Blindly, a young girl had thrown herself onto the intricate highway to adulthood. A decade too early, she had tossed herself into the brutal ditch of reality; completely changing her life within a matter of seconds… decisions made a minute too soon became decisions that would stick onto her massive forehead for an eternity.
House parties were definitely the ‘in thing’. The background thoughts of history notes that had been abandoned for weeks , accompanied by a guilty conscience that was fuelled by the idea of incomplete math homework seemed to be occupying this young lady’s mind, but the thought of missing out on the biggest party of the year seemed to carry a heavier load. A quick decision had to be made. Without having been granted permission, this teenage girl left the parameters of her household, heading to a last minute party. A quick evening it was, for all memories of that night seemed to have been drowned by the deafening music and hidden amongst the hundreds of voices that dominated the air around, alongside the breezes of joy and freedom that roamed the surfaces of that eventful day. Decisions were made.
Three weeks down the line, all appeared to be normal, with occasional feelings of nausea keeping me up for a few minutes every three or so days. Cheese sticks had been ruled out of my diet for a good two years now, so the bug that had voluntarily invaded my stomach definitely hit me by surprise. A few days of sickness turned into weeks and eventually months of uncontrollable misery. A part of me had juggled around a few ideas of the possible meanings of my changing body, changing eating habits as well as my constantly changing mood; however, living in an African household, certain thoughts could not gain enough courage to settle in the empty voids of my brain. Denial became my new friend. Baggy T shirts and large hoodies also became an essential part of my day to day life. Numerous questions regarding by “big nose” and “swollen ankles” became the new tune to my also swollen ears, often irritating me to the stomach too! My parents, who were hardly at home, seemed not to have been worried and had never, noticed any changes, so I found no need in worrying either…
Months went by and my belly, my arms, my feet increased in size to a great extent. Being a naturally chubby teenager, I convinced my stubborn mind that it was all a new edition to my pre-existing fat deposits and continued to deceive my weary brain cells, but, eventually, time got the better of me. Seven o’clock in the morning, I was rushed to the emergency room, where after twelve hours of immense pain; I was introduced to a complete stranger.
My heart dropped. My eyes watered. My world had undeniably come to an end. In my arms, it lied, with its eyes partially open and fingers seemingly pointed at my guilty face. Its smooth, warm skin leaned against mine, while its tiny feet moved about slowly from time to time, ready to leave the hospital and explore the skies. Silence ruled the plain room, until; a loud cry took over, piercing through my fragile ears, signalling a new arrival. Having neglected the idea that I had a seed growing in me for nine months, she felt like a complete stranger, who had invaded the peaceful nature of my simple life. Regret, anger, agitation ran through my veins, but, it was mine…no, SHE was mine. This stranger had dominated the walls of my womb for nine months, and was ready to be in charge of the walls outside my womb too! Reality hit my weakest spot, for the loud crying, those tiny feet, the small fingers and round head were all under my care now. A stranger had become my responsibility, and mine alone. A young girl of fourteen, I was, held responsible for a decision made in the blink of an eye.
Looking at her a second time, I paid more attention to my newest addition. Her brown eyes peeped through the narrow gap created by her fragile eyelids, her plump pink lips stood out and her puffy cheeks spread across her round face, just like mine did. Looking at her a number of times, I realized that she looked a lot more familiar than I had initially noticed… she was a complete replica of the young woman who was to become her lifelong friend and guardian. The strong sense of bitterness and regret was soon overridden by the miraculous appearance of a burning sensation of love. A few minutes is all it took for a sudden change in my attitude, I mean I couldn’t have possibly ignored the beauty radiated in the photocopy of myself that lay in my arms. Ten years down a rocky road, the fire that lightened the hospital room of two complete strangers still holds together the strongest bond I can possibly think of thus far, for my unexpected stranger has turned into the greatest gifts this life could ever offer.