GET RID OF THE PREGNANCY OR...

"Dave you can't leave me like this, we are in this together," I pleaded.

"Yes we are in it together but since you've decided to stick to your gun, you might as well be on your own. I've told you, I am not ready for a family," he replied in anger.

"So, what do you suggest?" I asked pleadingly.

"The obvious thing of course; abortion. After all it won't be your first time," he said contemptuously as if getting pregnant was my entire fault.

"Over my dead body! The last time I did it, I almost bled to death and you promised it wouldn't happen again. Now you are suggesting it. I'll rather sell my body to take care of the baby than abort it," I said flatly and finally.

"Have it your way. Mind you, I don’t want to have anything to do with either you or the baby when it is born," he countered threateningly.

"If that is the way you want it, God will judge you and me," I said.

"i still love you but since you want to have the baby, then its goodbye," he replied.

From the stillness of his voice, I knew he had already made up his mind on the issue. I went into the bedroom to pack my few belongings and left.

On my way out, I reminisced on how I came to be in this sorry pass. If only I had listened to my cousin, I would not be carrying Dave's baby.
I met Dave at a birthday bash thrown by a friend of one of my cousins, Nicky. Since Nicky couldn’t attend, I had to go alone. Dave was the best-dressed guy at the party and he danced well.
I instantly fell in love with him and tried to catch his attention but ladies swarm around him like bees. When I was almost giving up, Dave came to sit beside me looking exhausted.

"Why not relax. Must you dance with every girl here?" I asked him.

"You must have guts to tell me what to do. Well then, can I dance with you because it's like you are the only girl I've not danced with," he said.

That was how we became friends and I was dying to show off Dave to Nicky who travelled some weeks by to see her parents. When she returned eventually and got to meet Dave, she was devastated that I could fall in love with Dave who she described as a ruthless Casanova.

It was a spectacle how it happened. She must have had a premonition because I practically pleaded with Nicky to stay at home to meet Dave, as he would be visiting that day. When he came, I informed Nicky while I went to the kitchen to get him something to drink.

I ran out when I heard Nicky scream. "Get the hell out of my house before I lose my temper and I don’t ever want to set my eyes on you again."

Without a backward glance, Dave left. I turned to Nicky with a murderous look. Instead of talking, she started crying so I left her and made to go after Dave when she called me back.

"He is not worth it. First, his name is not Dave but Thomas and he has no job. He lives on people. The worst is that he knows nothing about love. If you get pregnant for him, then you will see his true colour," Nicky warned me.

When I asked how she came to know Dave, Nicky revealed that she had gone out with him before. She spent all she had on him especially when he promised to marry her. He however changed when she became pregnant and would not abort it.

I did not heed Nicky's warning and it caused problem between us for some days. Dave promised not to make love to me until after our wedding and I loved him the more for that. He told me he was out of job but would soon get one.

I was working with a textile company so I was able to take care of him. Some seven months later, I felt there was nothing wrong with making love with me since he would still marry me. So I initiated the move and I was not disappointed.
When the first pregnancy occurred, Dave convinced me o abort it. He had no job and would not want me to suffer bringing up a child all on my own. The second pregnancy happened and I was looking forward to having it but Dave thought otherwise.

"Although I now have a job, I think it will be better to plan before dabbling into having children. I promise you, this will be the last time. In fact next month, I will start making arrangement to see your people for the wedding," Dave promised

I aborted it but nearly bled to death. I was admitted into the hospital for two weeks. Nicky stood by me while Dave settled the hospital bills. I heard Nicky warning Dave to keep off me.

"Thomas, nothing should happen to her or else you will regret ever knowing me," she warned.
I was, therefore, mortally shocked and stupefied when Dave virtually sent me out of his house and life for refusing aborting a third time.
I went to Nicky who gave me the I-told-you-so look but she welcomed me. She became like a mother to me and nursed me through the pregnancy. I heard from friends that Dave had started seeing another girl.
I gave birth to a set of twins; two boys. They look so much like Dave and I was very happy because in less than three months, a multinational company offered me a job.

I was able to push Dave to the back of my mind and was already dating another guy, Banji, who was like a brother and father to me. He told me how his fiancé of five years jilted him for his best friend. This he explained had made it difficult for him to trust women.

He liked me but was afraid to fall in love with anyone. It was okay with me after all I went through with Dave; I was not ready to trust any man. Within two years, we became very intimate. Love was in our eyes for each other, but there was no commitment.

On Saturday, three months ago, I was bathing the twins when I heard a knock at the door. I opened it and was surprised to see someone who looked like Dave.

"Hello Bim. Please can I come in?" he asked.

"Dave!" I said in a whisper to be sure that he was the one.

I could not believe my eyes. What could he possibly want in my house? I quickly took the twins in before inviting him in, but he had already seen them.

"Are those my babies?" he asked

"Children you disowned even before they were born?
Sorry you have no kids here", I replied.

Dave came to beg me to come back to him, that I was already engaged to someone else. I was surprised when he said he knew about Banji but came all the same to find out whether he could convince me.
He couldn’t convince me, not after the trauma he put me through. He wished me good luck and left. I am still waiting for Banji to propose to me. If he does not in the next months, I would have to sever my relationship with him