Too Late To Claim – Last Batch

Episode Thirty-nine

“What is the problem sister Abigail?” Pastor Eric asked again.
Chris kept quiet waiting for his mother to speak.
“Jessica!” Aunty Abigail shouted calling me.
I was in my room when I heard her calling so I quickly rushed down but not as fast as I used to do when I was perfectly fine.
“Yes ma”I replied.
I arrived and stood before them,my eyes met that of Chris but I quickly looked at the floor because I hated him so much and couldn’t stand his presence let alone looking at him.
I stood before them wondering why she had summoned both of them and also called me too.
“Pastor Eric” Aunty Abigail began, “I don’t need to tell you the Genesis of where and how I met Jessica here, what transpired and what led to me bringing her to the city to stay with me”
“Of course” Pastor Eric nodded in agreement.
“You have already told me the story and is one thing I am so much proud of you about and continuously prayed for God’s blessings upon your life”
“Amen, and also sir,I don’t need to explain how I genuinely took Jessica as my daughter, treated her as if she came out of my stomach,shown her love and care that even some kids biological parents don’t show them. only those who knows the real story can say the truth but as for the rest,they think that Jessica is my own blood” Aunty Abigail spoke.
I stood confused, thinking about what exactly she is driving at.
“Sister Abigail, Everyone knows the story and is a witness to the love and care you provided for Jessica, that is a fact that cannot be denied” Pastor Eric replied “But Sister Abigail, please what is the main issue? because I am still confused about why you summoned this meeting”
“Pastor Eric, Just like you have said, Everyone and even God is a witness to the good gesture I continously show towards Jessica, helping her to become a better person and do all I can to impact knowledge and good morals into her,then sir, please help me to ask her where exactly have I gone wrong? Where exactly have I failed in trying my best to be a mother to her?”
All attention were drawn towards my direction.
I don’t understand what exactly Aunty Abigail meant.
I have never disrespected her one-day nor exchanged words with her so what is she talking about?
“Sister Abigail,please You have to be cleared in the point you are driving at,I have known Jessica for quite a while now and I can bet that she is a child of moral decency because she has never disrespected me and has never given me any reason to doubt her,so what exactly are you saying?” Pastor Eric asked
“Jessica is pregnant” Aunty Abigail blunted out in simple language.
“What,Jesus Christ!!!” Both Chris and Pastor Eric exclaimed in the widest shock ever.
I froze on the s₱0t and everywhere became blanked.
Did Aunty Abigail just said that?
Pastor Eric stood up in shock.
I looked at Chris and he seemed so uneasy in his seat.
“Sister Abigail,do you mean what you have just said?” Pastor Eric asked refusing to believe what he has just heard.
“Pastor Eric,I myself,I refused to believe it but the result of the test we did yesterday confirmed it, Jessica is pregnant,now tell me where did I go wrong? What did I not do in training this child? Pastor Eric tell me” Aunty Abigail shouted
“Sister Abigail, please calm down,let settle this amicably though is not an easy matter” He said sitting down.
He looked at me and called my attention to himself
“Jessica, you have heard exactly what your mom has said, and to tell you the truth,I am so much disappointed in you,I am extremely disappointed Jessy,I have taken you as a good child,I was so proud of you and I always used you as an example to the young teenagers that are in the church,I am disappointed that you threw away your decency and pride, going ahead to open your legs for those wayward boys, what exactly did you lack in this house? Did you ever needed something and your mom didn’t give it to you? What make you to bring such disgrace and shame to this honourable family?”
As pastor Eric kept talking,I broke out in tears.
“Jessica,” He called “crying is not going to solve this issue, kindly tell us who is responsible for this pregnancy so we can go and meet him”
I wept even the loudest as the event of that night began playing before my eyes.
“You better wipe those crocrodile tears and answer before I kill you myself” Aunty Abigail yelled at me in anger.
My skin almost left me,all my time of knowing and staying with Aunt Abigail,I have never seen her getting angry.
It was more than a shock to me.
