24/11/2024
PREGNANT AT 15 FOR A MÃD MAN
EPISODE 12
.. The figure in the shadows stepped forward slowly, his face clearer with each step. It was Emmanuel.
“Mama…” he called, his voice trembling, hands outstretched. His white clothes seemed to glow under the sunlight, and his face looked familiar.
Mariam gasped, holding the baby tightly. Her mother pulled her closer, her heart pounding. The woman, Emmanuel’s mother, staggered backward, her mouth hanging open in disbelief.
“E-E-Emmanuel?” she stammered, her voice trembling. “Is this really you?”
The silence that followed was deafening. Everyone froze, unsure of what to do. Then, as if struck by the same thought, Mariam’s mother, Mariam, and the woman screamed in unison and bolted for the house.
By Blessing- Enejo Abrahams Elleywrite's.
“Wait!” Emmanuel called, his voice breaking. “I’m not a ghost! Please, Mama, wait!”
Only Father Damian remained rooted to the spot, his face calm but cautious. “Emmanuel,” he said slowly, “if you are not a ghost, then what are you? Why are you here when you were buried?”
Emmanuel stopped in his tracks, his hands trembling. He looked at the priest, then at his mother, who was now peering from behind the doorframe. “Mama, I am alive. I swear on my life, I’m not dead.”
“Liar!” the woman shouted, tears streaming down her face. “I saw them bury you. I watched them lower your body into the ground with my own eyes! What kind of evil spirit are you?”
Emmanuel dropped to his knees, clutching his chest. “Mama, it’s me, your son. I didn’t die. I… I only pretended to.”
The shock on the woman’s face was palpable. She stepped forward hesitantly, her eyes scanning his face for any sign of deception. “What do you mean you pretended to die?”
Emmanuel took a deep, shuddering breath. “It was because of the heartbreak. After Ada left me, I felt like I had no reason to live. I was humiliated, betrayed… I couldn’t bear it. I made it look like I died so I could escape the pain. I wanted to disappear.”
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