Her hands, tripping over her chin, caused her to sit up abruptly. She’d been sleeping nonstop the second she got to the roadside to sell. The noise be damn for nothing was heard.

“My friend, you better go and take some rest o,” Mawuena laughed hysterically, annoying Lisa to the fullest.

It’s been a month she tried to do the worst to her unborn child, a month of constant nagging from her hypocritical mother and a month of chasing from Felix. Where were they heading in life? He’s made his motives clear to her. A foolish and unreal one but for her, life did not work out for people like them and after all, she believed the rich remained rich and poor, poor. That was her mindset. One set to destroy if not reformed by the mind.

She wiped her already dry face with a dirty brown napkin she used in driving away flies from the bananas she sold.

“Have you seen Felix pass by today?” Lisa found herself asking. In reply, Mawuena shook her head while attending to a woman with a baby strapped behind her.

Picking up her phone from the other side of the table, she checked to see that not only had he not called, he hadn’t texted either. That is something she herself hadn’t done since she became pregnant. She didn’t call or text him and even rejected some of his frantic calls. It was the reaction of an angry girl whose youth had been stolen from her in a matter of time. This bore an uncanny hatred for the young-to-be father but today was an exception. She wanted to see him. Somehow she reasoned it might help deal with her situation. Just somehow.

She sighed briefly after feeling disappointed.

A few bananas were sold. Her friend engaged her in a hearty conversation, taking away the anxiety for a while.

“I will see you tomorrow,” she waved shortly before taking leave of her friend.

Finding Felix that night after work was extremely difficult. She walked the long distance till her feet ached and she needed to take a rest. The pregnancy kept taking a toll on her.

‘Thud’ she was thrown off guard as a result of her not focusing on the road before her.

‘Ow,’ the pain shot through her spine while she fought back the tears threatening to fall.

“Can’t you see?” she uttered, checking her bruised foot. She was unaware of the boys who had pushed her down.

‘Laughter’ she looked up to see a group of four boys. Deliberately blocking her path.

“What should we do to her?” one boy who has no shirt on spewed.

“Are you sure she is Felix’s girl?” Another one asked, anger laced in his voice. “She’s pretty young,” he sneered.

Mavis would have handled the situation better. Her condition prevented her from any stressful activity and besides, these thugs were not your usual people to joke with.

“You,” he points lazily at her.

“You better tell Felix to return my money else, you will be used as bait.” He was sweaty and no better than those he stood beside.

These were guys she’s been warned constantly about. How did Felix want her suffering to end when he was adding more fuel to the fire?

“Deal with him and stop bordering me. I can report you to the police too,” she warned, her eyes flared.

What she said seemed to have been funny to them. They laughed in unison at her words.

“Alright, you can do that but this is my advice to you” the shirtless guy bent low to her level.

“Don’t forget that Felix owes me. You will have to pay in his stead if he takes too long” Lisa longed to slap the ugly sneer off his face but she could only nod like an obedient child. Long ago, a girl had had the nerve to talk back and insult a mafia only to get beaten badly making it impossible for people to even recognize her. It was tragic. She knew best to keep mute.

He kicked her foot away causing another pain in her already sore foot. She winced. No less, they left feeling accomplished.

“The hell!” The deep and husky voice jolts her to look in his direction.

Felix had come for her when the damage had already been done.

He touched her feet with caution.

“What did they do to you?” Whether it was concern or anger, it didn’t matter. He cared enough to come down there for her.

She narrated what had happened to him. The hormones kicked in resulting in her tearing up in front of him.

“I hope the child is okay,” he said to himself rather than telling her. It made her wonder why he cared so much for a child neither of them could take care of. At least not now.

He mumbled an apology to her and picked her up with his two hands. He is going to take her to his house in the meantime. He believed that those guys might come to her again with one of their dirty tricks.

He stops a taxi.

“I’m taking you to my place,” he said with finality. She said nothing. Just got lost in her head of thoughts like she always did.

The drive was silent and a sense of calm washed over them. Like God, telling them it is soon going to be okay.

