Blood was everywhere. On her hands…on the floor. She tried to scream but to no avail. Silence greeted her. She had to get help. He was dying…
Christy awoke with a start. Her breathing was heavy and sweat glistened on her forehead as she sat up slowly in her bed. The panic that had awakened her from her dream still hung around her like a heavy fog. She reached over and switched on the lamp. As light flooded the room, the shadows disappeared but the feeling of dread remained.
She threw back the covers and padded barefoot into the bathroom. She opened up the cabinet and pulled out exactly what she needed. She quickly read the directions and followed them to the letter. In three minutes, she would have an answer.
She sighed deeply as the small stick gradually changed colors. She finally knew the truth; she was pregnant. Christy found herself trembling so badly that the pregnancy test fell from her hand. Too lightheaded to continue standing, she sank to the cold floor and did something she hadn’t done since she was ten…cried. Silently at first, but as the gravity of the situation began to hit her, gut-wrenching sobs burst out of her as if it tore from her chest.
After spending the entire night on the bathroom floor, Christy was exhausted, her mind dulled by lack of sleep. She entered the kitchen and grimaced as she saw her parents sitting at the table. Her heart began to beat wildly, and she felt as if someone was suffocating her. Still, she had to tell them the truth. They had a right to know that she’d been secretly seeing someone, and was now having his baby. Their fifteen-year-old daughter was going to be a mother.
The conversation didn’t go the way she’d anticipated. She knew her parents would be upset by her news but nothing could have prepared her for their callous and harsh words. “If I were you I’d head over to that center today, and end it with him, Christina. If you don’t, we’ll make his life a living nightmare.” To demand she end her relationship without even meeting him seemed cruel to her young and fragile heart but she knew her parents didn’t make light threats. She had to do as she was told.
Christy forced herself to move, to step inside the front door of the Pittsburgh Juvenile Youth Center as if her heart wasn’t splitting into a million pieces. She smiled sadly as she heard the familiar sounds of hip-hop blasting on the CD player and the bouncing of basketballs on the rec. room court floors. When she started volunteering at the JYC, four months ago, she never thought she’d enjoy it but after making friends she started looking forward to coming after school. The people here were special. But no one like David. Her best friend. Her soul mate. Now, she had to do the hardest thing she’d ever done in her life. Say goodbye.
The door to David’s office was open. Christy walked in and stopped just past the threshold, her mother’s words still resonating in her head. “We’re very disappointed in you, Christina. Sneaking around with a twenty-year old criminal. How could you do this to our family knowing your father is running for senate next year? You know how hard he’s been working trying to become the first black Senator in the state of Pennsylvania. Are you trying to destroy what he’s spent over twenty years building? Well, we are not going to allow you and some man’s bastard child to ruin this campaign. You will not be permitted to see him again, understand? Nor will you be entitled to keep this baby. And, if you defy us then we will make sure he spends some very real time in jail for molesting our underage child.”
Christy jumped as hands suddenly covered her eyes. “Guess who?”
She sighed poignantly at the habitual game, “Omar Epps.”
“Noooo.”
“Usher.”
“Try again.”
“David.”
He removed his hands. “You’re good.” He kisses her on the cheek and leads her into the office. “So what’s up? No school today?”
Christy was never at a loss; she had been trained as the daughter of a politician to keep focus, never panic, and always smile. But none of those things helped her now as the pain threatened to overtake her. It hurt just to look at him. It seemed her whole life had been filled with nothing but loneliness and the only cure was being taken away from her.
Her expression was grieved as a single tear rolled down her cheek. “I can’t see you anymore.”
“What?”
Her lips trembled, and a look of anguish haunted her eyes. He saw it and quickly put his arms around her.
“Whatever it is we can work it out together. Because we love each other, right?
Silence.
“Right?”
She pulls out of his arms and backs away, trying to put some distance between the two of them. “My parents don’t want me to see you anymore.”
“Why?”
“Because of our age difference.”
