章節 27: Chapter 26: Every situation could be beautiful.

"You Sure Are doing the right thing," Chidi reassured Tina, "it's high time you told her." She was sure that it was only right for her to tell her Mum.

Tina wore a frown, "I'm scared. She will be disappointed," she communicated sadly.

Chidi patted her on the shoulder, "I'm sure she will understand," she said, before drawing her into a tight hug. "Let's go."

As usual, Tina waited for her to drive out of the parking lot whining. Their ride was filled with Afro-pop streaming from Chidi's phone.

At home with her Mum, Tina gazed at the floor; her breath ceased. Patricia's large eyes pried on her. She found it hard to break the news to the woman who patiently waited for her to say something. The air felt heavy. Her mother's gaze could be misinterpreted for an X-ray because Tina felt it scan through her.

When it became obvious that she wasn't ending the moments of silence, Patricia took it upon herself. She needed no more answer from her. Her silence answered the unasked question.

"You didn't use protection, did you?"

From her position on the bed, Tina shook her head.

"How could you be this careless?"

Patricia fumed, "This could have been worse. It could have been an STD."

"You didn't think of control pills too?" She said, "I'm disappointed. I didn't raise you to be this careless!"

Tina raised her head to read her mother's expression. She felt a lump on her throat. She was raised to be more than this. She brought the bar too low. Tears welled up in her eyes.

"I'm sorry," she gestured. Tears dropped from her eyes. She dropped her head again, cleaning the tear drops with her palms.

Patricia left the seat for her bed. She pulled her towards herself until her head rested on her shoulder. She wrapped her hand around her and caressed her hair with the other. A gesture Tina took as an opportunity to fully unleash the contents of her lacrimal glands.

"I know you wanted to have fun. I know you trusted him. I understand that you tried to establish your bearing in the relationship, but it shouldn't be enough reason to throw away caution." She consoled her.

"Don't always allow the circumstances surrounding you to be the sole determinant of your decisions."

"Does he know about it?" Patricia asked

She shook her head.

"Why?"

Tina kept mute.

"Do you intend to tell him?"

She kept mute still. She contemplated on her response; tell her mother about Clint's decision or not.

"No decisions yet?" Patricia asked, "Don't say anything yet. I will let your father know."

The thought of her father jolted Tina from her position. How come she never thought of him all the while? She developed a second thought about informing her mother about the pregnancy yet. She didn't think it through properly. She should have kept it to herself, for the time being, at least till she was ready to deal with her father.

She looked up to her. It might be the best option to ask her mother against telling him.

"You shouldn't worry about him. I will talk to him myself when he returns. We can't keep that from him." She calmed her. "Do you want to keep it?" She asked Tina, carefully reading her expressions.

Tina stared at her, reluctant to give a response.

Patricia held Tina by the shoulder and looked into her eyes, "You haven't decided? Think it through."

She nodded repeatedly.

As She Expected, her father wasn't happy with the development. "I'm not happy with you," his deep baritone was laced with obvious fury, "How could you? Very irresponsible of you" He shook his head.

"How could you sleep with a random guy? Not even with protection," He ranted.

Referring to Clint as a random guy didn't sit well with Tina. He failed to recognize their relationship, even when Patricia had made him understand so.

Patricia rubbed him by the arm, "Calm down, darling," she pleaded.

Tina felt very bad. Except for feeling disrespected, Tina wished she had a magical ability to disappear or at least, a button in the couch she could press to descend into a basement from there.

"Does he know about it?" her fathers words disrupted her thoughts

Tina didn't respond.

"He doesn't know yet," Patricia answered.

"What are your plans?" He asked her again.

Tina thought about the best way to tell him, but couldn't respond before he spoke again.

"Nothing must happen to that baby. As for him, I will take care of him myself. He must take responsibility for the child."

He left angrily, followed by his wife, "darling, you know you don't have to. Let them sort it out themselves."

Tina slowly got up and left for her room. She met with Pete leaning by the wall at the hallway leading to their rooms. He lacked any expression. She couldn't always tell what he was up to, but she was sure that her brother was far from being cool. He must be disappointed too. She ignored him and entered her room.

Tina: Done. I don't have to worry again.

Chidi: Your Dad?

Tina: Yes

Chidi: How did he absorb it?

Tina: Furious

Chidi: Did you tell him about keeping it?

Tina: He asked me to.

Chidi: That's fine. Stay strong Tee.

Tina sighed.

Tina: I will. Good night.

I feel like sleeping already.

Chidi: Sweet dreams. Let's talk about baby names next time we meet

Tina: Till then

Chidi: Sure. Good night.

With Chidi, every situation can be beautiful. Tina dropped her phone, turned off the light, and closed her eyes. She sought for sleep but it never came. Few minutes into her thoughts Patricia opened the door. She observed her for some time before leaving.

Guilt flogged her. Where was the place of Clint in the whole drama? She asked herself. Her dad could end up forcing Clint to take a decision he didn't want. She picked her phone to message Clint, but on a second thought, she decided against it. She cleared her message and minimized the green instant messaging app angrily. It was better he found out by himself. She wouldn't let herself be disturbed by his welfare.

She drifted to wondering how her life as a single mother would be. She pulled her hand under her nightwear and rubbed her tummy. She wondered if she was going to give birth and raise her child in the mansion under the watch of her parents. She would like to move out, but only a thing had been on her way from moving out of the house.

Tina slept off thinking. She would wake up, in the morning, a disturbed expectant mother.