***

“Let go of my son!” she warned.  The Little boy of about five, clutches tightly unto his mum’s blouse for support while their fight for him intensified.

“He’s also my son. If you want him then you’ll have to stay!”

“No!” She objected vehemently. “I won’t let my son starve by living with you.”

She knew he will win and she let him. The next day at dawn, she was gone. Away from the sleepless nights and their son’s cry for food. If she left, he might have it easy to feed just a mouth.

Felix’s father, Mike was okay till it hit him that they were still a married couple. The struggle those last couple of weeks was hell for him to think they were nothing to each other.

The pain and anguish he felt, drove him insane. Resorting to drinking and at times, taking his anger out on the little boy made him feel more shitty. Like a deadbeat dad. Who beats up his son for the mistake caused by his mother? Maame, Felix’s mother was oblivious to this. She was bound to think the best for her son when she left. Meanwhile, Mike gave her cause to worry. But if she were to come for his son, it will be extremely difficult for them to live by. His thinking was that Maame left him because of her inability to love a poor man. He had to be given an Oscar for his shallow thinking. They had been a once happy family. Felix’s father, Mike, worked in an engineering firm. Expenses were not had to get by. In all, it was not so bad till the inevitable happened. The firm caught fire and had to be rebuilt forcing employees to seek other jobs. His age was a disadvantage for him. The younger employees had more chances than he had. Food was reduced drastically from little to nothing at all. After everything, a series of unfortunate events followed.

At 14, Felix joined the street. He found his family. They fed him when his father couldn’t draw the boy to it.  Everything has its ups and downs. He learnt a lot from the boys he hung around with. Willingly he became sexually active. Enjoying every bit of it without the thought of STDs or pregnancy. It was all fun the most till his father dropped ill. He took to the street at dawn to hustle hard. At least till he got something for his sick father whom his mum had left. How unfortunate, the situation worsened but it kept him moving. Working small jobs did the most but he searched for a stable job. He worked hard at the car shop, fixing broken parts and cleaning them up earned him much money to survive on. Days of fooling around had come to an end. He focused on what mattered.

At 17, he had already learnt how to drive. How much can the street change people? His values and manners did not depart from him. Like it was imprinted into his system.

Fast forward, he found himself a girl. A breathtakingly beautiful girl. Her skinny form did not take away her charm. His desire to make her his was strong. Occupying his mind for months till it happened one day.

His hard body held her in place. Making sure her back didn’t hurt from the hard wall they stood against. His rough big hands searched for all the places on her body he could find pleasure and warmth. And before the sun and moon that hung in the sky that night, he made her his. Marking on her territory. Something most boys his age did. To protect what is theirs.

Bit by bit the love between two young people caused them another being. A being they have no intention of bringing to this world. If Lisa were in school, will this have happened? Again, if she were to have been a little educated on sex, will she have agreed to early sex? The answer has been answered over the years. Yes. It would have for it has become something normal, engaged between partners.

The night he heard from her very own mouth about the pregnancy, he barely slept, recalling her words repeatedly. How could he sleep when he’s messed up the life of a young girl? He had a dream, unlike other boys. His dream over the years is to own his own car shop and maybe just maybe, live with Lisa but all was starting to crumble before his eyes. A baby meant another mouth to feed. Who knows, God could surprise them with twins, destroying their lives completely but he prayed not. Yes, he went on his knees that night in the darkroom and prayed fervently to God for His mercy. 

In a few days, another incident made its way into his life. Without thinking of the consequences, he borrowed a sum of money from some boys he called his friends. It was borrowed purposely for the unborn child since he didn’t have the means to support it. It will be until after nine months before he will see the child but he prepared nonetheless. The boys who had contributed money for him came by his place to take it back. He had promised to pay within the end of the month but failed to fulfil his part of the bargain resulting in countless fights. He managed to pay half of it somehow. This however did not stop them from hunting him down. They wanted the money in full. Now, he worked hours to get that amount but unfortunately they had taken the initiative to attack his girl.

That night, he took her to his home and called the attackers out to meet with them but what ensured, left him wounded badly. They fought like stray dogs. Felix with his gang before throwing the sum into the opponent’s faces.