It was a scorching hot day, early afternoon, around the pool area. A mob of Josh’s friends were partying and having a braai at his family’s extravagant mansion. The music blasted and hardly any of them were sober. It was a party of drunk, spoilt brats, letting loose.
The house was a massive structure with another swimming pool on the third floor. Drugs, liquor and sex seemed to be the theme of the day. Hidden away on their own, in a corner behind the servant’s quarters, were Josh and Bianca – having a heated argument. Josh – a white boy – paced up and down and around Bianca, fuming. Bianca was his gorgeous coloured girlfriend.
“I got a number,” said Bianca.
“What number?”
“A doctor, a professional surgeon who specialises in this sort of thing.”
“I don’t know, Bianca–”
She interrupted: “What d’you mean you ‘don’t know’? He’s a surgeon, who can help us.”
“Help you, maybe.”
“What?” she snapped, in complete disbelief.
“Hmm …. I don’t know … I’m not sure we’ve thought it through properly. Maybe we should give it a couple of weeks, you know. We both aren’t thinking clearly. Plus I’m on the brink of clinching this major recording deal. Maybe securing my future. Let’s wait a bit.”
Bianca grew increasingly frustrated, though she’d suspected Josh would do this. Suspected that he’d come up with some last minute, cowardly objection, just to hang on to her.
Bianca wore the pants in their turbulent affair. Everyone knew it.
“We don’t have a choice, dude. Don’t be stupid, please, for once!”
“I don’t know. I think we should give it a bit more thought, and maybe it wouldn’t be so bad to consider … y’know … keeping it.”
“What are you smoking, hey? Where’s all of this coming from, all of a sudden?”
Mark, one of Josh’s buddies, stumbled past them with his hand over his mouth, looking ready to puke, his face red.
Josh continued, “Plus, I read about the complications that can happen, coz of an abortion. It’s crazy, love.”
“Oh, please, man!” She was becoming angry as well as frustrated, rolling her eyes.
“I’m serious. I’ve done the research. The womb can rupture and cause internal bleeding. It can get infected. You could become infertile due to–”
“I know all of that! I’m not stupid, Josh,” she interrupted. “This issue is much bigger than me worrying about my health, or rather, what might happen to me. This is about my future, dude. I’ve got plans, and they don’t include looking after a baby while I’m still a teenager!”
Desperate, Josh moved closer to her and grabbed her hand. “Do you still love me, B?”
Bianca wore a confused frown, irritated. “Why? What’s that gotta do with anything?” she hissed.
“Do you still?”
“Yes, Joshua, I do,” she replied, in a sarcastic, sickened tone.
Josh took a deep breath, struggling to hold his tears back. “I love you. I love you with all my heart. And I figure if we’re still in love, maybe we could find a way of keeping it.”
“Now listen to me, please, and listen carefully.” Bianca’s voice was low and intense, almost menacing. “My parents would murder me, and yours would too! We don’t have jobs. We’re way too young. We don’t know the first thing about raising babies. Should I continue, Josh?” She punched him hard on his chest. “I can’t even believe you’d consider that! Do we look like we could be parents? We’re kids ourselves, idiot!”
She kinda has a point, he thought. But out loud he said, “It’s not like we’d be the first to have a kid, at our age.” Joshua was literally pulling his hair out, stuttering. “Plus those surgeries are probably mad expensive.”
“It’s around six grand or so, at a proper clinic. I don’t wanna have to go to the townships, or something. So we better find the cash – soon.”
It annoyed Josh that she’d already gone to some lengths to find out how to rid herself of ‘the problem’.
They both stood there in silence, pondering. Then, “Take me home, Josh. I don’t feel sociable,” Bianca pleaded.
Josh remained deep in thought: If we abort, she’ll leave me. I can’t allow that.
“Take me home please!”
“OK, OK.”
***
Tell us: At this point, are you sympathetic to Bianca, or to Josh?