“That’s bull and you know it,” he says angrily. They know I was in a place like this for over half of my life, which means I’m not good enough to date their little princess. It may be politically correct to help ex-criminals just not date them, right?”
“That’s not true,” she said, her voice strained.
“Come on, Christy. Everyone knows the only reason you work here is because it looks good on your daddy’s political resume.”
“That’s not why I work here, David, and you know it. I hate politics. If it weren’t for my father’s career then maybe I would actually know what it feels like to have real parents. Ones that participate in their child’s life for love, not because it’s good for their campaign. I could care less about my father’s quest for the White House. I come here because I like helping people and…because of you.”
“I’m sorry, Christy. I know this wasn’t your decision. I’m just angry because your parents feel they can control our lives. Yeah, I made mistakes in the past but I’ve turned my life around. I went back to school and got my GED. I earned a job here as a full-time counselor and, I’m taking college courses at night, but I bet that’s still not good enough for your parents.”
“It doesn’t matter what they think David. We can figure out a way to be together.”
“How? You know they are not going to let you out of their sight now that they know about us.”
“We can run away.”
“And go where? We don’t have any money.”
“I have some money saved up. Enough to take care of the three of us for awhile.”
“I don’t know Chris, we-did you say three of us?”
“Yes. I’m pregnant.”
“You’re what?”
“I’m having your baby. That’s why we need to go. If we don’t, my parents are going to make me get rid of it.”
“They can’t do that. I’ll fight them. This is my baby too.”
“If you try and stop them they’ll have you arrested for statutory rape. They told me so.”
“But it wasn’t rape.”
“Yeah, but according to them I’m underage which is all they need to put you jail. Plus, you already have a record, which will only make it worse
He shook his head. “I can’t believe this is happening.”
“We can’t fight them, David. My father knows people. He can hurt us.”
“Nothing can hurt me more than losing you and my unborn child. I have to do something. Anything, if it means we’ll be together.”
“David I…”
She was interrupted by a knock on the door.
“Come in,” David called.
The woman who entered wore a striking resemblance to David. She looked from one grim face to the other. Tension was thick in the air.
“Someone’s either dead or pregnant,” she said facetiously.
“Christy, this is my mother, Dana. Mom, this is Christina.”
Dana held out her hand to Christina. “So I finally get to meet the infamous Christy. You’re all my son talks about.”
Christy shook her hand. “Pleased to meet you Mrs. Johnson.”
Dana caught the hint of a tremor in the girl’s voice. “Call me Dana. Mrs. Johnson was my mother.” She looks at David. “Okay, so tell me what’s going on?”
“Christy is pregnant.”
“I figured as much.”
He filled her in on the rest of the details including what Christy’s parents planned on doing about their relationship and the baby.
“Not that I condone what her parents are trying to do but David you should know better. How many times have I discussed safe sex with you? And I don’t believe in all the times you’ve talked about Christy, which have been many, I might add, that you’ve ever mentioned that she was still a child.”
“I’m not a child. I’m fifteen,” she added almost defensively.
“Fifteen,” she breathed. “You’re still a baby. My God, David, I thought I taught you better than that, especially after what happened between your father and I.”
“I am not my father,” he said harshly.
She turned toward Christy. “You’ll have to excuse my son. He seems to have developed a very unhealthy revulsion to his sperm donor. Anytime his name is mentioned he goes off like a nuclear missile.”
“I don’t even know what his name is and I don’t want to know,” he said bitterly.
She ignored him. “I guess he has a right to be angry. His father left when he found out I was pregnant. I was only sixteen at the time and he was twenty-five. Unfortunately, I was so in love that I didn’t see the signs. Turns out he was married. Even after I found out, I still held on to some false hope that he would leave his wife for me. I still can’t believe how stupid I was. I had to raise David by myself. I guess some would say that I didn’t do a very good job but it’s hard raising a child alone especially on today’s streets.”
“Get off your soapbox, Mom. You’re starting to sound like Christy’s father. This is not a political forum or a courtroom. We need to figure out what we’re going to do about the baby.”
