An unwanted pregnancy could be a mistake but how about birthing a child?
A mistake is a misguided act, like putting in the wrong PIN at the ATM, mixing a customer’s order up, or leaving your data on, overnight.
Now, this is what a mistake is not – two adults having consensual unprotected sex, then having the audacity to act surprised when pregnancy is involved. They still go ahead to keep that pregnancy, and somehow make it the fault of the child.
We sincerely hope these stories of the three brave individual characters are mere products of our imaginations and not someone else’s reality.
Ibidun, 22
My father had f**cked my mother in his parlour. He should have intuited that my mother was up to something when she was hurrying him along though he wanted to get his bed from his room.
It was a cool afternoon and they had only had sex once – it is not possible to get pregnant with just one round of sex, right?
My dad was always eager to share the story of Ibidun, my story, with whoever tried to advise him to take responsibility for me. See, I came looking like the ‘Ctrl-C + Ctrl-V’ version of him- so he quickly changed from moaning “false paternity allegations” to “baby trapping”.
All of this drama was extended to our relatives. Hence, at every gathering, I am that child who never ceases to awe them with the striking resemblance but will forever be a bother.
My mom, on the other hand, did the best she could. If she blamed me for losing herself, at least she sponsored all of my education while my dad could not be bothered to pay a dime.
I think the ‘hate’ is exclusively for me because he married my stepmom when I was eight months and treats my stepbrothers like eggs.
Bickersteth, 31
“I am happily married to the man of my dreams” – I said that because there was a time when I thought it was impossible, considering the emotional trauma I carried with me.
It’s hard to know that my parents were in the middle of a divorce, then my mom discovered that she was pregnant with me. But, the hardest part was when I was kept to be the bonding glue for the shattering marriage.
I don’t know what they were thinking, but my birth further tore them apart.
While growing up, I often fell very ill and my dad hated me because he had to spend so much money to take care of me. While my mother hated me because I didn’t execute my job as an ALTECO glue.
Gabriel, 27
For clarity, I do not blame any of the parties involved; My mom had me when the eldest child of the family was expecting her third kid.
The concept of having another child in the house was obviously unwelcomed. My mom had four older siblings already asides from the eldest child.
They unashamedly expressed their obnoxious feelings toward me, an innocent baby. I walked on eggshells around my “uncles “ and “aunties” because I didn’t want to add to my overflowing inconvenience to the family.
I had little or no self-esteem because of this and it has affected my relationships ever since. But, yet again; I do not blame any of the parties involved.
#Peopletalk is a submissions segment for everyday people to talk straight about the twists and turns of everyday life. This edition shares stories of four people that experienced betrayal on a high level.