Chapter Five
Rain pattered on the roof, with a few drops quickening to a steady drumming. Pushing the covers off, Rachael got up and sat in the window seat. Wrapping her arms around her legs, she rested her chin on her knees. The streetlights looked blurry through the rain. Her heart felt heavy, and the decision she was about to make weighed on her mind. The scene she had witnessed that evening was the worst of her life: seeing her mother with the pregnancy test and the horrified look on her face was an image she couldn’t erase.
A few hours earlier, the pregnancy test had turned pink, indicating that Aamilah was pregnant, and Rachael had seen the distraught expression on her friend’s face. At first, she had been reluctant to disclose this news to her friend, but she realized that this was not something any parent could take lightly. She had to tell the whole truth, as only the truth could set her free.
When the pregnancy test revealed its result, Rachael had struggled with the thought of breaking the news to Aamilah right away. She couldn’t imagine how Aamilah would react if she discovered her pregnancy, and in a moment of panic, she found herself lying to her best friend. Rachael felt she was trying to protect Aamilah from the harsh reality, but she knew that damage had already been done.
Rachael explained the entire situation to her mother, including how she had lied to Aamilah, fully aware of the damage it would cause if her parents found out about the pregnancy. She was trying to find the right moment to tell them. Her mother was furious and deeply disappointed in her. Over the months, Rachael had caused her mother a series of heartaches due to her sudden rebellious behavior. There were times when Rachael would come home late and lie about where she had been. She had been rude and disobedient, and every attempt by her mother to correct her had been frustrating. Now, learning that her sixteen-year-old best friend was pregnant made her fear it was only a matter of time before Rachael would be in the same situation.
Pat scolded her daughter and insisted that she tell Aamilah the truth the following day, which Rachael agreed to do. However, it was only then that Rachael realized the mess she had gotten herself into. With her mother now involved and sure to monitor the situation, she knew it would be difficult to navigate the outcome. Rachael couldn’t help but think about the best way to break the news to her friend and was uncertain about what the future would hold for her.
Chapter Six
The following day, Rachael left the house early and went straight to Aamilah’s home. She had tried calling her several times on the way, but there was no answer. Fear gripped her as she wondered what might have happened; Aamilah was very good about answering her phone, and Rachael couldn’t recall the last time she didn’t pick up.
As she approached the front door, it suddenly opened, and Mrs. Usman, Aamilah’s mother, hurried out of the house. She worked at one of the top financial companies in central London, so it wasn’t unusual to see her leaving early in the morning.
“Hello, Rachael,” Mrs. Usman said, waving as she rushed down the driveway.
Rachael was startled to see her; the weight of the secret she held that could potentially destroy the entire family made her heart sink with fear.
“You’re early today,” Mrs. Usman smiled at her, getting into her car. “I think your friend is still in bed,” she added as she closed the car door.
Rachael only nodded as she watched Aamilah drive away. After inhaling deeply, she approached the front door, knocked faintly, and noticed it was open. She stepped inside.
Looking around the living room briefly, Rachael noted that it was empty. Aamilah’s grandmother, who had been staying with them since Aamilah was born, was not in her usual spot. Rachael headed straight upstairs to her friend’s room. Without knocking, she opened the door and found Aamilah just getting out of bed.
“Rachael!” Aamilah exclaimed, surprised to see her since they were supposed to meet at the bus stop in an hour.
“What happened to your phone? I’ve been calling you!” Rachael blurted out, her frustration evident.
“Easy, girl…” Aamilah said, taken aback by Rachael’s tone. “Someone woke up on the wrong side of the bed this morning,” she teased.
“I’m sorry, I just thought…” Rachael took a deep breath.
Aamilah turned to her wardrobe to pick out her clothes for the day. “You thought what?” she asked.
Rachael stared at Aamilah in silence, trying to gather her thoughts. She swallowed hard and rubbed her hands over her face, as if trying to push away her fear.
“Are you going to stand there, or are you going to help me pick out what to wear?” Aamilah said, her voice startling Rachael as she continued sifting through the piles of clothes.
Rachael stood still for a moment, fearing the worst as her heart pounded in her chest.
“Aamilah, we have to talk,” Rachael finally found her voice. On her way home, she had been preoccupied with how to start the conversation. Despite visualizing it throughout the night, none of her thoughts made sense now.
“What?” Aamilah replied without looking up, continuing her search.