“Sister Abigail, please calm down”pastor Eric pleaded
“No pastor,I won’t, what did I not do for this pr-stitute that she decided to pay me back with disgrace,she better open her mouth before she sees the other side of me” she threatened
“Jessica, please say something,who is responsible?”
I looked at Chris and he was looking deeply into my eyes, guessed he was reminding me of his threat.
“Sir,Is him”I said pointing to Chris.
Blood of Jesus!” pastor Eric shouted again
“Who are you pointing to?” Aunty Abigail asked standing up.
“Is Chris ma,he is responsible” I spoke out without any fear.
“What do you mean?” Chris shouted in pretense standing up.
“How dare you!” Aunty Abigail scre-med as she send a resounding slap across my face in anger.
I felt pains and closed my eyes for a while.
Aunty Abigail has just slapped me for the first time because I spoke the Truth.
This was exactly what I was afraid of saying because I know that no one will believe me.
“You little liar,I never knew you are such a wicked soul,so this is how you chose to pay me back by lying against my son?”
“I am not lying ma”I cried “Chris raped me when you travelled and threatened me not to disclosed else he will kill me”
Aunty Abigail and Pastor Eric looked at Chris
“Why are you people starring at me?” He asked “Don’t tell me you believe what this liar is saying? For God’s sake, you know me better mom,why will you believe such a thing? Why should I rape her when I am not a child molester” He defended himself.
“This is so much complicated” Pastor Eric said sitting down
“Jessica are you sure of what you are saying?” He asked me.
“I swear sir, Chris is lying,he raped me,he-” I was trying to explain when Aunty Abigail slapped me again
“Shut up you agent from the pit of hell,I am so shock and disappointed in you.I thought you were a nice and innocent person,I never knew that I was dealing with an agent from hell, you think you can tied my son with your b—–d child,oh I see, because I pleaded with him to take you as a sister”
“I am not lying ma” I replied
“If this is true,then why didn’t you tell me when I came back?” She asked
“Because he threatened me and I know that you will not believe me”
“And I will never, infact it is over, you are leaving my house now”
“No AUNTY Abigail, please it hasn’t gotten to that,we can settle this thing peacefully” pastor Eric pleaded on my behalf.
“No way, pastor Eric,there is nothing to settle,I can’t stay under the same roof with a devil and her b—–d child,she must leave”
“Please sister Abigail”
“Pastor Eric,it is ok,I will leave if she wants me to” I said turning to Aunt Abigail
“Aunty Abigail,I want you to know that I appreciate everything you did for me,you gave me love,care and family that I never had.
You helped me to live a fulfilled life and I will never be ungrateful by destroying your family.
You are one of a kind and may God bless you for everything you did for me and as for you Chris” I said turning to him as the tears kept pouring”I will never say I regret know you because I believe that you were a part of my destiny,if only I had listened when my mom warned me,if only I had been careful and not allowed you to play me, Chris I may be a young little girl but I understand perfectly well what you have done to me and I know a little about what I am going through right now.
I am leaving,I don’t know what the outside world holds for me but I will survive because I have been through it before but as for you CHRIS,I leave you with your conscience.
I don’t have the money and power to report you to authority or get you apprehended for what you did to me but believe me,a day will come when you will be begging,with both hands and legs on the floor, crying and begging me to forgive you and accept you or give you your child but it will be TOO LATE Chris,TOO LATE TO CLAIM”
With that I opened the door and walked out.
I had come with nothing and I will surely leave with nothing except the hope and faith in God.
Pastor Eric tried calling me but I ignored and walked out stepping my feet into the cruel world where I once came from.
I know that it is not an easy journey.
I know that life will never be faired.
I Know that many have not survived it.
But I surely believe that I will survive.
How? I don’t know and can’t say but I will surely survive by God’s grace.
As I walked along the street,people starred at me but I walked along not minding them.
I was a desperate, broken and pregnant girl who was humiliated and raped at age 17.
What a life!

