When Grace Speaks

The first time she had an abortion 
He thought it was a matter of life and death 
She told him her father would kill her 
She said her father kicked out her elder sister 
because she got pregnant and he never 
allowed her back into the family even after 
the man who got her pregnant took
Responsibility 
She acted so terrified 
She didn’t give him the room to express his 
desire 
He had no say in the matter 
The pregnancy must be aborted 
She insisted he must give her the money 
she needed to get it done 
They were both kids But for him getting an 
abortion was way wrong
He was the only child of his parents 
He was from a rich family 
He might not be allowed to marry her because 
he was just nineteen 
But his mother would gladly take care of his 
babe and the baby 
He was very confident of that fact 
She wouldn’t even consider his suggestion 
It was done
He learnt his lesson 
No more skinny dipping 
He loved her and wanted to marry her 
He also wanted many children 
He didn’t want her to lose her womb 
But she would have none of it 
She claimed condoms made her uncomfortable 
All they needed to do was be careful 
He said No! 
He still had nightmares about the abortion she had 
He was there when it was done 
He saw everything 
She told him he was a ninny 
Was it not her body? 
Was she complaining? 
He said No 
It was a stalemate 
He refused to sleep with her 
She accused him of getting "it" from 
somebody else 
He called her a heartless fool 
It was a dirty fight 
They sort of broke up 
He went off to school 
Three months later, she showed up in 
his school 
She said she needed money to take care 
of an emergency 
He said he didn’t have money 
She pleaded and begged 
He said No 
She slept in his room that night
Throughout the night she kept trying to have 
sex with him 
He resisted 
The next morning She left without saying 
goodbye 
Later in the day, he discovered some money 
was missing in his room 
He went straight to her parent's house to look
for her
He was told she had returned to her school 
He got to her school by noon 
When he got to her room 
He found her in a pool of blood 
She was clutching to the leg of her reading table 
as her life was ebbing away 
He cried for help 
They got her to the hospital just in time 
The doctor confirmed his fear 
She had used the money for another abortion
He stayed in her school until she recovered 
He asked her what happened 
She said she slept with her new boyfriend 
and he refused to take responsibility for the 
pregnancy 
He was the only one she could turn to for
 help and when he refused to help her 
she took the money she needed
Why were you having unprotected sex? he asked her
She said that was the only way she was comfortable 
He told her she had no sense 
“Must you have sex? 
And if you must, should you have to get pregnant? 
Even if condoms made you uncomfortable, 
was abortion more comfortable than the 
use of a condom?
What if you catch an infection?
Why risk your future for nothing? He asked
She said it was her body, he should not act 
as if he had paid her dowry 
He left her school 
He swore it was over between them forever 
Few weeks later, there was a national strike 
Schools shut down 
They returned home 
Their houses were minutes apart 
She came to say sorry
One thing led to another 
They started having sex again 
He was very careful 
He knew she didn’t care what the 
consequences were 
She was like a child 
But he did! 
They patched things up
School resumed 
She went off to her school 
He went off to his school
Few months later, he went off to her school 
to see her He met her roommate on the road 
Her roommate welcomed him and told him 
something weird 
“Your woman had been throwing up for weeks 
and she had been very choosy with her meals! 
It seemed she could only eat pap and moin-moin
nowadays! 
He didn’t say a word
He knew from experience how she gets
when she is pregnant
It sounded very much like morning sickness
to him
When he saw her, she looked pale and very sickly
He was sure she was pregnant again
He told her they had to go to the hospital 
She refused 
He insisted she had to see the doctor 
She said No 
He left her school in a huff 
Three weeks later, she came to see him 
She was back to her robust self 
He knew she had done another abortion 
He asked her to tell him the truth 
She denied it 
He insisted the relationship was over if 
she didn’t tell the truth 
She said she is fine with his decision 
It was her life 
If she had an abortion, it was her body! 
What can he do? 
They broke up!
This time, he moved on for real 
He graduated and got a job in Lagos 
He got married and had two children 
He became a pastor 
The Holy Spirit started working wonders 
through him 
A man came to see him 
The man told him about his marriage and 
the inability of his wife to conceive 
The man wanted them to pray 
He told the man to bring his wife 
The man brought her 
It was his old girlfriend 
She had told her husband that she never 
ever had an abortion before 
It was God that was delaying her from getting 
pregnant 
The man believed her and was running 
about with her 
Seeking help
When he saw her 
He didn’t say a word 
Neither of them said a word about the past 
She said she had given her life to Christ 
He told her husband to join hands with her 
He blessed the two of them 
They were both filled with the Holy Ghost 
And miraculously, she got pregnant after 
four years of waiting! 
In all, she had nine abortions 
Her cervix was damaged 
She had no hope of being a mother 
She knew this all the while her husband 
was running around 
The Holy Spirit didn’t consider her past or 
her attitude 
He blessed her with the fruit of the womb 
Grace spoke for her

PS: The events happened in Ibadan and Lagos
Know that grace still speaks 
Grace speaks through the name of Jesus 
Misdeeds are washed away 
Mercy is released Lives are given a meaning! 
When you go to church, you say to God “I believe” 
Nothing is impossible to those who believe