[John reached home to hear sad news. His father had passed away.]
John: Ma, why are you so sad?
Maria: I just had a bad day, son. Change your school uniform.
John: What is wrong?
Maria: Just do as I asked please.
(John thought his mom was in a bad mood.)
Maria: John, come here!
John: Mom, can you tell me if I did something wrong?
Maria: (crying) An accident…
John: What accident?
Maria: My husband is…
John: What about my dad? Please ma, tell me!
Maria: He died in an accident. He will be buried next week.
John: (crying) No mama! Tell me this is not true! It can’t be true!
[It was known all over the village that Mr Peta was no longer on earth. He left his son John, daughter Lizzy and his beloved wife, Maria.]
(Desiree called John as soon as she heard the news.)
Desiree: Hey Babe!
John: Hey, you just called me ‘Babe’!
Desiree: Yeah, you’re silly.
John: I thought you were not interested?
Desiree: I love you, I told you on Friday.
John: But you rejected me.
Desiree: Don’t worry about that. We will talk on Monday. I wanted to send my condolences to your family.
John: So you heard too?
Desiree: Yes, I am sorry. Just know that I am here for you.
John: Thanks, I’ve got to go. We shall talk on Monday.
Abram: I’m sorry my boy. How are you holding up?
John: It was Desiree on the phone. She made me feel better, but the reality is that I’m still in pain.
Abram: We are here to support you.
John: Thanks boy.
[It was hard for the Peta family to arrange everything. Mrs Peta wasn’t employed so she depended on her husband. Her husband’s family helped to arrange everything and she felt support from them for the first time. It took them a week to tell her that she should go home because she was not married properly into the family. She begged them for an extra four months because she was thinking of her children’s education.]
(After a month Desiree fell pregnant and John was responsible for her pregnancy.)
Desiree: John, what must I do? I can’t tell mom.
John: Let’s go and talk to the social workers.
Desiree: I’m not giving my child up for adoption.
John: No, I mean for advice. We should be a family, Babe.
Desiree: Are we? (No response) Are we a family?
John: If it’s a boy, we’ll name him after my late father.
Desiree: You miss him, right?
John: Who? You mean dad?
Desiree: Yes.
John: A little. I love you, Babe. Damn your transport came early today!
Desiree: Yeah. Let’s talk tomorrow.
(They went their separate ways.)
John: Ma, is there any day soon that I will see you smiling again?
Maria: We are going to have to leave here next year. They are chasing us away.
John: No they can’t. I am happy here. I’ve got a girlfriend and she is…
Maria: She is what? Who is she?
John: Never mind… But we can’t go.
Maria: (pointing her finger at John) You are telling me or else!
John: She is starting to understand me well.
Maria: That’s all?
John: Yes.
Maria: Don’t tell your little sister about us moving out next year.
[John had to keep it a secret because he thought that if he told Desiree, she would have an abortion. This he didn’t tell even Abram; it was a big secret. It was just before they were to relocate that John finally got the courage to tell Desiree that he was moving to another city.]
Desiree: Babe, I am more than four months pregnant now and mom hasn’t noticed anything yet.
John: Oh nice. But she will find out anyway.
Desiree: What wrong with you today?
John: (shouting) Everything!
Desiree: Name them…
John: We are moving to another city in less than a week. I will school there. No more coming here. How will I see you?
Desiree: Now you tell me you’re leaving me pregnant? I thought we’d die together. You are just useless like all the other boys.
John: I love you. I want to be with you.
Desiree: You ‘want’, not need? Don’t talk to me anymore!
(Abram picked up the vibe from far away. He rushed to Desiree to try to stop her.)
Desiree: Oh, you also knew about this?
Abram: No, he kept telling me how much he loves you. You are his first lover.
Desiree: And you kept proposing to me? You are not loyal to him; why would you be honest to me?
Abram: Wait!
Desiree: Go to Hell! Both of you!
***
: She’s right! If someone lies to their friend, why should they be honest with you?