Repercussion

Episode 2

Ugochi walked into a private clinic not far from Akin’s house. She didn’t know anything about abortions, she hadn’t the faintest idea about it but her resolve never to bring another shame to her family gave her the boldness she needed. She walked up to the receptionist’s desk and requested to see a doctor. The receptionist asked her if she had an existing folder in the hospital or she was there for the first time. She (Ugochi) answered that she was a new patient. The receptionist told her the cost of opening a new patient folder and she paid without wasting time. After that, a folder was opened for her and she was led in to see the doctor.

“I want to have an abortion”, Ugochi bluntly said to the doctor immediately after she sat down. The doctor was surprised at how bluntly she said that. He (the doctor) had come across many young girls who had come for abortions but they were mostly shy to say why they had come. Even the wayward looking ones. But Ugochi, a young girl dressed so decently with no unnecessary makeups, body piercings or anything that suggested waywardness, boldly stated her ungodly mission. That was an irony. The doctor asked her if she had done that (abortion) before then and she replied negatively. He then told her all the likely after effects of what she was about doing, the lifelong guilt and the possible regrets that may come afterwards. After giving her these lectures, he asked her if she was still willing to terminate the pregnancy and she answered in the affirmative.

The doctor then asked her for the details of her pregnancy; when she had sex and when she discovered she was pregnant. After getting these details, he told her that she could have only been just three weeks pregnant, thus needed just pills and not D&C to flush out the foetus. Ugochi paid the exorbitant bill the doctor presented and collected the pills for the termination of the first fruit of her womb. Before she left, the doctor warned that she’d bleed heavily for days after taking the pills, therefore she should take blood replenishing foods and wear sanitary pads throughout the period. She thanked him and left.

In the evening of that day, Ugochi took the pills as the doctor prescribed, wore sanitary pad and pant before going to bed. She woke up early the next morning with a stomach upset and heavy flow of blood as though she was seeing her period. She was glad that the pills were working and that her family had been saved from further shame. Surprisingly, the bleeding didn’t last for days as the doctor said, rather it stopped that evening. That didn’t bother Ugochi as she thought that the foetus was small and had flushed out already. Also, she felt fine and had no signs suggesting that she was still pregnant. She moved on with her life as though nothing happened.

About a month later, while Ugochi was in her parents’ home on vacation, she fell sick and was taken to a hospital. Series of medical tests were run and it was discovered that she was two months pregnant among other minor sicknesses. The pills failed after all. The news of her pregnancy was the worst blow yet to hit the family. The third daughter of the pastor had taken in again out of wedlock. Her parents were devastated. The shame was so unbearable that in their private time, Ugochi’s mother suggested to her husband for them to terminate the pregnancy. She stressed that it was no longer ordinary for their daughters to be getting pregnant out of wedlock at twenty. But Ugochi’s father rejected that suggestion. He stressed that even if it was not ordinary, that killing the child wouldn’t be a solution rather incurring the wrath of God. He insisted that it was better they bore the shame than dent their heavenly race.

They resorted to taking care of their daughter while seeking for the solution to their ordeal. The news of Ugochi’s pregnancy filtered into town and got to the church where her father was a pastor. He (Ugochi’s father) was suspended from ‘pastorship’ and given a backseat in the church. He and his family members were also subjected to deliverance sessions. These sessions which were carried out by the church’s prayer warriors team were aimed at delivering the family from the spirit possessing their children and proffering solutions to their problems. These prayers went on for months without a solution yet.

Time went by, Ugochi nursed her pregnancy while her family sought for the solution to their ordeals through prayers. Finally Ugochi was due. She went into labor and was taken to hospital. At the hospital, she had a hitch-free delivery and gave birth to an incomplete baby boy. The child was born with no feet and a ‘not well formed’ ear. The abortion pills Ugochi took at the early stage of her pregnancy had affected the formation of her baby. The whole family was devastated. They were still mourning the birth of the child when a call came from the leader of the prayer warriors team. He (the leader) summoned Ugochi’s parents to the church. He had a revelation in which the cause of their family problems was shown clearly.

Ugochi’s parents left immediately to the church. They couldn’t wait to hear the cause of their problems and get a possible solution. Just after they had sat down in the prayer warriors leader’s office, he (the leader) looked Ugochi’s father straight in the eyes and said “brother Levi, you are the cause of your family’s problems”.