It’s no longer something that comes a shock seeing children grow up without the presence of their father in our country nowadays. Men are even called names, baby daddy, sperm donors and all kinds of names that drags the name of men to shame.
Thato is my friend we grew up together, we even attended the same school, after matric we didn’t further our studies but quickly made a living in the retail world, we got to the taste of money, alcohol, parties and girls.
It was not long whilst caught up in the busy flashy life. Thato came to my doorstep like always, today everything was totally different, he looked so down, confused and worried but I didn’t even have to ask as he told me himself “I’m going to be a father” I figured he got his girlfriend pregnant, well it was an unplanned yet an unbelievable moment, we always had dreamt that one day we’d become father’s and our children would grow up together.
Well the baby arrived and it was a baby boy, Thato’s lost his job and now depends on the hustles of eKasi that just goes from hand to mouth but then a plan always comes around in the hood. Thato managed to get to the hospital all by himself and he waited outside by the delivery ward as he cannot wait to hold his son and welcome him to Earth. They were were happy with his girlfriend like a newly wedded couple.
Things got tougher as the days, weeks, months and followed a year still Thato is unemployed living on luck, he could barely provide for the three of them. Soon he broke up with his girlfriend.
Thato found a job and started providing for his son but things are tense now because there are terms to seeing his son, there’s a price to see his son and if he doesn’t pay, he doesn’t see his son.
Children grow up without the love from both parents at the same time because of unplanned pregnancy. Fights between the parents instead of co-parenting, in my own opinion I believe children should be planned, if not then rather not have any. Unplanned children also deserve love from both parents through co-parenting because the fights couples have end up destroying the future of children.
Today Thato’s not a responsible father, he lost his job again and couldn’t send maintenance, he wasn’t able to ever see his son, I guess he couldn’t take it anymore, he hanged himself up, today I’m the father to his son, he was my best friend and he didn’t have anyone by his side as he was an orphan staying with Gogo.
I hope you looking down on us wherever you are, rest in peace.