OCTOBER is known for its stubborn and notorious
scorching heat that turns the earth into a furnace, trees wilt and droop like a
willow, causing animals to desperately confuse shadows for shades.
The 14-year-old was rushed to Murongwe Clinic where
she gave birth to a bouncing baby girl. She was allowed to continue writing the
exam from the clinic with two invigilators supervising her.
As we drove through the rugged terrain with our
branded company vehicle many villagers whom we asked for directions out of fear
for journalists were not forthcoming until one old man helped us.
Along a dusty strip for about a kilometre, before
this reporter could inquire further, three napkins that hung from a washing
line gave us unsolicited directions.
The family was warm and welcoming and the girl spoke
to us as well. With a solemn heart-breaking voice she narrated how she was
impregnated by her 16-year-old cousin.
“I am telling my story with the hope that it will
touch some Good Samaritans out there who would be moved enough to help me take
care of the baby and continue with my education after this mistake. I
disappointed my parents,” she said asking for assurance.
She spoke about how she came to sleep with her
cousin.
“It was sometime in February this year when I was
herding cattle with my cousin. He started touching me all over the body and in
the process undressed me saying ‘let’s do it once and it’s nice’. I complied.
“After the act we agreed that we should not tell
anyone. I kept the matter a secret and
even from the time when I discovered that I was pregnant.
My mother was very
angry when she discovered it the day I gave birth and things turned worse when
I told her that it was my cousin who had impregnated me,” she said.
Asked why she had not disclosed her pregnancy to her
parents, she said she was afraid that they were going to beat her up.
“At times I would feel the pain and would hide it
from my parents and friends until they discovered it the day I gave birth,” she
added.
She named her baby Gracious in honour of the
sympathy shown to her by her parents.
According to medical cards which this reporter had
sight of, the baby’s birth weight was
2,1 kgs.
During the moving testimony her heartbroken
51-year-old mother sat in silence but later opened up.
“It’s very traumatic when certain things come up.
This is my daughter and I must take care of her child since she is a minor. I
am the one who is doing everything from bathing and dressing the baby and even
reminding her to breastfeed.
“It was a shock when the news was broken to me that
she was pregnant because she had never complained of any pregnancy related
illnesses in those nine months. But the day she gave birth she told me in the
morning that she was not feeling well. She lied that she was on her menstrual
periods,” added the mother.
What’s interesting is that she’s a prophetess but
didn’t see it coming for all those months. Nonetheless, when she was lied to on
that particular day, she was shown a sign.
“As a prophetess who always assists other people I
prayed for her. The spirit showed me that she was pregnant and when I
confronted her she vehemently denied it. She proceeded to school where she
later experienced labour pains in the middle of an examination,” she said.
The girl’s mother admitted that it had been an
ordeal to admit that that her 14-year-old daughter was now a mother.
She winced as she recalled the day she was told that
her daughter had been taken to the clinic after she had experienced labour
pains during an examination.
Meanwhile, the girl’s 58-year-old father also shared
his torment saying he was still struggling to come to terms with it.
“At first I was hurt but I’m there for her, as much
as it’s torture for me, I know that I have to be there as a father. I have seven
children and she is the sixth. She is intelligent and I am hopeful that despite
this incident she is going to pass her Grade Seven examinations.
“Although I noticed that her body was changing I
didn’t suspect she was pregnant. I just
thought it was a sign of good health until the day we received news that she
had been taken to Murongwe Clinic.
“We have since accepted it and we are happy as
parents that she delivered without any complications.
“We would have regretted if we had to learn that she
had aborted. As it is now we can’t allow the two to get married since they are
related. We have since reported the matter to the police and we are waiting to
hear from them,” he said.
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