Arrest me, take me to prison,

I’ll give you one million reasons why you should me mi-mi-mi-mine…

Akushika, one of the few spectators left in the Tu Nyom Dede auditorium, watched with a heart full of admiration as Jonny and Bukky, the only singers left, happily danced to ‘One Man’ by Kidi and Adina. The joyful expressions on their faces as Jonny held Bukky close to him were simply adorable. They had completed their rehearsal for the upcoming anniversary, and were blowing off steam by enjoying the music.

Akushika’s heart swelled with joy as she watched them. A couple of weeks had passed since their reunion, and with all she had seen, it was clear Jonny was sticking to his word. Not only had he stopped toying with his phone whenever Bukky was performing, he had gone ahead to stop toying with it throughout the entire period. He had declared that it was time to ‘get his head out of his butthole’ and appreciate the many other talents they were surrounded by.

Their fellow singers had noticed this change, and had embraced it wholeheartedly. Having tolerated him for a long time due to his talent, they barely asked him to join for acapella sessions and the like. Now they were, and Jonny was proving to be more than up to the task. Just the previous week, he and a few other guys had magnificently performed ‘If I Ever Fall In Love’ by Shai, and everyone loved it. Over the past few weeks, Jonny had undoubtedly become a much happier person, and he had learned very quickly how better off he was taking the focus off himself alone.

That newfound joy couldn’t be found on just his face, though. As a matter of fact, you would find a double portion of that joy on Bukky’s face.

As she had gleefully told Akushika a few days ago, it felt like she had gotten ‘the real Jonny’ back.  Now her man was at the forefront of cheers for her, taking videos of her, and complimenting her after every performance. She had fallen in love with him all over again, and it was a delight to see.

Watching them dance, anyone could see these lovers were in a world of their own, and they were the only inhabitants of that world. Akushika sighed and smiled, watching them continue to groove to the melody before the sound of the door opening caught her attention. She turned to see Raymond, Adoley and Dromo at the doorway.

She nodded and got up. They were there to pick her up.

They watched the couple lost in their dance, and as the song changed to an unfamiliar one, Raymond gestured to the sisters to not call them. He could already tell they were too into each other to notice anybody else. They would come home and see them.

It was best to leave them to enjoy themselves in their little bubble of love.

“Aww, they look so in love,” Adoley whispered. “Isn’t it beautiful?”

“It sure is,” Dromo agreed. “They look so happy. They’ve been looking that way since we got here. It’s so sweet to see.”

Raymond and Akushika looked at each other and smiled. “Well, let’s just say that Jonny’s grown to appreciate the queen he’s got by his side,” Raymond stated.

Akushika shrugged in agreement. “Yeah. That’s pretty accurate. Couldn’t agree more.”

***

Akushika was seated in the front seat, waiting as Raymond, Adoley and Dromo went into a nearby mini-mart to get some items. She busily hummed to herself while rubbing her baby bump, looking around and taking notice of the people around.

A woman of middle age passed by the car and looked at her. Akushika looked back at her. The woman looked at her face, then at her visible belly. Then her face scrunched in disgust, and she let out a disapproving ‘Hmph’ before moving on, talking to herself.

Akushika had learned enough Twi within the past few months to know whatever that woman was saying was derogatory. Now her mood was ruined with that silent condemnation, and it set her mental wheels in motion.

Is this how it’s going to be for me from now on? Are people going to see me and condemn me for having a child this early in life? Because it’s obvious I’m very young and unmarried. Is this… is this all I’ll ever be worth to society? Just a ‘born one’ girl with no prospects in life…

Her thoughts were interrupted by the sound of the doors opening. “Okay, we can get home now!” Raymond announced as he put his seat belt on while the Mills-Odoi sisters sat at the back.

She forced a smile and nodded. “Yeah, yeah.

“Umm, guys, can I ask for your opinion on something?” she asked quietly.

They all stared at her in concern, then nodded. “Of course, baby girl, talk to us,” Adoley encouraged.

Akushika shifted a bit before starting. “Umm… so I know I’m forging ahead with this pregnancy and all, and… of course, I have no regrets. I can’t wait to see my sweet little girl’s face when the day finally comes. But, there’s this lady that passed by the car while I was waiting for you guys, and the way her face squeezed in disapproval. I didn’t really get everything that she said, but it sounded like she was saying small girls of today just get pregnant by heart and amount to nothing. And uh, I was wondering… do you… do you think I can still make it in life despite my situation?

