A Second Chance

"For dust we are, and unto dust, we shall return. May the soul of our dearly departed brother, son, father and friend rest in peace.” The priest’s voice reverberated in the otherwise quiet cemetery. Amaliah’s gray eyes were glazed over; raw, dull and full of grief. She was in shock, and she would’ve collapsed on the floor and rolled into the freshly dug grave if it was not for her mother’s firm grip on her arm and her friend's support on her other side. She reached up and ran her hands through her loose ponytail, raking her fingers over her scalp. She didn't care if she bled, all she wanted was the pain and relief that came with doing that. The scrunchie she had put in place to hold her hair came off, and her lush brown hair cascaded down her shoulders. Her limbs were stiff and her legs threatened to give way under her. A dizzying feeling washed over her and bile rose in her throat. The coffin was lowered into the open grave, and Amaliah started to tremble. The priest grabbed a

Whenever they were asked, Rafael would say it was love at first sight. It was for him, but his wife didn’t quite agree that it was so on her part. For Amaliah, it was an intense attraction at first sight, but it wasn’t love, she was sure about it. They met on a Thursday afternoon at the beginning of the summer, after Amaliah’s shift at the coffee shop downtown. He had first caught sight of her a few days before then, but she had no idea. She had been standing in front of the coffee shop, consoling a lady whose shoulders were heaving with sobs. From their body language, he guessed they were friends, and he watched in admiration as Amaliah finally succeeded in making the crying friend smile and wipe her tears. It was a beautiful view, and he felt good watching them. Not many people could make someone smile after they just cried their eyes out. He came to the coffee shop for a few days after that, watching her until he was able to take note of when she usually got off work. On that Th

“I want to marry you, Amaliah, and I will,” Rafael said to her one day. Her shift had just ended, and she was heading for the bus stop. As it had become his tradition for the past week, Rafael was walking her to the bus stop. He sauntered beside her, back walked and even skipped. She laughed at his child-like enthusiasm and realized that it was one of the things that had drawn him to her the very first day they had met. He had a kind of inner joy, one that seemed to be unquenchable and she envied him that joy. She loved people who could be happy, no matter the situation they found themselves in. She was not one of such people; she could not keep her joy when she was hurt, disappointed or in any form of pain. She was an emotional person, and could not mask her emotions no matter how hard she tried. “You just like saying a lot of nonsense, don’t you? ” she glared at him playfully. Even as she did, she knew he was right. She would probably marry him and the realization both scared and

“I might be getting an abortion.” Amaliah spoke up after twenty minutes of companionable silence. Her face was turned and she was looking out of the window, looking out to things unknown. Sheila was driving them to her own house because she didn’t want Amaliah to be alone in her house, surrounded with memories and scents of Rafael that could trigger her. She maintained a calm demeanor and a bland face, even if her heart was breaking. She had known, since Amaliah found out she was pregnant, that there was an eighty percent chance that Amaliah would opt for an abortion instead of facing the reality of raising a child alone in the absence of her husband and with the looming presence of huge debts. “You might? Have you thought carefully about it?” she asked casually. There was a long moment of silence. Sheila had become used to the sudden bouts of painful silence. She felt sorry and helpless because she couldn’t seem to do anything to alleviate her friend’s suffering. “Well, it’s ine

“Amaliah will be fine. She collapsed due to an incredibly high blood pressure. The baby is fine as well.” the doctor informed Arturo. Arturo nodded. Then his eyes widened. He wasn’t sure he had heard correctly. “Ba…b…baby? Did you say baby?” he stuttered, staring at the doctor with unfocused eyes. A baby?! “Yes, Mrs Rivers is pregnant.” the doctor’s eyes widened. “I’m so sorry. I had no idea that you weren’t aware.” “It’s alright. Thanks for your help.” Arturo forced a smile. “Can I take my leave now?” “In a minute sir. I would like to discuss the effects of high blood pressure in pregnancy. Severe and uncontrolled blood pressure can be deadly. It can cause problems for Mrs Rivers and the baby and could even lead to the loss of the baby’s life or a stillbirth." The doctor said. "This is because a high blood pressure may reduce the blood flow to the placenta which may result in the baby not getting enough nutrients and oxygen. High blood pressure, also known as chronic hypertensi