn't complete the sentences as she stood up slowly, disappointment written all over her face.

Kenneth tried to hold her, but she shifted away from him.

“There’s a mistake, babe. I can explain tru—”

“Shh. What do you still want from me?” she asked with a breaking voice. “No, tell me. What!” I felt for her then, but I didn't know what to do.

Mum heard raised voices and came to the sitting room.

“Is everything okay?”

Thank God Dad isn't at home, I thought, as I sat down on the couch.

“Mum, can you believe...” She closed her eyes tightly, her hand on her head. “Kenneth, what did you take me for? So you were incomplete without me, yet you acted like you can live without me.” She yelled at him, annoyed.

“And as for you,” she said, pointing at me. “You're a man-snatcher! You know that, right? But I don't blame you. I blame myself for not knowing the kind of man I was with.” She stormed to the kitchen while mom followed her.

“Why won't you blame yourself? Yes, blame yourself for being fooled so easily, even after all your fucking control. Who do you always think you are? Always thinking you're better than others. Nonsense!” I cried out not wanting to blamed.

“Kenneth or whatever you are. You know I loved you? You could've told me the truth? Imagine depending on a lady for a living, who does that?” I asked as I remembered what he said the day I told him about the pregnancy.

“I'm sorry. I didn't know she was your sister,” he replied in a hoarse voice.

“Yeah.” I laughed sadly.“You didn't know and you're surprised now huh?”

I left the sitting room to get my bags ready. I made up my mind not to keep the child. I don't care about his child. What kind of disgrace is this? Indeed he loves disgracing people in the presence of others. I thought and remembered what my sister said which made me cried harder.

“My dear, cry no more.” Mum consoled me. “You must keep that child.” There were tears in her eyes.” You're not doing it for Ken. You're doing it for how you felt during that moment. Don't be shameless, it's not the baby’s fault.” Tears rolled down my cheeks.

Treasure’s voice came from her room. “Well, Goodbye Kenneth. You deserved to be there.”

***

“That was how you came into the world. All thanks to dad.”

“Wow. Thanks mum. I appreciate.”

“You're welcome my dear.”