“It’s just that… society can be so unforgiving, you know. Especially when it comes to single mothers. In its eyes, we’re unfit for anything good, you know. And… it just… it just kind of struck me when I saw the look in that woman’s eyes, and I…”

Dromo looked ready to fight. “Who is that? Where is she?” She looked outside. “Show us where she is, so I can give it to her.”

“Awula, relax, wai,” Adoley calmed her younger sister down before turning to Akushika. “Sweetie, of course you can. Don’t let one random woman make you feel like you’re never gonna amount to anything in life. As for what society thinks, it shouldn’t be your concern.”

Raymond nodded, his eyes on the road. “Shika, believe me when I say this: society is the worst choice to depend on to define your worth. As for society, it’s full of imperfect people demanding you be perfect. If you let it determine your worth, you might as well never step out into the open ever again.”

“Exactly. That’s all they know, picking out people like Shika and making them feel bad, just to cover up for their own shortcomings. For all you know, this lady sef doesn’t even have children, so she’s pained,” Dromo stated quite fiercely. “Instead of her to go and pray for God to open her womb. Nonsense!”

Raymond and Adoley laughed out loud. “Eiii, Dromo, cool down!” Raymond snickered in Ga. “You don’t even know if truly truly, the woman doesn’t have a child. I beg, please!”

“Nahh, but it’s annoying. The girl is sitting her somewhere and you just look at her and start condemning her. What’s your problem?” Dromo demanded.

Akushika couldn’t help but giggle a bit. These past few days with the sisters had also revealed that in addition to being sassy, Dromo was quite the no-nonsense babe who could get feisty if need be.

“Well, that’s true. I don’t know what her problem is, but that wasn’t fine. But you know people don’t like to mind their business,” Adoley agreed. Turning to Akushika, she switched to English. “Shika, listen. The truth is that society as a whole won’t be kind to you. Yes, society is very unforgiving towards girls like you. The derogatory names are there: born one and all that. But baby girl, born one, so what? You’re more than that. You’re more than the mistake you made. Don’t let random, flawed people make you feel like having a child this early makes you irrelevant and useless to the world, because you’re not. You’ve got so much to offer this world.”

Akushika nodded silently.

“That’s all, boo. But you should walk in that truth. You should not let some silly man or woman make you feel like trash,” Dromo added. “Like Adoley said, born one, so what? That should be your posture when someone brings it up. And add value to yourself, that’s one really important thing you need to think about.”

Akushika nodded. Indeed, that was an essential thing she had to work on. “Yeah, you’re right,” she agreed quietly. “I guess I… I shouldn’t be letting strangers make me feel worthless. I need to do better on that…”

“Don’t worry, baby girl. I can imagine how it feels, with the judgmental looks and snide comments and all that. It’s bound to get to anyone. But you need to remember to do what you need to do for yourself,” Adoley advised. “Because society won’t exactly encourage you. You’ve got an amazing support system behind you, but ultimately, the onus is on you to do what’s necessary and add value to yourself and make it silly for others to judge you based on one error in your life. You can still win at life!”

Raymond, stopping at a red light, smiled and turned to her. “Well, they’ve said all that needs to be said. I don’t think I have much to add, but I will say that you’re such a sweet, beautiful young lady, and the sky still remains the limit for you. I’ve known you for a while, and I know that you know how to be strong and do what’s right for yourself. So just tap into that power, and trust me, society’s judgmental venom won’t have anything on you.”

The moody look faded away, Akushika was now smiling and nodding.

They were right.

She didn’t need to let herself drown in a spiral of self-pity and sorrow at what people thought of her. No matter what, many would look at her and deem her as just another statistic, another liability to society. That didn’t need to be her worry. She just needed to continue to work towards her aims and goals and achieve what she wanted to achieve.

Forget that woman, whoever the hell she is. Whatever she thinks about me should be her problem, not mine. As for me, I’m Akushika Acolatse, and I’m bringing my precious baby girl into this world and still going to be the best version of myself that I can be. It’s as simple as that…

Born one, so what?

It’s awesome to see Jonny and Bukky have well and truly reunited. And yes, Shika, that’s the spirit! Don’t let your past hold you back!