CALiSTUS By Thywill

                            Calistus

The court was filled to the brim. Men, women and children all looked sternly at the plaintiff as Winifred handed the arraignment to the jury. There was silence as the judge called the court to order and moved a motion for my trial. I looked at my old friend, Winifred as tears streamed from my eyes. She wasn't the judge, but I needed her help this time as one. Unfortunately, it was late.
Calistus has filed a case against me of killing his one year old son. I was to be jailed for life if found guilty. Quickly, the events that brought me to this honourable court, now my greatest place of ruin appeared in my head.
My seventh abortion was successful. "You'll need to start using contraceptives if I should advise", the doctor had said.
I met Calistus on my friend's birthday party. I was in my third year in Pharmacy, he was in his penultimate. I lived a lone life since I lost my boyfriend in an accident. It wasn't easy snubbing all the guys that came my way but each time they talked to me, his memories appeared in my head. We had promised ourselves marriage after school. In the eyes of many, we were the happiest birds on campus. His death came as a shock. For months, I mourned him in silence and slur of a broken heart. I watched his pictures every night before I slept and in most cases, I read his romantic messages before going to bed as tears would fill the edges of my pillow. I decided not to have a boyfriend until my graduation as a token of my love for him. Time flied...
My family was in the middle class. My dad served as gateman in a microfinance bank and that was the only source of living. Mum died when I was ten leaving dad to cater for me and my three younger siblings. Asides my school fees, I received less than five thousand Naira in two months for my upkeep. Friends flaunted their buoyant boos in my presence, loneliness became my companion and soon, the ultimate quest for love became pressing. I could swear I never had sex with anyone since Emeka died. Which lady doesn't feel horny?
Calistus became a good friend. He drove to my hostel almost every night and each time he came, he brought expensive gifts. My resistance towards him soon became obvious that I soon began to feel guilty..."Let me give it a try" I had said one night after a long persuasive wooing.
To me, Emeka was the perfect friend I ever had but since he's gone, I had to move on with my life. My newbie isn't bad at all. Our love for each other shined like  beams of white light as days passed by and in two weeks, we had our first sex.
Things were becoming more difficult for me. For five months, I received no money from dad and without worries, I didn't question why knowing I had siblings whose school fees were higher than his two months salary. The eldest was writing his WAEC.
Calistus took care of me and even asked to stay with him since I could barely fend for myself. I packed in, not because I was lost in the euphoria of his wealth, but because I loved him and needed help at all cost. It was a new session of academic activities and neither have I paid my school fees nor had money to pay for my house rent. At first, I rejected his gesture but tied to my neck the needs of a young lady, I had to play the fairer dice.
We slept together at nights, had sex like couples and still lived our school lives. In all our love sessions, he refused to use condoms.
I subscribed to pills but most times they didn't work, and by the quarter of his final year, I've had six abortions. I could vividly remember, we won the "best couple on campus award".
My morning sickness became serious that I had to go for yet another test and lo, I was pregnant. This time, I had to tell him. I was afraid already of losing him, but I just had to put up the courage and confront my fate.
His voice echoed ruthlessly repeatedly that our neighbors wondered what was wrong. "I'm not ready to father a child, so get rid of that shit in your belly" he had warned. Of course, I had no choice. I was not ready to bear a child too, I had nothing to take care of it if I was...my whole life seemed messed up at this moment. If I should abort the baby, this was the seventh time. He dropped ten notes of one thousand Naira on the table and asked me to "take care of yaself".
His convocation ceremony was approaching and of course, the abortion was successful. In four weeks, he was out of school.

Our connection failed. He missed my calls and never returned them. I was left in school, dejected and alone with my severally damaged womb. My "doctor" had warned that I may not be able to have a child in my entire lifetime if I should go for another abortion, but I wasn't ready to have one. I wasn't ready to bear the shame and brunt of being a mother in school.
Calistus forgot me, yes, he used and dumped me and I moved on with my life.
I graduated after one successful year in school. I was happy leaving school as a graduate, but the fear of being a barren rained in my heart every moment.
Two years later, I received a letter for a job interview in Lagos. Before then, I had been working in a private hospital in Enugu but I needed a better job with a better pay. Winifred was my close friend while in secondary school and lived in Lagos with her husband. I was not opportuned to attend her wedding. Fortunately, she accepted my request to squat in her house while I stay for my interview. I arrived at Lagos by 5:30pm, Sunday evening and by 7pm, I was in her house.
She cooked in the kitchen while Tom, her little baby boy played in the parlour. Soon, the husband drove in, in a Buick Rendezvous SUV.
It was Calistus. I felt like I had missed my road, no! I felt like I never came to experience this insult about to rain on me. I closed my eyes trying to turn the scenery into an imagination but as he approached, it became more real.
I greeted him and he returned a quick smirk. I launched a high intensity of sight at him as he walked up the stairs, almost in a way that I felt he didn't realize i was the one.
Well, I shouldn't border their happily married family with my poor memories.
Wini served dinner and by 9, Calistus was asleep. I was stunned he couldn't even notice my presence!

I'm now a used toy dumped in the bin. Tom had to pay back for his sins. At midnight, I stealthily walked into their bedroom with a knife, of course, I had gotten the sharpest blade from the kitchen. Maybe they should have locked their room...

While the happy duo snored in deep sleep, I killed their son and  left the house. God knows where I slept that night, but it must have been somewhere related to their neighborhood cos that's where I was arrested...

And now, I'm right here, waiting to face my fate.
The most difficult question reverberated in my ears as the judge asked in his coarse voice:
Guilty or not Guilty?


Written By Thywill