Rita and Alex were the ultimate college sweethearts. They met in their second year, bonding over their shared love of music and laughter. Rita was twenty years old by the time she met Alex. She was the outgoing cheer leader, with a contagious smile and a flair for leadership. She liked encouraging and supporting others. Rita had a best friend called Emily Jason with whom she shared her inner thoughts and emotions. Emily, on the other hand, knew about Rita's relationship with Alex and was very supportive of her.
Alex was twenty-four years old. He was the star quarterback with a charming smile and a talent for making everyone feel at ease. Alex had his best friend called Gabriel Bernard, who knew him better than anyone else did. Bernard happened to be his childhood friend, so they treated themselves as brothers even when they were at school.
Rita and Alex seemed like a perfect couple, and everyone assumed they would be together forever. As they entered their senior year, their relationship deepened. They would spend hours together talking on phone, sharing their dreams and aspirations. Rita wanted to be a lawyer, inspired by her parents' struggles with social justice. Alex hoped to play professional football since that was his dream from childhood. They encouraged each other and their love grew stronger.
But one fateful night, everything changed. They were at the party celebrating their classmates' birthday party, when Rita realized she was pregnant. She was scared and unsure, feeling like her whole world was crushing down on her. Alex was supportive at first, promising to be there for her and their child. But as the reality of the situation set in, he began to pull away.
At first, it was a slight distance, a hesitation in his voice when they talked about the future. But as the days went by, the gap between them grew wide. Alex was afraid of the responsibilities that came with being a father, afraid that his football career would be ruined and afraid that his father would stop paying his school tuition.
Alex came from one of the privileged and influenced families in Kampala City. His father, Ronald Thornton, was a successful business person with a reputation for a network of powerful connections in business matters. His stepmother, Vivian Thornton, was a model known for her beauty and charm.
Ronald or Ronnie, as he was known to his associates, had built his future through real estate and business. He was a self-made person who had worked his way up from humble beginnings to become one of the most respected and feared business person in kampala city.
Vivian Thornton, on the other hand, came from a wealthy family and had always been accustomed to a life of luxury. She was Ronald's second wife, and Alex's mother had passed away when he was just a child.
Together, Ronnie and Vivian had created a life of luxury and success with a grand mansion, expensive cars and a social calendar that was always full. They were the epitome of success and status, and they expected nothing but the best from themselves and those around them.
Alex grew up in this environment, surrounded by trappings of wealth and privilege. He was sent to the best private schools, had the latest gadgets and toys. And was taught to expect a life of success and achievements. To him, accepting responsibility for Rita was a means of failure in his future and shame to his family. He had to plan for a day to discuss how he was getting out of the box with Rita.
One day, Alex told Rita, "I can't do this, Rita." Alex said, his voice shaking. I am not ready to be a father. And with that he was gone.
Rita was left alone, her heart shattered into a million pieces. She realized that she had to face the consequences of their actions alone, and her life would never be the same.
As she stood in her empty bedroom, staring at the phone that Alex had once held so tightly, Rita felt a wave of grief wash over her. She had lost the love of her life. And now she has to face the uncertainty of her future alone. But even in the midst of the heartbreak, Rita knew that she had to be strong, for herself and for the tiny life growing inside her.
Rita thought about how to start breaking the news of her pregnancy to her parents, because she had fear and shame within herself.
Rita's family was one of hard work and resilience. Her mother, Noame, worked two jobs to make ends meet, as a nurse during the day and a part-time waitress at night. Despite her exhausting schedules, Noame put her family first, ensuring that Rita and her siblings had everything they needed.
Rita's father, David, worked as a cleaner at a nearby college, taking pride in keeping the campus clean and tidy. But what made David's story unique was his passion project. In his free time, he supplied pizzas to people in need. With a small oven in their garage, David would whip up delicious pies and deliver them to homeless shelters, community centers and even the occasional party. He called it "David's Delicious Deliveries," and it brought joy to everyone who tasted his creations.
Growing up, Rita admired her parents' work ethic and dedication to their community. She saw how their hard work ethic and kindness impacted around them, and it instilled in her a strong sense of social responsibility. Despite the financial struggles they faced, Rita's parents taught her that with love, determination and willingness to help others, anything is possible.
As Rita stared at the space in her room, thinking about the great future plans she had dreamed of she burst into tears because all dreams were shattered by her pregnancy. She wondered if she could raise a child without Alex's support. She thought about her own child growing up, a single mother who had to work multiple jobs to provide for their family. She knew it wouldn't be that easy, but she was determined to give her child the best life possible.
One Monday morning, Noame had decided to stay at home since she was experiencing some migraine headache. On that day she had made an appointment with the doctor and was told that she would be reviewed at two p.m that afternoon.
As Noame lay on the chair in the living room, Rita passed by to pick up some drinking water from the kitchen. On seeing her mother lying on the chair, her heart skipped because she expected her to be at work at the same time as her mother, expecting her to be at school.
When her mother noticed the presence of someone in the living room, she raised her head up and saw Rita standing beside her. With a soft voice she asked, "why didn't you go to school today honey?" Rita burst into tears. She thought to herself that this was the right time to tell her mother the truth.
Her mother got up and gave her a hug to comfort her. She held her hands afterward and told her to sit down. She gave her time to express her pain in her heart by crying until she kept quiet. Rita built confidence and when her mother Noame asked her what had happened to her, she told her about how the pregnancy she was carrying had ended both her career, and her relationship with Alex.
Her mother, with deep sorrow, burst into tears. Throughout her life, she saw a brilliant young girl growing up into a lawyer, but now all her dreams were shattered by pregnancy. Her mother encouraged her to be strong and told her to always come to her incase she needed some help from her. After a while, she told her to pick up water from the kitchen and go upstairs to her bedroom and have some rest.
As night came, David came back home from work. He found his wife Noame sitting on a sofa chair in the bedroom. He greeted him with a warm kiss. He asked her how the day went, including the doctor's appointment, and she replied that everything went well. The doctor gave her treatment, and she is now recovering from the migraine headache. But she added there is something not right in the house I discovered this morning.
David asked what it was. Before his wife Noame spoke, what came to his mind was his son Gerald. So he asked,"Noame is it still about the other boy bullying our son Gerald at school?", he added, and said, he thought the teachers had agreed to help stop Ken from bullying Gerald. Did it happen again? She murmured softly," it's not about Gerald this time. It's about Rita. I have just received the news this morning from her that she is expecting a baby.
David was surprised to hear the news and asked his wife who was responsible for the pregnancy Rita his daughter was carrying. Noame narrated to her husband the whole truth. David, in disbelief, tells his spouse to serve him the food he eats and rest. Tomorrow is another day to discuss Rita and the unborn baby.