Chapter 1 Chp 1 - Evelyn's News

I am pregnant!!!" Evelyn blurted out amidst the sentence.

"Oh, you're so not getting...ehn you're what?" She splattered the water she was about to swallow on Evelyn's face. "Oh God, so sorry, let me clean that up for you" She moved to get the napkin. "Did I hear you right, Evie?"

They were in Marissa's room where Evelyn, the only close friend she had, barged in on her earlier.

Her friend had been going on and on with unimportant things since she entered and Marissa knew that she must have something on her mind.

So she waited for her to say whatever was on her mind while they continued their discussion.

"You...you are what?" Marissa asked in surprise after she spewed out the water she had just poured in her mouth before her friend dropped the bombshell on her.

She looked down at her chiffon top that had become see-through from the splash as Evelyn repeated what she said earlier.

"I am pregnant, Marissa! Oh my God, I am finally saying it out loud and it just got so real right now, I am pregnant and I don't know what to do, oh my, oh my, this is not in the plan at all and I am always so careful, I am so careful Marissa, what do I do?" She broke down in tears.

"First thing we're going to do... " Marissa calmly held her hand and lead her to the living room "...is to sit down, you calm down and we're going to rationalize this like the adults that we are, first I want you to know that you're not in this alone. You do know that right?"

Evelyn nodded vigorously.

"Breath girl, just breathe you've got this! This is Evie o, Evie my favourite area scatter!!!" Marissa laughed

"Oh please stop this is not funny" She playfully hit Marissa's arm while smiling.

"There you go, you're smiling already and there's a saying that "a smile is the beginning of problem-solving"

"Who on earth quipped that ridiculous saying?"

"Oh, I just did, " Marissa laughed and dodged Evelyn's mock blow

"Okay, Evie what did Mukhtar say when you informed him?" Marissa asked

"Informed him? I haven't informed him, you're the first person I am saying this to, babe. What if he's not ready for this? I am not ready for this! What if he leaves me? What if he asks me to abort? What if..."

"Ehn ehn, remember what I said about being calm? Hysteria will not help you nor the baby"

A ding sound came from Evelyn's phone and she checked it.

"Oh God, oh God oh God"

"Whaaaat?"

"Mukhtar is on his way here!"

Mukthar was Evelyn's boyfriend and the father of her unborn child.

***********************

"Just. Calm. Down" Marissa repeated while Evelyn moved in agitation from one spot to the other.

"Calm down? I cannot calm down Marissa, I cannot! How do I calm down? Oh, God! Marissa, this wasn't in the plans at all. We had a lot mapped out, a lot of things to do together, a lot of things to achieve, and his mom..."

She paused amidst pacing as if she just remembered something "Heeey, his mother! You know I told you the other day that that woman does not like me, I was still thinking of how to make her change her mind about me, and now this? I am dead, Marissa, that woman will never allow this" Evelyn bemoaned

"Just listen to yourself, listen to you talk" Marissa chided " You're talking as if it's his mother you're in a relationship with and not Mukhtar himself, why are you giving yourself so much stress when you've not even informed him at all? Don't you believe in his love for you again, don't you have any belief in him?"

"I believe, I sure do believe, you know; it's just that..."

"It's just that what? It's just that what na? Simply hold on to that belief and know for a fact that everything will be okay and I can assure you that it will, no matter what happens, babe, we're in this together. Just tell the dude first and let's see what's what?"

Marissa moves to enfold Evelyn in a semi-embrace.

"You're so right, babe. Look at me being a scaredy-cat and forgetting my trust in the man I love, it will be fine, it will be fine, it will, I just need to repeat it enough till it sinks in" she assured herself while taking in deep gulps of air.

" There you go! You're doing great already, now pick up your phone, it's been vibrating sin..."

Evelyn jumped up from her sitting posture" No no I can't pick it up, I really can't do this, I really can't" She pushed the phone towards Marissa

"You pick it up, tell him I am not around, tell him I went to visit my grandmother! Oh, he knows I don't have a grandmother, tell him that, that I went to join the convent or... or that I've joined the armed forces. Just tell him something, anything please Marissa!" She rambled on hysterically.

Marissa laughed " Now I know that you're fully crazy,yoh, the convent? Joined the armed forces indeed, see here goes his call again, I am sure when you're feeling better, you'll surely feel guilty for keeping him this long, he's probably at your place already, okay let's do it this way since you're not about to make any sane decision regarding this"

She placed the phone to her ear "Hello Mukhtar"

A distant inquiring voice could be heard on the other end "Marissa? Why are you the one picking up Evie's call, is she fine?"

" Oh believe me she's dandy, she's just..." she looked back at Evelyn who is frantically mouthing no to her and making crazy gestures that made Marissa laugh " Weeell, I'll just let you come see for yourself, she's at my place, you can come over" she disconnected the call and turn to Evelyn.

"Well, the deed is done now, there's no going back because he will be here at any minute"

Evelyn moaned "Just kill me now because I don't know how to say this to him, he just started his new job, Mariiii"

"What about you start with, hello lover, you're going to be a father, yay, congratulations!!!" Marissa laughed when she saw the way Evelyn widen her eyes in horror at that suggestion

"Okay, I guess that suggestion is ruled out. Goodness, you make it so easy for me to tease you with this priceless reaction, I can't believe my fearless Evie would ever react like this to anything! God, I should be recording this right now so I could tease you mercilessly with it when this is all over, oh what a loss!"

With a sober tone "For the tenth time, babe, you'll be..." A knock at the door "Well here goes nothing" Coming!" She called out to him

"He's here and no, I am not repeating myself so chin up and let's get this done and over with so we'll get on to the next step in this" She moved to pick up her jacket and put on her slippers.

"Let me just excuse you two so you can take your time to do this right, I'll be right outside if you need me, honey"

"Thank you so much for this, Marissa" Evelyn replied in a subdued tone

"You're welcome darling, now put on that brilliant smile of yours" She opens the door to a pacing Mukhtar who was just raising his hand to knock again.

"Oh hey, Mukhtar" she greeted brightly "How are you doing today?"

"I've been doing fine but now am not so sure anymore, where's Evelyn? Why isn't she coming out? Is she busy? What's wrong?" He asked frantically

"Calm down, calm down, which of these questions do you want me to answer first?" She asked with a laugh. "Evie is fine and all is well with her, she's just been, you know; Evieish as usual, with a good cause this time though" She shrugged then clapped her hand on his shoulder and said in a whisper "Don't mess this up, man, don't"

In a louder tone, she said brightly " I'll be right outside so take your time," said as she passed by leaving Mukhtar to look at her departing form with confusion before entering the room.