DANIEL'S POV

The pitter-patter of the rain reverberated in the empty gate house. The girl before me was finding new ways to upset me. She looked so different. She had added a bit of weight, I noticed her breast were fuller. She had dark circles and very dull eyes . She wasn't as attractive as she was few months ago. It was either cause' of the frown on her face or pregnancy was treating her bad.

I crossed my hands then reiterated, "what the hell are you doing here?"

She pointed her long, fat fingers at me and with an ugly scowl etched on her features. "Never in your miserable life pull me in such a manner." She glared then muttered, "idiot."

Rolling my eyes, I inquired once more, "what are you doing in my house?"

Her features softened. "We need to talk."

"What have we been doing?"

She took a step towards me, "we need to talk...about the pregnancy."

"Pregnancy?" I crossed my arms, my face morphing to a puzzled look. "What pregnancy?"

"Daniel!" She frowned, "you clearly know what I'm talking about."

Pregnancy. Her pregnancy. It was hers, I had nothing to do with it. You did! A small voice said and I shook my head to get rid of it. I didn't bargain for this, all I wanted was to have fun, enjoy myself and now she was telling me about pregnancy. I was just a child, barely an adult and she wanted me to be a father at seventeen? She was delusional!

"Ehn, yes, your pregnancy. Your baby." I told her with a shrug .

"It's our baby. I didn't get myself pregnant, did I?"

I shrugged again, "I dunno." I leaned on the wall of the gatehouse. "You could be virgin Mary pro max."

She cupped her face with her palms and gave an exasperated shout into into them. Faintly, I heard sobs coming from her but I stayed still.

Thunder came marching down with increasing tread, a mighty wind pushed the door of the gatehouse open and breeze forced it way into the empty room. I shivered making me remember I was shirtless. Tobi took her hands away from her face and  put them in the pocket of her green sweater.

Her face was wet, mucus dripped from her nose. The wind brought strands of her disheveled hair styled in two cornrows up. She looked funny, like she was electrocuted.

"Daniel." She sighed. "I know this is hard, it's just as hard for me. I'm the one with a baby inside of me. You don't get to throw up, you don't get mood swings, not even horrible cravings. All you just have to do is take responsibility for your actions. Man up! Be a man and tell your parents the truth, please. I can't do this alone." Now she had steady stream of liquid trickling down her face.

"You have no idea how much embarrassment I've suffered since this horrible news got out. Daniel, please, for the sake of the good times we shared together. Please, take responsibility for your child."

Be a man? I scoffed, I was still seventeen so I couldn't be a man. I couldn't let my life get ruined all because of few minutes of pleasure. I didn't even enjoy it!

My parents never spoke about it. It all ended at the principal's office that evening. Father was fuming but mum was calm, at least she wasn't showing signs of worry. The last I heard about it was mum telling dad she had it under control. And she did. I didn't get called out at the assembly three days ago with Tobi.

"Your parents and mine could work something out." She pleaded while sniffing.

I took a step towards her, "you want to ruin my future don't you? I have a lot of plans ahead, you think having a child is going to help me? Are you the witch my village people sent?" I arched an eyebrow while she stood stiff, tears welling in her eyes. "Can you just get out of my life? I don't want whatever shit is in your stupid belly!" I pointed four fingers at her stomach. "Leave me the fuck alone!"

"Dan-" she tried calling my name but she sobbed instead. She facepalmed and cried into her hands as she got on her knees. "Daniel..." She took her hands from her face and looked up at me with tears welled up and dripping from the corners of her eyes. "Please."

Just as I was about to speak someone called from outside "Daniel." Upon spotting me, Wale walked in drenched. "Wetin you dey do here?" He grinned, "you wan fuck girl abi? Tobi own never teach you lesson." His smile fell, as his eyes moved downwards.

"Tobi?"

Tobi wiped her tears as she stood. She sniffed and crossed her arms. "Hey, Wale."

He dropped the drawing books he went to get us on the floor and gave a confused frown.

"Tobi was just about to leave." I stated,  my eyes moving from Wale to Tobi. "Oya, leave." I told her.

She walked towards the door where Wale was standing at. "Can you help me convince him to claim his responsibility. I swear on my life this child is his. "

My eyes did a three sixty in their sockets. She no dey hear word? If she had been this stubborn and persistent that afternoon on her birthday, we wouldn't be in this situation. But she was easy. Too easy.

Wale stuttered. He gave me a look. When he parted his lips, I said, cutting him off, "Tobi leave." I pushed her carefully, Wale shifted for her to get out of the gatehouse.

We got out of the gate house, the rain hitting  me. Tobi was drenched while I could feel water penetrating into my jeans. I feared I would get a cold but didn't leave nonetheless, I needed her out before mother got home.

"Daniel, it's raining. Let the rain subside and she can leave." Wale yelled from the gatehouse but I ignored him and pushed her towards the gate.

