David was still
pacing up and down the little space between his bed and his wardrobe. His shirt
was off, the ceiling fan was on but he was sweating profusely. His hands were
trembling and he kept wiping the sweat that continuously kept accumulating in
his hands on his trousers. “David, what have you done?”, Fred asked with his
hands on his head. “What are you going to tell your father now?” “That you lost
all the money and that you will not be able to travel again to study abroad?” “What
were you thinking, David?”, Fred queried as David kept walking past him and
mumbling some words as he moved up and down the space he had in his room. “David,
your actions can jeopardize my chances of going abroad too”, Fred said. The moment
Fred passed that comment; David stopped for a brief moment, and reflected over
what Fred had just said. “Freddie, what do you mean by my actions can
jeopardize your chances of going abroad too?, David asked Fred standing right
over him. “ Don’t you know, David?”, Fred asked David looking startled. “I don’t
know anything, Freddie so you better start talking now”, David said almost
shouting. “I thought you knew that your dad gave me half of the money I needed
for the school, he however gave it to my parents as a loan and is expecting
them to pay back in some months time”, Fred said. “What if he decides to take
that money back to give it to you to take to school because you know he will favor
his own first before another’s?” “Not a chance, my father will never do that”. “Moreover,
the money was given out as a loan so no need to worry”, David assured Fred. “I
will have to face my father alone, he gave me the chance and I blew it”. “It
has got nothing to do with you at all, trust me Freddie”, David said. There was
a sudden knock on David’s door and both David and Fred were startled because
the knock was loud and repeated in a particular sequence. David knew it was his
father who had come to say his routine ‘good mornings and how are you?’ David
walked to the door, took in a few deep breaths and unlocked the door. It was
Erica. “What are you doing here, Erica?”, David asked her while looking at his
watch. “I am not feeling too well, Dave”, Erica said. “I think it is the usual
morning sickness that comes with being pregnant”, she added. David touched her
forehead to feel if she was running a temperature. “You have a normal body
temperature so what is all this fuss about morning sickness?”, David asked
looking down the hallway to see if he would see signs of his father’s presence.
“As if that is for you to determine, Doctor David”, Erica said and warmly
hugged David. “Won’t you ask me to come in, already?”, Erica asked and pushed
David aside and walked into the opening of his room. Immediately she stepped
into the room, she saw Fred and they both exchanged glances. “Good morning,
Erica”, Fred said. “Good morning”, Erica responded. David walked in on the two
of them and said, “Erica, right now is not a good time to fall sick or to be
all around me”. “I am going through some serious issues right now”, David said.
“Care to share?”, Erica asked looking all sweet. Erica had a sweet aura about
her. She had a way of getting a man to do whatever she wanted. She had a sweet angelic voice which could sooth aching hearts
just by listening to her speak. David once said she spoke like an angel. He
just could not help it knowing that she was there and her face showed signs of
so much innocence and grace that David almost broke down to cry. He held
himself together and said, “It is nothing I can’t handle”. Erica went close to
him, held his cheeks with both hands, looked intently into his eyes and said, “For
as much as this is worth”, moving her right hand from his left cheek and
rubbing her stomach with it and placing it back onto his cheek, “We are going
to have a baby together and if you really think about it, we should be sharing
more than just that, we are going to be a team, Dave”, Erica said with so much
grace and sexiness. “What is eating you
up, please share it with me just like we share this baby growing inside of me”,
Erica added. Immediately Erica’s last words got to David, he broke down in
tears and cried his eyes out. Fred was touched and hid his tears. Fred asked to
be excused and left the two of them in the room. As he walked out of the room,
he patted David on the shoulder and asked him to be strong. David, after crying
uncontrollably narrated everything to Erica, “Now I don’t know what I am going
to do anymore”, David said as he finished recounting the events to Erica. “My father
had placed so much confidence in my bright future and now, look at how I am
going to pay him back, with heartache, disappointment and sorrow; I don’t think
he is ever going to forgive me for my actions, Erica”. Erica spent the whole
day with David to give him support. David had to explain himself to his father
when he returned from work that night. “Dad, I have messed up big time and I don’t
think I can go abroad to study anymore”. “I have lost the money you gave to me
and I am sorry if I have been a disappointment by first getting a young lady
pregnant and crushing all the hard work you put in to see me through school”, David
said keeping a safe distance between where he stood and where his dad was
seated. “I am a good man to kick you out of my house and out of my life, David”,
David’s father said. I can’t believe that you could do such a thing”. “Did you
throw all the efforts and morals we imparted into you to the dogs?” “What has
come over you?” “You have made one rush decision after another and you failed
to even acknowledge me as your father to seek counsel from me”, David’s father
added. “I might be able to raise the money for you again but I know it will be
too late”. “You are to get to the school next week and looking at the space
between now and then, it will not be possible, I am sorry, son, you would have
to forfeit this chance” “I always had the hope that you would be like your
friend who lives across the street but it was not to be.” “He is so focused and
knows what he wants in life unlike you, my only son”, David’s father added.
David felt very bad about the comparison his father made and could not sleep
the whole night. He did not know whether to hate Fred for taking his father’s
money and depriving him of the chance to study abroad; wish him well for
staying out of trouble and finally getting the chance to study abroad to come
back to better the chances of his family’s fortunes or envy him for going ahead
of him in their educational standing. David was locked up in a world of his own
which was one of despair and regret in that moment. Two days before Fred left,
he had an emotional conversation with David over the phone. Fred promised David
to try and support him in the best way possible if he finally found his feet in
the United Kingdom. Soon, Fred left for the UK and unfortunately, it was a
lonely trip overseas; one without his best friend, David. David had a few
sleepless nights and even had some nightmares where he saw himself being chased
by the police at Heathrow Airport. He gathered some courage and started
applying for jobs with his certificate. He still kept his contact with Fred who
was finding it a bit difficult settling down in another country. David was
called for an interview after weeks of putting in an application for the
position of a manager at a pharmaceutical company. With his university
qualification, he was over-qualified for the position but he was able to
convince the owner of the company to employ him. He started working and his
monthly salary was not befitting of a university graduate but looking at the
responsibilities that lay ahead of him, he took up the job and did it to the
best of his ability. The days turned to weeks, the weeks turned to months and
soon, the returns in profit the company was making tripled because of David’s
impeccable customer relations, marketing and sales skills. With the passing of
the months also came the time for Erica to finally put to bed. On the day of
her delivery, she was rushed to the hospital by co-tenants who lived in the
house with her. In a matter of minutes, she was safely delivered of a beautiful
baby girl. When David received the news, he sent a message to Fred telling him
of the good news. Fred shared in the joy of David and Erica and congratulated
both of them. David quickly handed over the order of business to his assistant
and rushed to the hospital. When he got there, Erica was breast-feeding their daughter.
He took her in his arms and instantly, the mantle of fatherhood descended on
him like the ‘holy spirit’ and as if he was inspired by some divine presence,
he touched her little red lips with tears of joy in his eyes and spoke gently
saying, “Your name shall be ‘Ellen’ because you will be my bright, shining light.
Erica opened her eyes slowly and smiled in agreement. STAY TUNED FOR WHAT IS
ABOUT TO HAPPEN… MY NAME IS EDWIN OKO LAMPTEY AND THIS IS ANOTHER RANDOM
AFRICAN THOUGHTS PRODUCTION ©. MORE AT randomafricanthoughts.blogspot.com
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