EPISODE 11
Rachael was waiting inside the church two weeks after she told Leah for her fate to be sealed. Telling Leah was not as hard as she imagined, Leah seemed to blame Michael much more than she blamed her, she acted as though she understood her plight, it crossed her mind again that Leah could be hiding something but now that was not her business. The look of shock on her father’s face was what shocked her.
The disappointment and guilt in her mother’s eyes broke her already wrecked spirit. She hated herself and almost wish there was a way this baby will just disappear and everything can go back to normal.
“You should have come out right and tell us you really want Michael, you know we liked him but Rachael you disgraced me, he is engaged for God sake and do you know what you have done, he will not be able to move on in ministry with his mate, that boy has graces on his life and you… Daddy why are you blaming just me, I…”
“Rachael shut up, I am still talking. Do you know how much trust I had in you, you went through school, finished the university and this is what we get? You are the only child we have, and you also rubbed me the pleasure of having a graceful wedding for my only surviving child. You want to be a mother right? I guess you will be a wife too.” He said angrily.
“No!!! daddy please no, I don’t please, I can’t marry him, I hate him for doing this to me, God I just feel like dying.” She said hitting herself on the floor.
“Rachael do you want to kill me huh! You feel like dying right? Does that make everything alright? You are not going to die and neither is the child, your father is really mad at you and so am I but you will cause a lot of damage to your baby and yourself if you keep acting this way.” Her mother said raising her up.
“Oh God! I don’t want to be a mother now, I don’t even want to be a wife too. I just want to be alone. I hate this life, I hate myself for falling cheaply, I hate him, I ha…Shut up my friend.” Her mother cut her shut.
“How dare you spit such foul words in my house, you think you are the only one in trouble, I don’t know why this is happening but I belief God will see us through. I have helped a lot of girls with teenage pregnancies and I have taught them over the years that no child is a mistake, everything happens for a reason. It’s just so sad that my trusted child…Oh Rachael this is bad.” Her mother broke down in tears and that broke her heart.
She rushed herself to the room before the nausea over took her, she was lucky she did not vomit as much as other women vomited if not she would have been discovered. She had noticed she was hungrier and ate quite often, she did not know she was eating for two until the dizziness set in and the cold. She started to suspect, when the symptoms kept increasing she found a way to get a pregnancy kit and now her life was a total mess. Michael was as confused as she was. Leah is threatening to call off the engagement but that was not the worst part for him, the fact that everybody may think he had been faking being who he is, the guy that loves God and is touching lives, one of the best graduating student in the ministry school, he had been looking forward to their graduation and ordination but of course it will not include him as part of the punishment.
Michael had begged but then those were part of the disciplinary actions, he will have to face it and so did she. She had been suspended from the choir and every other unit as expected. Though it was not announced publicly, news spread like wild fire. She did not want to go to church but her father insisted on it saying she will have to face the shame that she caused the family.
Her father was also in the pastor’s office with some members of the marriage committee, Michael was in there too but she was asked to wait outside for them.
Michael stepped out of the office rubbing his eyes out of fatigue. She got up then and walked towards him.
“I hope you are happy now?” He asked with disgust.
“And what is that supposed to mean?” She barked back.
“Well pastor needs you in the office now.” He said and walked back without so much as a second look at her. She was feeling really tired and her waist was aching slightly from sitting for so long. She followed gently and her heart was pounding loudly in her ears, she did not want to see her father’s face but then, she can’t avoid his piercing look. Her loving, caring and very understanding dad has become the strict and autocratic dad. He had always been the principled dad who wanted things in order but now, it has crossed the border to being strict not just principled.
“Good afternoon sirs and ma.” She curtsied and they offered her a seat which she did not want to take but she knew she could not risk standing for so long, not with the tension building on her back.
“Rachael, I want to believe you also have asked the Lord to forgive you but you know we get to suffer consequences for our actions. It was wrong to hide this sin, he that covers his sin shall not prosper but I know the Lord will have mercy on you both.” Pastor said and silent amen was said by all.
“Well, Sister Leah has come to the church to call off the engagement, there won’t be a wedding between Leah and Michael, the good thing is that it has not been announced officially but there will be a wedding between you and Michael.” He said and it hit her like hammer.
“What! No!!! please No!!! daddy say something please. I can’t marry him. I just can’t. I beg you please don’t do this to me, I will be miserable.” She held her father’s arm but then she got a cold answer.
“Rachael control yourself, I won’t have my child give birth to a bastard, I don’t know why I can’t stop feeling like both of you planned this, you should have asked me a long time ago for my daughter’s hand Michael and I would have gladly agreed, you did not have to do it in such a shameful manner.” The man said sadly and Michael could say nothing, he was mad at himself and mad at her, if she had agreed since they will not be in this mess and yes if he had gone to meet her father, things will be different.
“Michael’s parent are aware of the development and they have agreed too. They are also fine Christian people and it was a blow on them but then both of you are matured enough, since you could not wait, let’s make it official.” The pastor said and Rachael’s head hit the table as she passed out.
QUESTION
Is it compulsory in this scenario to ask lady to marry the man that got her pregnant especially if they are believers. In your opinion, what would have been the right thing to do?
Do you think anything good can come out of such union?
It has been an interesting ride with you all, I hope you are learning. Keep visiting this blog. Thanks.
Radiant © Pheobe 2017
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