TOBY.
I rushed over to Yasmin's place only to be greeted by her sour face at the door.
"Is this the happy birthday I get?" I asked her with a peck.
"You're late." She said and pushed me off.
"I couldn't say no to my mum, it's my birthday, shouldn't that least get me off the hook," I said but she just walked ahead of me into her apartment and lead the way to a table set neatly with various mouth-watering dishes on display set against a backdrop of balloons shaped like different letters that spelt happy birthday.
"I forgive you this time just because it's your birthday." She said turning toward me and smiling, "happy birthday babe." She kissed me passionately for a few seconds before pulling away. The switch-up was crazy but that's Yasmin.
We sat down at the table and she began to make me a plate that I wasn't interested in eating. I didn't have the heart to tell her I was full so I just let her.
"Why aren't you eating?" She asked after she must have noticed I was picking at my food.
"I'm not hungry, I ate with my mum."
"You knew we had plans but you still went ahead and ate at your mum's place." She started angrily her arms folded, looking me squarely in the eyes.
"It slipped my mind," I said pushing the plate away, I could see she was in the mood for trouble.
"It slipped your mind, I made all these and it slipped your mind," she said gesturing at the food on the table.
"Oh please, it's not like you cooked the food. Since when do you cook? "
"It's not like your mother cooked the food either."
"Leave my mother out of this," I said with deadly calm, really getting angry this time.
"Can we not fight, the last thing I want is for us to fight," she pleaded.
"Well you started it," I said childishly crossing my arms.
"Okay, I'm sorry. If you don't want to eat then it's fine but I'd like to share our big news now," she said, my eyebrows raised of their own accord when I heard our big news.
"What's this big news of ours that I'm not aware of?" I asked in confusion.
"Well," she said looking down and playing with the hem of her silk blouse before she looked me in the eye and continued, "we are going to be parents, I'm pregnant."
"How?" Is the first coherent word my brain and my mouth could work together to form.
"Do I need to explain to you how babies are made?" She asked with a nervous giggle.
"I thought you were on birth control."
"I got off it a few months back, it was making me fat," she explained.
"And you didn't think to tell me?" I asked, trying to tamp down the rage that was building within.
"We were using protection most of the time anyway so I didn't think anything of it." She started lamely.
"The more reason why you should have told me," I said, at this point, I was on my feet, pacing the room and running my hands through my hair.
"This is good news babe, why are you acting like this? In a few months, we will be parents and then in a few years we'll be married," she said trying to put her hand on my shoulder but I moved away quickly.
"Did I tell you I was ready to be a father?"
When there was no reply from her I held her by her shoulders, looked her in the eyes and asked again, "did I tell you I wanted to be a father?" She shook her head in the negative, "good! Now get rid of it," I said.
She shook my hands off her and walked to the far end of the room, "it's good to know where I stand in your life but this baby stays," she said in a shaky voice.
I moved toward her but she raised a hand to stop me, "leave!"
"It's not like that," I said.
"Then what is it like? If the case was reversed you probably won't be asking Ruby to get rid of your baby." Tears were streaming down her eyes at this point.
"Oh, trust me I would. What type of Father would I ever make?" I asked.
My question seemed to have softened her, she moved toward me," you'll make a great father."
"Like my father?" I laughed, "do us all a favour and just get an abortion."
"Get out!" She shouted and this time, I did just that, leaving her crouched down in tears, her hair a mess.
The next time I saw Yasmin was a few hours later, with a face devoid of tears and looking every inch perfect in a simple make-up look. She sat across from me at my birthday dinner and avoided eye contact with me at all costs. I had messed up but couldn't she understand that I just couldn't do it? How does a man even think of being a father after the horrible experience I had with mine?
"This must be the smallest party you've ever had," Aiden commented, pulling me out of my thoughts.
"Yeah," I answered, my eyes roaming about the table. My mother kept to her words this time around. There were only about thirty people present from the look of things and most of them were friends and family, not politicians and business rivals.
"Are you okay?" He asked," you might be coming down with whatever Ruby has," he added. She had been looking a little sick since we came here, I shook all thoughts or concerns of the woman seated beside me immediately they formed and tried my best to continue avoiding her.
"I'm fine," I answered without taking my eyes off Yasmin. When she rose from the table, I waited a respectable amount of time and followed her discreetly.
She walked into the lady's room aware that I was following her. Ignoring me she took out her lipstick from her purse and touched up her already perfect makeup look, brushing her hair back with her hands and avoiding eye contact with me in the mirror while I watched.
"What?" She asked turning to face me when we both entered the confines of the toilet.
"I'd like it if you reason with me."
"If you are not coming round to my way of seeing things then there is nothing to reason here."
"You have to understand, we are in no position to be having a baby."
"Who is having a baby?" Ruby asked, emerging from one of the stalls.