Abyss

PROLOGUE

"Wait... What?! What does that even mean?" Sam bellowed as he pushed Cathy's legs off his lap to pace.

"What do you mean by 'what does that even mean?' Do you need an interpreter for that? I.AM. PREGNANT, Sam for You!" She countered.

"Of course am not doubting you, babe...it's just that... I mean... how did that even happened? How you can even let that happen?" he queried wearily.

"How can I let it happen? How can I? Are you being serious right now? How can I? Are you even listening to yourself? As if this is something I planned to happen..." She heaves as emotion overtook her.

"Catherine, please calm down I am not blaming you or anything, it's just that this is a lot to take in! I mean... Oh God!" He whirled away from her to pace some more in the confines of his bedroom.

"Calm down, you say? Oh yeah I am calm" She smiled sweetly. "Just one question, Sam, what exactly do you want us to do about this?"

"How am I supposed to know that?" He roared "Just how? When am not even expecting this? When this is not even in my agenda at all?"

"Is that so? This is not in your agenda, right Sam? I supposed this is something that I planned for then isn't it?" She asked with a wide bright smile.

"Just ... Just give me a moment please" Sam turned away from her to resume his pacing while running his hand through his hair.

A mother hen let out a cackle out in the yard as Sam's neighbor shooed it away. A group of girls hurl insults at each other as they pass by, their voices carrying far and near while an hawker exuberantly promote her wares.

'Isn't it incredible that the world will keep going on no matter what happens today? The sky will keep being a riot of colors. The sun will definitely rise and the moon will shine, surely the stars will twinkle faraway in the sky and the universe will keep going. Even though my life will take a new course today, mother earth will keep on thriving' Cathy mused while desperately trying not to think of what Sam's answer will be.

"Sweetheart"

She came out of her reverie to found Sam staring at her with an unreadable expression. She stared at him while her heart thumped so hard she wondered if can hear it.

Sam sat with a deep sigh and holds her hand.

"Catherine, you know I do love you right?" He begins.

"Of course" She smiled innocuously

"I do want us to be together and have children but that is supposed to be in the future. You know, when I have a better job and you're through with your service and gainfully employed. When we can afford to keep a home together without having to run to third parties for support. When..." He paused as Cathy slipped her hands from his as hurt crept in to her eyes before she turned away to look out the window.

"What exactly are you trying to say, Sam?" She asked with her back to him.

"What I am trying to say, babe is that it will be foolish for us to keep this baby, I mean how is it even going to work? Look at how and where I live" He jerkily gestured around his stuffy little room as he rise to his feet to move close to her. "I am not ready to start a family Cathy you know the kind of family I came from and the promise I made to myself to prove myself to them that I can make it. What do you think they are going to say if instead of going back home with something tangible all I can show them are a wife and a child? How am I supposed to face my scornful uncle and his wife that has always expected exactly this to happen? And how am I supposed to face my mother and siblings, you know they all look up to me now that I am out of school. How can I pay them back for everything by adding the responsibility of a family to all that is already going on, exactly how?" He groused on while moving from the bed to the space within the confines of his room.

She turned back to face him "Your little speech is impressive Sam yet it gives no answer to my question, what do you want me to do about the pregnancy?" She probed coolly

"Cathy, why are you being like this?" He sputtered "Why exactly are you not seeing this from my point of view?"

"Oh and your point is?"

"We have to let go of this pregnancy, Cathy"

"Let go? Are you, Samuel Nelson asking me to have an abortion?" Catherine asked in an impassive voice as she stands up from the bed.

"Cathy don't be like this, please you should under..."

"Don't you dare! Don't you dare touch me!" she explode as he made a move to hold her "I should understand, right? Understand what exactly? That the only you can think of in this situation is you? How this is going to affect YOU! How YOUR family is going to react to this! How this is nothing but a burden to YOU! How I and what we create are nothing but an inconvenience for YOUR great plan! Is that what you want me to understand? Oh yeah I understand perfectly! Absolutely!" She whirled from him as emotion overtook her.

"Cathy..."

"Don't even take that tone with me, Sam, don't! You expect me to understand? I definitely understand I understand that I have been such a great fool that hasn't seen through all of your acts since this while! To think I believed you loved me yet it's certain that you don't care about my life. You... you expect me to have an abortion even after I told you what happened to a cousin of mine who attempted that? Oh my God, how could I not have seen through you?" She wailed as tears streamed down her face unchecked.

"Catherine, this tantrum of yours is really not the solution now; we just have to find a solution to this. I wish things didn't have to turn out like this but the truth is; I am not ready to be a family man. I cannot be a father now. It's just not possible." He affirmed.

Shocked, she raced her tear-streaked face to him "You... You bastard! "She grabbed her purse from the stool and made to dash out but he stopped her

"Get out of my way, Sam let me go and throw my TANTRUM elsewhere! Being anywhere but here will be the best thing for me right now!" She aimed a ferocious glare at him.

"Damn it Cathy why are you so stubborn about this!" he swore fervently

"You want to know why? Because now I can see that you are not half the man I have always think you are and that is just so sad. You know what? This baby does not deserve a wimp like you as a father and I definitely do not need a bastard like you before I make my decision. I will give birth to this child, Sam, deal with that!

"You will?" He asked taken aback "Oh well then you should know that I regret that things have to end like this but Cathy if you decide to go through that door with that decision. I am not coming after you" he finished quietly.

"Is that so? She smiled as she gave him a hard jab in his stomach that doubled him over, dusted her hands dramatically and slammed the door on her way out so hard that his frame collections rattled violently o the shelve.