Episode fourty (finale)

“My goodness!!” the other man exclaimed, finally speaking for the first time. “How could you do such a thing Chris?”
Aunty Abigail and Chris broke out in tears while Pastor Eric shook his head in regret and pity.
“Yes o sir” I replied “that’s exactly what happened and as for what I went through in the outside world and how God remembered and changed my story by giving me a second chance is a story for another day.My mouth won’t be able to explain exactly what I went through,I know that I once came from there but my second journey isn’t something to write about.I saw unimaginable hell,I slept with hunger on the street and during child delivery,I was centered between life and death.
My life left me but I am most grateful to God and to this wonderful man with a heart of Gold sitting here” I said pointing to my husband. “God’s ways are not like man, just when I thought that the only option left was to commit suicide,God send him to my rescue,even after hearing my story,he didn’t run away but stood and stayed with me till now, whatever I am today and will ever be,I owe it to God and him”
My husband smiled and pull me closer to himself giving me a hug.
“But Aunty Abigail,what happened to Chris? why is he in this condition because he was a handsome,young and energetic man when I left though is been long” I asked.
Aunty Abigail didn’t say a word because it was like her heart and mouth was too heavy to speak as she remembered everything that happened.
“My dear,I really don’t know how it happened but I was told that Chris broke up with his former girlfriend named Vero after using her to his satisfaction and she even aborted five pregnancies for him with the hope that they will married which Chris refused to do so she got angry and send thugs to beat him up, breaking every part of his bone which resulted to this condition. She was later arrested after much investigation but Chris won’t be able to walk again and infact he impotent for life” the elderly man spoke again
I guessed he was Aunty Abigail ex husband due to the slightest resemblance he had with Chris.I am not sure but if it is true then I thank God for them. No condition will ever made me to forget Aunty Abigail, despite what she did,I still loved and respected her till date because she is a one in a million.
I understand that she did what she did due to the trust she had in her son Chris and because Chris has never given her any reason to doubt. Any mother would do the same but my only offense was sending me out into the street pregnant at age 17 who no means of survival when it was cleared that the City is 100% dangerous for matured people not to talk of a young naive child like me.
“Jesus Christ!!” I scre-med
How could humans be so cruel? I remembered Aunty Vero very well and I smiled sheepishly as I recalled how I once felt jealous and hated her when I was having those stupid feelings I called love for Chris. She looked so innocent and no one will ever believed that she could be so deadly having the heart to carry such an evil plan but I can’t blamed her not after what Chris did to her.
“I am so sorry” I said to Chris “but I don’t want you to give up, there is a GOD who still answers and heals and he will see you through if you believe”
Chris nodded as the tears poured out of his eyes.
Since they came,he has refused to look at my face due to the shame and guilt he bore within him.
I let out a little smile and whispered a thank you prayer to God.
Who exactly would have predicted that I will be here today? A graduate in law, very rich and happily married to the best man in the world,with a beautiful bundle of joy as a daughter and I am already pregnant with twins.
Indeed God works in mysterious ways.
“So what exactly are you people here for?” My hubby asked them.
Pastor Eric sighed and finally spoke.
“Well, just as GOD has given our sister here Jessica a second chance, he has also decided to give brother Chris another opportunity to mend his ways. If sister Jessica will recalled,I was never in support of what they did to her infact I pleaded with sister Abigail but her mind was made up. After the meeting that day,I drove along the city hoping that I will see her and take her home but I didn’t,so I had no choice than to commit her safety into the hands of the Almighty.Bro. Chris realized and confessed his evil deeds after and we began our search for you since one year now and thank God we finally found you, please sister Jessica,I am begging on their behalf,I want you to find a place in your heart to forgive us because I am also included. What we did was the greatest evil ever to humanity, what if something had happened to you?you could have been killed or even molested, please my child,I want you to forgive us. Our heavenly father said if we do not forgive people,he will not forgive us. Your testimony is a living proof that you are a child destined for greatest and nothing will ever stopped you, please forgive us I begged you”
