Short Story | True Life
Pain to the Grave
Out in the cold
“Get your filthy hands off me! I can’t be controlled by you. This burden is yours alone to bear" were his final hurtful words to her as she walked away, tears streaming down her face. She was left speechless, unable to respond. As she walked, hoping for acceptance from her family, she whispered to herself, “At least my family will welcome me, even if only for a short while", as her tears continued to fall.
In a shaky voice, she pleaded with her mother, “Mom, please, I know I’ve made mistakes, but please don’t abandon me".
Her mother shouted back, “You’ve ruined your life. This burden is yours alone to bear. I can’t bear the disgrace you’ve brought upon us.”
She was forcefully pushed out of the house, crying bitterly, “If only I had known". With all hope shattered, she wondered where she would go from there, desperately seeking an answer.
Months filled with agony passed. It was a bitter and painful time for her. In the ninth month, her baby came knocking. In the midst of her street hawking, she went into labor. “Oh God!” she screamed, weakened by malnutrition. When her water broke, kind passersby helped take her to a nearby maternity center. Once there, she was urged to start pushing her baby. The midwife noticed her dangerously low blood percentage and exclaimed, “She has almost no blood left! How can she push with such low levels?” The nurses were perplexed, trying to figure out how to properly attend to her when no payment or deposit had been made.
With no assistance, she struggled alone to push the baby, enduring immense pain. With every ounce of strength left in her, she managed to give birth to a weak baby. Weakened and fragile, the baby didn’t survive. As she fought for breath, bleeding profusely, she knew her time was running out. Her vision became increasingly blurry, and darkness consumed her. The nurses attempted to revive her, but it was too late. Death was inevitable. She was gone, leaving behind a heart-wrenching story.
She endured pain until her very last breath, finally finding rest in the grave.
Nigerian writer
