ššALEX-ANDRAš·š
(šŗš
āāļøTWO DIFFERENT PEOPLE IN ONE WORLDš)
Ā©GIFT OKORIEāļø
šCHAPTER 22š
Alex palmed his face and shook his head. ājeez Andra, is that how bad your own pregnancy hor-mones areā¦?ā
“What! No, it’s not that, I literally just saw a girl floating in the clouds, she was about my age” I tried to explain to the ‘thomas’ of our generation who still didn’t believe me, after explaining 5 more times, I gave up cause he continued saying that it was the pregnancy messing with my head, but dude I know what I saw.
I relaxed back on my chair but suddenly jĀ£rked up when I noticed a de-ep yet slight h0t breathing behind me. Alex and I turned to know who was so close to us like that, I guess he felt it too. We saw a gray haired elderly woman who must probably be in her late 60s. She was staring intensely at us and I clutched Alex’s arm in fear, I could tell he winced as result of my nail digging into his skin but he was trying not to show it, probably trying to be strong.
We stared at the woman as she fli-ckered her tired old lashes at us.
“Did you say pregnancy hor-mones” she whispered, pointing at Alex.
“Um, yes, is there any problem” Alex asked her with twisted brows.
“Yes as a matter of fact, big problem” she breathed out as she cramped closer to us from her seat, we shifted back, avoiding contact with her, she literally looks crazy, I mean what’s wrong with somebĀ©dy saying ‘pregnancy hor-mones’. “Young lady how old are u” she asked me.
“Umh, 17” I answered hesitantly.
“And you are pregnant” she asked, and I bent my face in embarras-sment.
“I don’t see how that’s your business” Alex fired at her.
“Oh, it’s my business cause I can’t seem to un-derstand why you children find it difficult to discipline yourselves” she drew closer to us.
“Listen ma’am, we would really appreciate it if you back off our seat” Alex warned.
“Well good luck surviving in Baritana with a 17 year old pregnant girl” she stated and backed off, but she has alre-ady left a hurt iron in my che-st, that is threatening to choke me up.
“What does that mean” I Whispered resignatedly to Akex.
“Just ignore it” he stated.
“Ignore it, what does she mean by what she said Alex” I asked, tears almost flowing out of my eyes.
“How can you be pregnant and you boarded this plane, un-deraged.” We heard a voice from the front seat. We looked up and a middle aged woman lifted her head from the front seat, to look at us. At least this one looks sane. She’s a pretty brunette in her middle 40s perhaps.
“That’s what she meant….” She continued.
“Its like you two are not from Baritana, is this your first time there” she asked and Alex and I nodded in confusion.
“Are you running away from home cause of the pregnancy”
“Something like that” I replied quietly.
“Baritana city is the last place for an un-deraged pregnant girl to hide, the law against it is pretty ti-ght, didn’t you ask questions before boarding the flight.” She asked as she searched our eyes, Alex and I dumbfounded as we moped at her.
Alex finally found his voice and asked.
“S..so.. What will happen if the law finds out”
“The child will be taken away from you, and you will serve A six years jail term for her, for both her and the father…”
“Oh my God” I breathed out in fear.
“And if the father happens to be un-deraged too, their terms will be increa-sed to 10 years each, although my friend’s cousin who found herself in that situation has been in jail for the past 22 years”
“What” Alex exclaimed.
“Oh my God” i backed up, I feel like my air bag has been emptied. Alex noticed. He held me and hvgged me ti-ghtly.
“Andrea, its OK, its gonna be fine, OK”
“I wanna die, I just wanna die, why is life so cruel to me, this is unfair.” I cried on his che-st and he didn’t let go.
And just to add to my misfortune, the flight crew announced that we were alre-ady landing.
“So she really wanted me out, she knows, mum knows but she sĀ£nt me here, I trusted her” I cried.
“Andra don’t say that, maybe she doesn’t know”
“Are you serious Alex, her friend is a Baritana, she knows alright”
“Andra don’t be too sure, as soon as we get down, we will call her and ask OK, calm down” he patted my back, he stood up and picked my hand. “Come on, let’s go, we’ve landed”. I cleaned my eyes and stood up, he gently walked us out.
When we got outside the airport with our bags, we saw a young looking yet middle aged woman holding a placard which has Alex-Andra on it. We walked up to her, when she saw us coming, she switched from her cheerful face to a total surprise look.
“There’s two of you” she asked in astonishment.
“Yea, hi, I’m Andra Edward and this is Alex” I introduced.