“Your father’s a lawyer, Christy?” Dana asked curiously.
“Why is that important, Mom?”
“Actually, he’s in politics. He used to be a lawyer.”
She looked pale, near faint.
David rushed to her side. “Mom, what’s wrong?”
Dana stood stunned, staring at Christy with her mouth hanging open. “W-what’s?” she began, then swallowed and started again, her pulse racing. “Who’s your father?”
“Frank Nelson.”
A chill ran through her. “Jesus Christ.”
“What? What’s going on?”
“I knew her father,” she murmured.
Christy and David stared at one another both sensing that what was to come next would forever change their lives.
“How did you know him?”
“He’s the name you’ve never wanted me to mention.”
“Are you saying he’s my father?”
She nodded yes unable to voice the word.
“No!” Christy clamped her hands over her ears, as if she might be able to shut out the truth.
David looked crestfallen. “But that would mean that we’re brother and sister.”
She nodded her head again.
“Oh my God!” David sobbed, the struggle within him enormous, painful, ripping him apart. “Oh my God,” he repeated. “I slept with my sister.”
Dana’s last words were spoken in little more than a whisper. “Looks like the decision has been made for you. You two can’t continue to see one another and you absolutely have to abort this child.”
David paced back and forth in front of Christy’s house. They wouldn’t let him see her. He tried calling but they had her number changed. He was going crazy. It had been two weeks since he’d discovered the truth. Two weeks of pure hell.
He stared at the gun in his hand. He knew what he had to do. He took a deep breath and headed towards the house.
“Who are you and how did you get in here?” Frank Nelson blurted out the words as if they gave him a bad taste in his mouth.
“Hello Daddy,” David said smugly stepping further into the den.
Frank gave him a long, hard stare. “You must be David.”
David pulled the nine-millimeter handgun out of his pocket and pointed it at him. “I climbed in the window. You really should get a security system.”
“Put the gun away, son,” he said firmly.
“I’m not your son,” he said coldly. “Where’s Christy? I want to see her.”
Frank rose from the chair and stepped around his desk. “I’m afraid you’re too late. She went with her mother this morning to get the abortion.”
“She needs me. I should have been with her.”
Frank stepped closer. “Put down the gun.”
“Why? Why didn’t you want me?” His anguish was an almost palpable thing. It was in the sweat on his brow…the smell of him.
He moved a few more inches. “I was married and my career…”
“Your career always comes first, right? Even before your own children. You’re a liar and a coward.”
“You’re not going to kill me son. You don’t have it in you. You’re just some little petty thief.”
His hand was trembling badly but he managed to cock the gun.
“If you hate me that much go ahead and do it,” he ordered. “Do it,” he repeated, charging him.
The gun exploded as the two men fell to the floor. Screams and shouts echoed with the shot. Frank grabbed hold of the gun but it was too late. Blood was already beginning to soak the front of David’s shirt. Frank lowered him carefully to the floor and stood up. He was reaching for the phone on his desk when Christy came bursting into the room.
She immediately dropped to her knees when she saw David. Blood was everywhere. She lifted his head and gently placed it in her lap. “Please don’t die, David,” she cried hysterically.
“Chris-ty,” he whispered hoarsely.
“I’m here David. Me and the baby are here.”
“Abort…abortion.”
“Shh. The baby is fine.”
“I lo-love you.”
He was dying. Her nightmare was coming true.
After the funeral, Christy’s parents invite her into the library to talk. She reluctantly agreed. They probably want to discuss how I ruined their political chances because my boyfriend/brother get himself killed in our house, she thought.
Her parents talked but she couldn’t concentrate on what they were saying. She laid her hand on her stomach. All she could think about was David and her unborn child.
“Christina are you listening? Your mother is talking to you.”
“I’m sorry, Mom. What did you say?”
“You didn’t hear me. I said you’re adopted.”
Robin M. Carroll
Copyright 2000
