Previous Challenge Entry (Level 1 – Beginner)
Topic: Space (01/23/06)
-
TITLE: A Moment in Space and Time | Previous Challenge Entry
By Lerrina Collins
01/26/06 -
LEAVE COMMENT ON ARTICLE
SEND A PRIVATE COMMENT
ADD TO MY FAVORITES
Rape! Her own gut heaving, she followed her daughter. "Nicki," she said, after closing the bathroom door. "Are you all right?" Kneeling beside her daughter, she placed her hand gently on Nicki's shoulder.
"I'm okay. I'm just sick to my stomach."
"Do you feel up to talking?"
"Yes," the girl responded. Together they rose and stood facing each other.
"Nicki, has a boy been touching you?" Maria asked softly, her green eyes gently probing her daughter's blue ones.
"No," Nicki said, her gaze dropping. Her quick response heightened Maria's fear.
"Honey, you aren't in trouble, but I need to be sure you are telling me the truth. Nicki, I want you to look me in the eyes and answer me. Has a boy ever asked you to take your clothes off?"
Nicki ducked her head and started to cry. Slowly Maria learned the story. Stifling the anger and fear which threatened to choke her, she soothed and comforted her distraught daughter. Once Nicki calmed down Maria asked, "Do you feel like finishing dinner, or would you rather take a bath."
"A bath. I'm not hungry."
After briefly relating Nicki's words to her husband, Kent, Maria headed to town for a pregnancy test. Her mind, a whirl of confused thoughts, raced ahead. The 45 minute round trip gave her ample time to think. The thoughts weren't pleasant.
She found Nicki in her room when she returned. The book, upside down on her lap, revealed her frame of mind."Honey, I have something I need you to do," Maria said.
"Okay." Nicki replied, looking up with sad eyes. "What?"
After Maria explained the procedure, Nicki went to the bathroom. Five minutes later she confirmed Maria's worst fears. Her sweet, innocent, 13-year-old daughter, whose simple mind related most closely to her 7-year-old friends, was pregnant!
Later that night Maria paced their bedroom her anger and fear flowing unchecked. "Creep! How could he? If I could get my hands on him, I'd kill him!"
Kent let her rave. Finally he said, "I know how you feel. I could kill him myself! But we must allow room for justice. I've talked with the police. He'll be taken care of."
"Justice? What kind of justice leaves our sweet little girl, a child herself, bearing some rapist's child?" Suddenly she stopped and faced Kent head on. "Let's get her an abortion. No one would need to know." For a moment hope surged. "She wouldn't have to bear the shame or suffer the pain!"
"Honey, listen to what you're saying," Kent responded. "You want to kill a completely innocent child. Wait," he raised his hand as Maria opened her mouth. "I'm not saying Nicki's guilty. I'm saying, this child had no choice. This baby is helpless. Can we really take its life?"
Maria walked slowly to the window and looked out on the softly falling snow. "But, Kent, it would solve everything."
"It would solve nothing."
Maria wrestled deep and long with her thoughts and feelings. Finally she turned. "I don't really agree, but I see your point. It seems like it would solve everything if we just brushed the problem under the rug. But, I know it won't. Thank you! I don't know if I could have lived with myself if we'd actually done it."
Seven months later the day arrived. Finally the doctor came to the waiting room. "It's a boy," he said. "Nicki is fine. The C-Section went well. You can go to the nursery and see him if you'd like. Nicki should be in her room in an hour."
For several long moments Kent and Maria marveled over the beautiful little boy. However, Maria's heart was still torn. "Did we make the right decision?" she wondered. "What about Nicki?!"
An hour later Kent and Maria sat beside Nicki's bed, avoiding the subject on all their minds. Suddenly Nicki broke the silence. "I heard the baby cry? Is it a boy or a girl?"
Tentatively Maria answered.
"A boy? Can I see him?"
"If you'd like."
"Oh! Yes. Please!"
The next hours set the stage for the many which would follow. Because, in one moment of space and time, a life was saved. And a baby boy brought love, joy, and hope to a mother, a father, and a child-mother.
The opinions expressed by authors may not necessarily reflect the opinion of FaithWriters.com.
If you died today, are you absolutely certain that you would go to heaven? You can be right now. CLICK HERE
JOIN US at FaithWriters for Free. Grow as a Writer and Spread the Gospel.
I would suggest you break up the article with some white space between paragraphs - makes it more readable.