PRICELESS ONE
Priceless One - Episode 22
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One week later.
Shalewa folded her chemistry notebook into two and shoved it in Harriet’s face, grinning cheerfully.
Harriet, who was sharpening a pencil, lifted up her gaze and spelt out the topic before her eyes.
“ Electrolysis.”
Shalewa giggled on her seat.
“ Yes!!.... I can bet you that this topic will definitely come out in our exam!” Shalewa said confidently, pointing at the topic.
Harriet rolled her eyes. “ Yes I’m also very sure….. judging by the way our chemistry teacher loves the topic so much and bombards us with assignment.”
“ Yes…. We need to read up on it….. you know chemistry is the first paper we would be having……” Shalewa pointed out.
They were only one week away from writing their exams for the term and they had increased the intensity of their study. Within the last week up until now, the atmosphere in Hamsford college had changed to more of a studious one. If there is one thing about the students of Hamsford college, they were very competitive, with one student clearly out to outshine the other in their examination, and so they made less noise and channeled more of their energies to intense study.
Things had returned to normal with Shalewa, as she was quick in regaining back her vigor through the help of Harriet who was now her best friend.
Harriet was a friend she wouldn’t trade for anything. She had all the good qualities in the right proportion.
She was good, brilliant, bold and a good motivator to Shalewa that Shalewa had wished that she had been Harriet’s friend from the start. At least that would have saved her the pain of joining the dynamite squad and taking some really bad decisions that almost marred her life but thank God she was well recovered now.
Talking of the dynamite squad,
Sandra and her group were no longer terr0r to the school anymore. Infact!
Their power intoxication has melted like wax. No one fëåred or even trembled at their commands. And this had made them very calm.
The bell rang suddenly for an immediate assembly, in which the students gathered together in the school hall.
Principal Innocent addressed them.
“ Great students of Hamsford college.” He began.
“...I know you must all be wondering in your heart why I called for an emergency assembly this morning….. But I must assure you…. This information I’m about to pass across to you is very important and so I need you to open your ears and listen attentively……” he said and paused before he continued.
“... For a while now, the school has been planning on a seminar where we would invite a psychologist to sensitize our students, so as to bring about a positive change in the behavior of our students…..and on that note, I am glad to inform you that we have a new guidance and counselling teacher present here with us……. Her name is Mrs Bello and she has a credible profile of influencing the lives of many children and youths in this country, to effect a positive change in their lives…..”
A dark averaged height woman, wearing a pleasant smile, emerged in front of the students.
She looked like one in her mid fifties.
Principal Innocent pointed at her and continued.
“...Mrs Bello here, has about 25 years of experience as an NGO of Women and Child Right protection. She also has a degree in Guidance and Counselling Education and a Masters degree in psychology…… and so, starting from tomorrow, we will be having a three days seminar program, where she will be sensitizing us on the topic
‘ Childhood traμma and it’s impact on your mental health'
I believe there are so many of you who would benefit tremendously from this seminar which is starting from tomorrow….. so I need you to prepare yourself for this, because this will open up an entirely wholesome experience in your lives…..”
“ ...After the seminar, her office door will be opened to as many of you who wish to have a one on one counselling session with her….. I believe this exercise will yield a tremendous and meaningful impact in your lives.” The principal announced.
Mrs Bello was given an opportunity to address the students briefly and she did, before the students finally dispersed to their classes. Many of the students in Hamsford college seemed excited at the prospect of having a psychologist as their new guidance and counselling teacher.
Some were simply curious as to what the outcome would be. But many eagerly anticipated about how the seminar would unfold and if the woman would truly represent the competence her qualifications depicted.
Breaktime came and
Chima marched on to the cafeteria with Habib. He ordered his food and was about to eat, when Harriet entered the cafeteria with Shalewa, they laughed as they chatted gleefully.
Chima suddenly became uncomfortable. Ever since his last encounter with Harriet, he had been avoiding any direct contact with her as was possible.
Harriet’s words had hit him harder than he envisaged and brought about a soberness that made him think more, even though he hadn’t stopped sm0king.
Doing away with the habit of sm0king to him, was like passing a camel through the eye of a needle. He was already add¡cted and could hardly concentrate on anything without a good sm0king session. But one positive thing her words did, was to magically propel him back to his old study habits where he would study for hours. He was now more motivated than ever to improve on his academics.
“Let’s get out of here.” He said to Habib who was busy enjoying his burger snack.
“ Why?…..break isn’t over yet…. And I’m not done eating.” Habib replied him, chewing hungrily on the burger in his hands.
Chima stole a glance at Harriet once again. She was now well seated on a round table, laughing with Shalewa. She suddenly glanced at him and their eyes met for a split of seconds.
Harriet let out a broad smile.
“ I’m not comfortable here…let’s go back to the class.” Chima said hurriedly.
“ Ok…. At least wait let me finish my burger.” Habib replied casually.
But Chima was really uncomfortable. He stood up immediately.
“ I’m out of here.” He announced and started walking away.
Habib wiped the cream stain of the burger from his lips with the back of his palm.
