Chantel sat in the back seat of the car looking outside the car window. She felt so nervous going back home in this condition and she was not ready to face her parents yet. She could still picture the look of disappointment on their faces the day they were invited to her school. She had always dreamt of finishing high school without any problems, and it seemed like that dream was far from reach now.
She sighed deeply, thinking of all the things she had been through in the last couple of days. She closed her eyes, thinking she could relax herself from all these thoughts, but they kept coming back. She remembered the last time she saw Kevin, after he flatly denied her in front of her parents. She wanted to slap that boy's face for all the pain he had caused her. What happened to I will love you forever?
She stupidly believed him and he let her down. She was filled with so much anger and rage, and did not want to see Kevin ever again. Her mind was filled with all the memories they shared together and it hurt her more.
"You lied to me, Kevin. I don't want to see your face again," she said loudly, alarming Roger.
"Miss Chantel, are you okay?" he asked worriedly.
"I am fine, uncle Roger. I am just so angry right now. I can't believe I put myself in this situation. I thought I was in love. I thought he would never hurt me. I trusted him and defended him but he let me down. I don't think I will ever trust a man in my life again," she said.
Roger was quiet while she talked. It was obvious she was hurt and she had every right to be. After she was done, he said, "I can't really imagine how you must be feeling right now. But, I don't think you should give up on love now. You are still young and really beautiful. I am sure the right man will come at the right time. So please, don't give up now."
"It hurts so much, uncle Roger. You just have no idea," Chantel said.
"I know. But just don't give up, okay?"
"I will try. I'm not promising you, though."
Roger smiled. "Good."
Soon, they were at Chantel's house. She picked up her bag as soon as Roger packed the car and got down. Then strapped the bag on her back.
"Miss, let me help you with the bag," Roger offered.
"Come on Uncle Roger. I am just pregnant, not sick. I can carry it myself. Thank you," she smiled at him.
"Alright. I will be around if you need me for anything." he said and left.
Chantel was very nervous. She stood outside for a while watching the house and contemplating whether to go in or wait outside till someone comes out of the house to meet her. She wanted so much to embrace her parents but she knew she would not get that, especially from her father who looked much more disappointed.
After standing outside for fifteen minutes, she decided to go in and meet her parents. She knew they would be home because they knew she was coming. She walked towards the door and pressed on the doorbell. She then heard footsteps approaching which made her go back a bit.
Her mother opened the door, and saw her standing there with a sad look on her face. She quickly embraced her daughter who began crying in her arms.
"I am sorry, mother. I am so sorry," she kept on saying.
"It's okay, my daughter. Everything is going to be fine, okay? Come, let's go inside," her mother said and broke the hug, then, led her inside the living room.
Her father was seated reading through his newspaper. Chantel usually laughed whenever she saw her father reading his morning newspaper. He would sit down on his favorite chair, cross his legs and raise the paper up on his face as if there were code words in there he wanted to decipher. She called him old school for doing that and he would just laugh about it.
But today was an exception. Today was not a day to make fun of anything. Today is a day of mourning for her. She would never in her wildest dreams think this day would ever come in her life. Her mother walked ahead of her as she dragged her feet from behind.
"Chantel is here, darling," her mother announced and placed the bag beside her in the living room.
Chantel walked into the room and bowed down her head. She stood beside her father and greeted him.
"Good morning, father."
The man looked up at his daughter and just nodded, then went back to his reading. The atmosphere was getting very awkward for Chantel and she almost broke into fresh tears. Her mother quickly saved the situation.
"Baby girl. I bet you have not eaten. Why don't you go to the kitchen and make something for yourself, hm?"
Chantel nodded slowly and walked over to the kitchen. Her father's silence was killing her but she did not show it.
"Why did you do that?" her mother asked her father when Chantel was out of sight.
"What do you mean?" Mr Asare asked, while he continued to read his paper.
"Why did you ignore Chantel like that? Darling, I know you are disappointed in her but don't you think your silence is killing her inside? Please, don't ignore her like this. You know she adores you more than anyone."
"I adore her too that is why I am very hurt by what she did. She is my daughter, my princess. I gave her everything and this is how she decided to pay me back for all the love and affection. Do I also deserve this?" her father replied, while he put the newspaper aside.
"No darling, you don't deserve any of this. But she also doesn't deserve this. She made a mistake and I know she regrets it so much. If you continue to ignore her like this, what will she do then? You know how emotional she is. Please, darling." her mother begged him.
Mr Asare just picked up his newspaper and flipped to the page he was reading, making his wife worry.
"I will think about it," he said.
Mrs Asare smiled and kissed him on the cheek making him smile too.