TO BE SAVED

"It all began when I found out that I was pregnant. I didn't know how to tell my family but Felix, your father knew. At first he ghosted me for days then he later came around and that was comforting, I only needed to find a way to tell my family about it. One day, after the evening meal, I had just finished taking Father's food plates to the kitchen when I sat down and gathered strength to tell him and mother about my pregnancy. Mother was shocked and Father was so furious that he dragged me outside and told me to go and stay with 'the thing's Father'. I begged my Mother to talk to Father but she just shook her head saying there's nothing she can do about it because if she decides to go against him she might as well be thrown out." Mama blinked the tears that were about to fall.

"I looked at my young sister crying in the corner and wished she didn't see any of that. She ran to me and hugged me, I told her that I'll always be with her and cried while holding her. Mother was looking at us with tears in her eyes and I decided to get up and leave." She sighed.

"I walked over to Felix's house and went straight to his window and knocked in our four pattern knock. I waited for him to open the window but he didn't so I decided to knock again, and again, and again, and again until I fell asleep. The next morning, I felt a tap on my shoulder and looked up to see Felix's younger sister staring down at me. I got up and asked her where he was and she told me that he travelled two nights ago. Travelled? To where? I asked and all she told me was that she didn't know where he travelled to. I was dumbstruck, how could Felix leave me and his child without letting us know? I then decided to visit Peter, Felix's friend so that I can find out where Felix was." She paused.

"I met Peter outside his house and when I asked him about Felix, he said Felix travelled to another country in search of greener pastures. Greener pastures? Really? How could he? After finding out about my pregnancy he then decides to leave the country. I narrated everything to Peter and all he said was he wished there was something he could do but his hands were tied. I dragged my feet out of his compound and decided to go back home and beg my Father, maybe he would change his mind. I reached home and started begging him, telling him that I had no where to go. He didn't budge. With no other option, I left." She said.

As I looked at her, I felt pity for her. A pregnant woman with nowhere to go, I saw her wipe the tears that were threatening to fall.

" I was broken and I knew no one would help me, so I chose to do the only thing that was on my mind. Kill myself. I went into the nearby forest where my Mother and I would go to gather fruits and vegetables, she told me about poisonous wild berries and how they can kill with even the tiniest bite. I looked for the berries and picked out two, one for me and one for you." She sighed.

" I ate one and was about to eat the other when I heard a voice behind me say the exact same words the woman at the market told you. I looked at her and she smiled, saying that she will take care of me and my child till we are able to look after ourselves. That was too good to be true so I just looked at her one more time and took the last berry, I was about to put it in my mouth when she grabbed my arm and made me drop the berry. I snapped at her telling her that I just wanted to die but what she said next made me change my mind. She said my daughter will be my salvation and the salvation to many. I laughed at her because I knew in no time I would die because of the berry I had already taken. She handed me some leaves and said they would reverse the poison's effects, I looked at the leaves and was still contemplating whether I should take the antidote and believe this stranger or maybe I should just die and save us all the trouble. I looked down at my tummy and I thought about holding you in my arms, watching you grow and having someone to call my child. I took the leaves." She said with relief in her voice.

"Gwen, the woman that helped me used to live in a cottage not far from the forest. She took me there and was taking care of me. I noticed that she was into herbal medicine because she usually left for the forest and came back with all sorts of herbs. My pregnancy grew and I eventually gave birth to a baby girl, just as Gwen had predicted. I named you Talitha, meaning Little Girl. My little girl." She smiled.

"When you were a week old you fell ill, Gwen said it was because of the berry I took. That it had already affected you. I was so scared, I did that to you. I told Gwen to do everything to save you and she said she had to consult a friend. She then travelled the following morning to the other side of the country and said she'd be back the following morning. You were getting worse. My little girl was looking so small. I waited for Gwen the following morning and she came back with another woman. I handed you to the other woman and when she observed you closely, she glanced at Gwen and nodded. I didn't know what that meant. Gwen then looked at me and said there's something I should know, she told me that you were cursed and you would die within a month because I decided to end my life and yours in the wrong part of the forest. She said the spirits of the forest were ready for the sacrifice and when I changed my mind they decided to curse you. That they would take you when you're a month old. At that point I was trembling, I didn't know what to say. How was I supposed to know the part of the forest that was right or wrong? Gwen then said that there was a solution. I had to dedicate you to the lord of darkness so that your life could be spared. I asked her for a different solution but she said there was none. She told me that for every year you live, a year will be deducted from me. I agreed to all she said because I didn't want to lose you. The ceremony was done and Gwen told me to leave the North country and settle somewhere else so I came East. She gave me all the necessary items and I left, and decided to settle here. Since that time I've been living in fear of losing you and when the town healer diagnosed me with that condition, I knew my time was up. That is why I wanted you to go and stay with my sister in the North. Nothing will happen to you even if I died. Just know that I tried my girl, and I'm really sorry." She looked at me tearing up again.

I couldn't believe what my ears just heard. I'm a cursed child? And my mother will die because of me. I almost started crying again but I stopped myself. It's all his fault. Yes. If he didn't leave my mother none of this would have happened. I will not allow anything to happen to my mother, I will go to the North country and look for Gwen myself.