“ Dude wait for me now!” He said loudly after Chima and dropped hurriedly, the burger into his plate, hastening up and following his friend.
“ Wait for me now!.... What is working you all up today!!.... I don’t understand this your unpredictable mood these days!…” Habib complained, as he doubled his steps to catch up with Chima.
Chima ignored Habib’s rants and walked on till they got to the class.
When they got to their class, they met Sandra on her seat looking restless. She had tears in her eyes and appeared really pale.
“ Sandra what’s wrong with you?” Chima asked concernedly. It was unlike Sandra to start mopping like a baby.
Sandra continued, groaning restlessly.
“ I feel weak and my stomach hμrts.” She said faintly.
Chima and Habib bent in front of her.
“ Since when did you start feeling like this.” Asked Chima.
“ Since morning…… but it wasn’t as intense as this…..I feel so weak and I’m in pains.” She groaned.
Habib rubbed her gently on the shoulder.
“Sorry….”
“ We need to inform our class teacher about this.” Chima added quickly and said to Habib.
“ Habib stay with her….I will be right back…ok…”
Habib nodded.
Chima hadn’t taken three steps, when Sandra v0mited on the floor. He saw this and hastened his step to the staff room to inform their class teacher.
Sandra was eventually taken to the sick Bay and her father was contacted to come and pick her.
Mr Nwafor, who was out of town, had to send his driver to come pick his daughter and take her to the family hospital where she received immediate attention.
**********************
“ I am prëgnÃ¥nt!” Sandra announced, folding her hands in a defiant manner as she faced her father. Her grandmother was soundly asleep in her room.
Her father poured himself a drink from the wine bottle.
“ And so?.... Is this the first time you are getting prëgnÃ¥nt?” he asked nonchalantly and looked at her with seriousness.
“ Why didn’t doctor Evans remove it immediately….. or were you both waiting for my permission to do that?” He asked her further.
“ That’s the point dad!..... Doctor Evans said I am four months gone and removing it would be a tough call.” Sandra replied in agitation.
Mr Nwafor scuffled and flashed her a look that demanded more explanations.
“ This is not the first four months old pregnancy that you are ab0rting Sandra so what’s the fuss about?”
Sandra snapped! Her father’s response to the issue was beginning to irritate her.
“ This is the sixth prégnÃ¥ncy I am ab0rting for you Father and I am tired of all this!.... Do you realize the pain I pass through after each ab0rtion!!.....” She asked
him in ánger.
“...No I don’t think so….. because if you know the pain it causes me, you wouldn’t treat this with so much indifference!!..... This prëgnÃ¥ncy wouldn’t keep occuring if you always used a protection…..but no!..... You keep telling me you don’t like protection and at the end, I’m the one to suffer for it!” Sandra fired on.
“ Shhh….. Sandra tune down your voice!!... My mom is upstairs I don’t want her hearing our discussion.” He hushed her softly and drew her into his arms.
“ Sandra…..you know I love you so much and that’s why you are the only one in my life……please I promise you just ab0rt this prëgnÃ¥ncy this once, and I will use protection from now on….. please…..no one must know that you are prëgnÃ¥nt….. they wouldn’t understand the love between us Sandra….I will take you back to doctor Evans hospital tomorrow so you can rem0ve the baby.” Mr Nwafor said.
“ Daddy please…..I don’t want an ab0rtion….. this baby is our child…. Please let’s keep it…. The last time i went for an ab0rtion, it was so painful that I thought I wouldn’t survive it…. Please dad I don’t want an ab0rtion.” Sandra pleaded desperately.
“ Sandra stop talking like a child!..... You know it’s impossible for you to keep this child, you just have to ab0rt it…” He kissed her on the cheek.
“...I will talk to doctor Evans ok…..see I promise you it won’t be painful this time around.” He assured her.
But she wasn’t convinced, so he had to beg.
“ Please Sandra…. Please!!.... Just this once….I promise if it happens again, you will keep the next one.” He persuaded her more.
She shot him an inquisitive look.
“ Are you sure?”
He k1ssed her on the forehead.
“ Yes I am sure.”
She sighed.
“ Ok….but I can’t have the ab0rtion tomorrow, because you know my exam starts from next week Monday, and it takes me time to recover from an ab0rtion, so let’s do it after my exams so I won’t miss my exam.” Sandra said.
“ Sandra….. leaving this pregnancy like this is very dângerous…..you know you are a minor and your school must not find out about your prëgnÃ¥ncy….. if you miss any of your exams, I can request for a make up exam …. What I need to do is to give them a doctor’s report that you’ve been sick.” Mr Nwafor said.
“ Dad…. It’s ok…. I can still manage through….. let’s wait till my exams are over….then I’ll term¡nate the prëgnÃ¥ncy.” She said.
He exhaled deeply.
Sandra is a tough child to convince when her mind is made up.
“ Ok….. but you have to be careful.” He warned her.
“ You have nothing to fear dad…. I’ll be careful.”
He smiled and planted a kiss on her cheeks.
(Do not take credit or Plagiarize AMAH'S HEART stories)
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