“Oh my, it’s not Alexandra but Alex and Andra” she asked and threw the placard into a trash can. “Well, welcome to Baritana where everything is weird”
“Indeed” I heard Alex mutter and I almost laughed.
“Hop in, let’s go” she pointed to a blue cheverote. She helped us duck out luggage in the trunk. We all entered the car and she drove off.
Few blocks away, Alex’s phone began to ring, I turned to him and asked who it was.
“My mum” he replied in a whisper.
“Well, you should answer” I whispered back but he shook his head and put the phone on spite mode.
“Is everything alright, why are you guys whispering back there” the woman asked, gush I didn’t even ask her name.
“Nothing ma’am, uh, what’s yoir name plea-se” Alex asked her, like he knew what’s on my mind.
“Just call me Veera” she replied and we both replied with an OK.
“So, what are you two doing in Baritana, did you get accepted into the college” she asked, Alex and I exchange glances, mum didn’t tell her.
“No” we replied.
“OK, business, or concert, you know, music concert, you children can do anything to go for a concert these days, so tell me, which one is it”
“None” Alex replied.
I saw her peep at us throu-gh the rear view mirror. My heart began to rise up and down.
“What do you mean none, so what are you here for” she asked with her smile gradually fading away and being replaced by serious face.
I looked at Alex to know if he has anything in my, but he stared at me even more blankly than I was staring at him.
“Well if you don’t wanna say yet, no problem, it’s just your mum never told me you guys were two, I had alre-ady made provision for one person, your mum can be confusing, also I thought she hated my city cause of the too much laws, she believes they are all unnecessary, she out loves coming here cause of its business nature.” She blared the horn at a green Toyota as she thun-ders throu-gh the light traffic.
I know this is crazy but I had to ask.
“Does my mum know about the un-derage pregnancy law of this city” Alex squee-zed my hand, while she peered at me throu-gh the rear view mirror.
“Why would you ask that” she asked with a nervous smile.
“I just wanna know”
She sighed and took her eyes of the mirror and faced the windshield.
“Well not exactly..”
“A yes or no can actually do the trick, does she know” I fired.
She pipped at me again and I stared back.
“Not exactly…” She started. “When your mum visited me the last time, been a while though, I fed her some of our laws but she didn’t believe them, so I gave her a copy of our constitution, as she was re-ading it, I was preparing for our friends’ reunion picnic, when I was done, I collected the book from her and told her that we will continue later when we get back. And when I closed the book, the open page was two pages before the un-derage pregnancy law. Why are you asking about it though…”
I didn’t know what to answer, so Alex answered for me.
“Just curious” he smiled at her, even though she doesn’t look like she believed it but she nodded slightly.
Suddenly she stepped the break and the the car screeched to an abrupt stĀ©p.
She wound down her front pas-sanger’s seat window and peeped out.
“Mrs. MarCarry, waiting for a taxi?” She asked an elderly woman who was standing at a bus stĀ©p. The woman bent down and answered “yea, don’t know where they all went to”
“Well hop in, let me drop you home” veera offered.
“Thanks veera you are too kind” as she was opening the door to get in, I felt Alex clutching my arm.
“Alex,” I winced, and he let go and apologized. “It’s her, its the woman from the plane Andra, the one behind our seat” he whispered and I froze as I watched the woman.
“Welcome, heard you went to visit your son and his wife in New York, how are they doing” veera asked, can she do me a favor and don’t bring New York up right now.
“They are fine, its really good to see them, its been a few years you know” the Mrs. MarCarry replied.
“My friend’s kid and her friend just arrived from new York as well” veera stated and pointed at us, Cra-p.
“Oh my, it’s you two, the pregnant girl and her bĀ©yfriĀ£nd” she blurred out.
Veera did what she did with the breaks before ma-king the car come to an abrupt halt but this time it was fierce.
“What?” She whispered in a hurt tone.
“Oh my gosh, you didn’t know, I’m sorry I spilled” Mrs. MarCarry apologized.
“Damn you” Alex curse un-der his breath.
“Andrea you are pregnant” veera asked in astonishment. “Is that what the question was all about, huh” she fired. “Why will your mother sĀ£nd you to this city knowing fully well that.. Well maybe she doesn’t but why me”
“You know what, I think I’m gonna get down here, I just remembered I nee-ded to see Mrs. Parker before going home, her daughter sĀ£nt something throu-gh me, I’ll see you around veera” Mrs. MarCarry stated and walked out. Gosh this woman.
“Is Alex the father” Veera asked and we both said yes.
“Oh my God” she hit her head on her steering and stayed like that for over 2 minutes. She finally raised her head up and turned to us, she sighed and the spoke up.