I fought to control the tears from rolling but they poured out even the more. What a God we serve! My husband pulled me once more into his arms and pet me to stop crying.
Rejoice handed to me a small tissue to wipe my tears.
I took it from her and smiled as I wiped my tears.
She is my everything and I love her so much.
“Pastor Eric,I have heard everything you have said and I am most grateful for everything word you spoke.It is true that I am hurt by what Aunty Abigail and Chris did to me but I am grateful because they helped pushed me to my destiny. Look at me today, a village girl now transformed into the glory of God. I don’t and will never bear any grudges against them. Everything I have become today, Aunty Abigail is the reason,she gave me the lost hope that I never had. She took and treated me like her own and I will forever be grateful.
I have long ago forgiven Chris for what he did. My heart is clear and I bear him nothing. It is only the weak that can’t forgive and I am a strong Woman so I have forgiven everything ”
“Thank you my child,thank you so much”Pastor Eric appreciated
Aunty Abigail moved from her seat and fell in front of me crying as some watery mucus escaped from her nose.
“Forgive me Jessy,I am so sorry, please forgive me, I had been a bad person to you, please forgive me”she continuously cried and pleaded.
I stood up and pulled her up embracing her.
“Is okay ma,I have forgiven you and I love you,is okay, please stop crying”
We were holding each other for minutes as we cried together like we just lost someone.
After minutes,I let go of her and she went back to her seat.
“Now that you have finally forgiven us, please can we see the child because we believed that you put to birth or did something happened?” Pastor Eric asked
“No sir, nothing happened,I put to birth a bouncing and healthy baby girl,so strong like her mother and here she is” I said pointing to Rejoice
They all exclaimed as they starred at her with mouth wide opened.
They never believed that she could have grown this big.
“God is indeed good” pastor Eric said
“Please my child,can we take her?”the elderly man that that I assumed to be Chris’ father asked
“Am afraid that’s not possible”my hubby shouted in Anger.
“you people must be out of your mind.
You think you can just come from no where and take my daughter away from me?
She is my daughter and will go nowhere, infact I adopted her when she was born and now she is legally mine and will forever be mine, infact you people have overstayed your welcome, please leave my house before I call the security”
“Oh Jessy”Chris said falling on the floor with both legs and hands not minding whether he is wonded or not.
“Please forgive me Jessy,I beg you,I have realized what i did, please don’t take my child away else I will die please” He cried
“Chris,you remembered what I once told you, that a day will come when you will fall on both hands and legs begging for your child but it will be too late, Chris TOO LATE TO CLAIM”
“I said you people should get out before I call the security” my husband fumed with Anger.
I watched as they all began to leave crying one by one.
Aunty Abigail rolled Chris out of the house in uncontrollable tears.
Rejoice turned to me and asked
“Mommy,is that my father going in the wheelchair?”
“No dear,this is your father standing before you and he will forever be your father”
She smiled,ran to her dad and hugged him as he lifted her up in the air smiling while I smiled too.
********
Chris sat in the garden looking at the poisonous bottle liquid in his hands.
He wept as he gulped down the content down his throat waiting for it to perform it’s function and cut him out of this world.
He now regretted every of his actions and wished he had changed when he had the opportunity to but now it was TOO LATE TO CLAIM.
******
toriperi.com stories.
Nine months later,I gave birth to a set of blessings,a beautiful girl and a handsome boy.
Did I forget to tell you that I travelled to the village with hubby and rejoice and we changed and gave mother a befitting burial as I had once promised.
I now believe that finally she is resting in perfect peace.

THE END (do well to comment)

Read also: PRESIDENT SON AND I

⬅️ PREVIOUS episode