Dread tightened its grip around Rachael’s heart. “We have to talk!” she said more forcefully. Aamilah halted her actions and turned to face her.
“What’s wrong, Rachael?” she asked, noticing the distress etched on her friend’s face.
“I need to talk to you.” Rachael dropped her bag and walked to Aamilah’s side, guiding her to sit in the chair by her dressing table.
“What’s going on?” Aamilah asked again, her voice tinged with growing concern.
Rachael knelt by her side, feeling the weight of the moment.
“You’re scaring me. What’s going on, Rachael?” Aamilah searched her eyes for answers.
Rachael blinked back tears, avoiding eye contact. “What’s going on?” Aamilah’s voice trembled as she sought reassurance. Rachael exhaled deeply, tightening her grip on Aamilah’s hands.
“I lied to you, Aamilah,” she whispered, her tone heavy with regret.
“You lied to me?” Aamilah whispered, trying to make sense of the situation. She felt flushed and upset.
“Yes, yesterday.” Rachael lowered her gaze, her voice trembling. “When I saw the pregnancy test, I was so scared. I didn’t know what to do or what to say to you, so I lied.” She looked up at Aamilah, battling the surging dread inside her.
“I don’t understand…” Aamilah’s lips quivered.
“I couldn’t tell you, Aamilah; I just couldn’t. I saw how distraught you already were, and I just couldn’t bring myself to add to it…” Tears filled Rachael’s eyes, and she made no attempt to wipe them away.
“Tell me what?” Aamilah’s face showed the strain of confusion as she flushed.
Rachael felt her emotions welling up. “The test was positive. You are pregnant!”
Aamilah jumped to her feet in shock. “What!” she gasped in disbelief. Her lips turned pale, and her hands began to shake.
“You’re pregnant,” Rachael repeated softly.
Aamilah placed her trembling hands on her chest. “I don’t understand…” she stammered. “You said it was negative.” Her voice dropped to a barely audible whisper.
Rachael wiped the tears from her eyes. “Yesterday, you said you were going to kill yourself. I got scared; I didn’t know what to do, so I lied until I could figure things out.” She looked away, trying to avoid the fearful expression on Aamilah’s face.
“When I walked you to the bus stop, I came back and found my mom in my room holding the pregnancy test…”
Aamilah gasped in disbelief and sat back down. She shrugged.
“I am so sorry, Aamilah. This is all my fault; I should have told you the truth yesterday; I should have…” Rachael fumbled through her confusion.
Aamilah looked up at Rachael and burst into tears. “What am I going to do now?” she cried out, cupping her hands around her tiny body. “I can’t be pregnant… I shouldn’t be pregnant…” She shivered in fear, her breath becoming ragged as panic rose within her, forcing more tears onto her cheeks. She looked at Rachael, pleading, “Please tell me I’m not pregnant.” Tears streamed down her cheeks. “Please…”
Rachael quickly walked to her, holding her hands as she searched for the right words to say.
For the first time in her life, Rachael had no idea what to say to her friend. She had never imagined herself in such a situation before, and in that moment, she thought of what a little girl might do if she needed help—run to her mother.
“Maybe my mother could help,” Rachael uttered, but immediately regretted saying it. The thought of involving her mother wouldn’t make things any easier for them.
“Your mother!” Aamilah’s jaw clenched in disgust. “What do you think your mother would do?” she snapped, then remembered that she already knew the answer. Aamilah covered her mouth to stifle the screams that were about to erupt. “Oh God…” she cried out. “This is not happening to me—what have I done to myself?” She sank to the floor in tears.
Rachael quickly knelt down beside her and wrapped her arms around her in an embrace. She felt confused, and for the first time, she had no answers for her friend.
Everything was now out in the open with her mother, who would surely be monitoring their actions. She felt partly responsible for the situation; she knew her friend was sleeping with her boyfriend but never spoke out against it. The truth was, she envied Aamilah’s freedom and the thrill of sneaking around, but she had chosen to refrain from doing the same. This was likely due to the intense teachings her mother had instilled in her from a young age. Despite her resentment towards those discussions and the Sunday school preaching, they had still made an impact on her.
Now, however, she felt she should have handled things differently; she should have stopped her friend from the very beginning. Instead of addressing the issue, they made jokes and laughed about it, and now they both found themselves in tears, unsure of what to do.