“I can’t do this, I’m so sorry but I can’t, and neither can you stay here, it’s dangerous for you two. You should call your mum and tell her and tell her that you will be coming home right now”
“But we can’t go back” I cried out.
“And you can’t stay here either, I can’t risk my family’s lives for this, my husband is an army officer, what do you think will be our fate if it gets out that we are harboring a pregnant un-derage girl and her un-derage bĀ©yfriĀ£ndwho happens to be the father of the baby, I’m sorry, I really wanna help but not with this.” She flared.
“Call your mum plea-se” I turned to Alex, he fished out his phone and I called out my mun’s number, he dialed it but the line was switched off.
Great. Who else is saying that mum didn’t plan this.
I collected the phone from him and dialed dad, but he wasn’t picking up, I tried Lola but it went to voicemail, I frustratedly drop the phone and cried my eyes out, Alex held me but I couldn’t stĀ©p.
Veera sighed.
“I really wish I could help, but my I can’t and I’m sorry, all I can do for you right now is allow you to stay at my place for the night, it’s alre-ady getting dark. I’ll try and plea-se with my husband to let you stay and then tomorrow morning, you can leave” veera offered.
Although we both know there was no where else we can stay and we can’t certainly board another flight back home without mum’s help but we agreed anyway, at least we won’t sleep in a park tonight.
I la-id my head on Alex’s shoulder and sle-pt off.
When I opened my eyes, I was lying on a very soft and fluffy be-d, I stirred twice and I felt as though I was in heaven, I gr@bbĀ£d the be-dsheets and clutched them to my che-st and grinned wi-dely, I heard his beautiful laughter and that’s when I realized I wasn’t alone.
“What is she doing” I heard a tiny voice of a little girl, so melodious, I want to give birth to a girl, no a boy, but I love girls, but a boy will be so cute like Alex. Urgh, I don’t know what I want, but I’m just happy I’m gonna have a baby. The thought of it made me jump on the be-d and sniffed the sheets, my two security guards laughed again. I had to seat up and turn to them.
“Is it morning yet” I asked them, the thought of morning shook the foundation of my heart and almost made it coll@pse.
“Not yet, in about 8 hours it will be morning, right now its dinner time, mum said I should come and call you guys.
“Thanks Lily” Alex greeted, so they’ve alre-ady gotten acquainted.
I stood up and Alex c@mĀ£ to help me, I sli-pped my feet into my fl!pflop which I think and believe that Alex brou-ght it out of my bag.
“So she’s pregnant huh” the little girl asked to my surprise or rather to out surprise.
“How did you know that” Alex asked her.
“Mum told everyone, she said you will be leaving tomorrow, although dad doesn’t wanna hear of it” she stated and walked out, we followed her.
After dinner, I had my bath in the room I first woke up in, Alex c@mĀ£ into the room and leaned on the door.
“What’s up”I asked him, He’s been listening to the argument of veera and her husband on if we can stay or not.
“He’s still adamant” Alex replied. “Let me go have a bath first” he said and walked into the bathroom.
I sighed and la-id on the be-d, and within few minutes I dozed off.
*Andra…Andra, wake up* I heard in my sleep, I wasn’t sure if it was a dream or not. I stirred to my right and continued slee-ping.
“Andra plea-se wake up, we have to go” the voice finally registered into my head.
Alex. I sleepily sat up and robbe-d my eyes. I turned to the desk clock and jeez, 2:00 am, what does he want.
“Alex what is it, what do you want” I asked him.
“We have to go and now” he whispered as he threw our bags out throu-gh the window.
I sprang up in alarm. “What, why?” I asked him.
“Veera’s husband called the cops on us, they are downstairs” he replied and stretched out my fl!pflop for me to wear.
“Oh my God, where are we gonna go” I cried.
“Anywhere but jail” he replied and stooped up after I’ve worn my fl!pflop.
“It’s dangerous ou..out..th..the.there” I cried.
He cu-mpped my face. “I promise I’ll make it less dangerous for you OK, its gonna be fine, come on” he gently dragged me to the window, “just gently raise one leg, cross it to the other side and do the same with the other leg,” I did as he instructed and I almost fell on the other side but I held myself up.
“Are you OK” he asked me when he jumped out and I nodded.
I looked towards the driveway and saw flashes of blue and red light of the police van, tears ran down my cheeks.
Alex took my arms, he picked two of my bags while I took his own which was less heavy and we ran into the woods behind the back yard, which I have no idea where it leads to or what we will see inside it but as long as its away from jail, we were OK.
TBC