"Daniel, please. The rain." She begged taking off her sweater. "Please." She put the sweater on her head to prevent the rain from hitting her.

I pushed her out of the gate. "Tobi, move!" I ordered; she complied and went out of the gate but remained there pleading for me to let her seek refuge till the rain had stopped. "Tobi, come and be going!"

Wale joined us in the rain and whispered into my ear as I locked the gate. "Just let her stay till after the rain. She could get a cold and fall ill. You know her condition."

"Guy, my mother could get home any minute. She'll kill me if she sees her." I wiped away the water from my face. "My mum said to say clear off her."

He put a hand on my shoulder. "She can just stay in the gatehouse till the rain stops or subsides then she can leave. Guy, pity her na. Na your pikin dey her belle."

Hissing, I pushed his hand from my shoulder while he laughed. "You're responsible for her, not me." I told him.

"And you're responsible for her pregnancy." He smirked. I threw a punch his way but he was fortunate to have dodged it.

"Mad man." I muttered with a frown. As I made my way to the house , I remembered to add, "she must not leave the gatehouse."

"She won't, just like your sperm can't leave her too." His retort came out in a whisper alongside a mischievous grin. I returned a scowl and marched towards him. I opened the gate and pointed at the entrance, "kindly leave the premises."

He laughed so I reiterated, "leave the premises."

Wale's face contorted to a serious one. "Na joke or you dey serious?"

"Wale, leave!"

By now Tobi had given up and was standing by a tree , trying to take shelter from the rain with the leaves.

"I was just joking, trying to lighten the tension." He shrugged. His clothes were drenched and glued to his body.

"I don't care. Just leave my house."

"And if I don't?"

"Don't try me." I warned. "Humbly, leave."

"I'm not leaving." He declared, crossing his arm giving his thin frame a defiance look.

I grappled the collar of his yellow polo shirt, pulled him out of the gate. He struggled to get out of my hold but I was much stronger. I pushed him out of the gate and as he stumbled to the ground, he got a firm hold of the belt on my waist and pulled me with him. I made a hard landing on the asphalt with my side while Wale landed on his back.

Groaning in pain, we both sat up. My hand went to my left shoulder, massaging the pain when something made hard contact with my chin. I let out a groan and spat out blood as a result of biting my tongue. Angrily, I pounced on Wale and landed a blow on his nose.

Struggling, he turned us over, I was under now and he gave me a punch to my stomach. I tried to return the punch but failed. Tobi came over, yelling for us to stop hitting each other.

He hit me again, on the lips this time and I mustered all my strength to hit him on the eyes. He cried  out in agony and I was able to pin him under me. I gave him two blows on his cheek. Just as I was about to  give a third one, a car came to a stop before us and just like a deer caught in headlights, we both froze.

My gaze lowered from my mother's black SUV to Wale pinned under me with a worrisome look then to Tobi standing next to us. Slowly, I got off Wale and we both got off the floor.

"You're dead." Wale whispered.

I couldn't agree more. My mother had warned me against having any contact with Tobi and I was doing that well until today.

The window of the driver seat rolled down. "Madam said, all of you should get into the car."

Wale and I shared a look and reluctantly walked to the car. I took the passenger seat while Wale and Tobi joined my mum at the back seat. I shuddered at the feel of the air conditioner at full blast. Mother threw me a silky, black scarf from the back seat. I wrapped myself with the scarf and murmured, "thank you, ma."

Everyone remained quiet. Uncle Henry was driving in a unfamiliar route. Quietness was retained even when Tobi announced she had to get home. After a long ride, we arrived at a police station making me confused. The rain had stopped by now and the sun was gone.

When we got into the police station, Tobi's father was pacing while an aged woman in a knee length purple kaftan was scolding a younger woman. They were both sitting on a bench. Two police officers were at the counter.

Upon setting his eyes on Tobi, her father greeted her with a slap, one that sent her to the floor. "You went to open your legs again abi?"

I heard mother whisper something about sleeping over to Wale. I glanced over at him and noticed his eyes were swollen. My lip felt bigger too as my body still hurt.

With tears flowing freely , Tobi rose up and her father slapped her once more. This time she didn't fall but she put her hand on her cheek. The police officers told him to stop hitting her and the aged woman came to his side. She held his hand to prevent him from hitting her further.

"I want a restraining order from this lady." Mother announced, I was shocked. I coughed into my elbow and adjusted the  wrapped scarf around my upper body. "She keeps harassing my son."

"I want a DNA test." Tobi announced too.

Mother laughed. "A DNA test?" Tobi nodded. "My son will most definitely not be getting involved in whatever jargon you are requesting."

"I want a DNA test conducted." Tobi insisted.

"There won't be any need for that. Tobi will be leaving for Modakeke first thing tomorrow morning."

All eyes averted to Mr Oyesile while Tobi's mouth parted open in shock.