Burden of Innocence

By Edikan Akpan Nwokoye

An entertaining African prose about strange discoveries, an unknown pact, derision and agony of a girl and her family.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Edikan Akpan Nwokoye
• Release date: Oct 19, 2015
• ISBN: 9781310783463

Book preview

Burden of Innocence

by

Edikan .A. Nwokoye

Copyright 2015 Edikan Akpan Nwokoye

Smashwords edition

Smashwords Edition License Notes

This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your enjoyment only, then please return to Smashwords.com or your favorite retailer and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

Aknowledgement

Firstly, I acknowledge God for the grace to write this novel, He made it possible.

My heartfelt appreciation to my husband Obiora Nwokoye for his encouragement and professional editorial advice that led to making the completion of this book possible .

To my parents Dr. and Mrs. E.G Akpan, my siblings; Odudu, Faith, Menim and Etoro Akpan , I say thank you for your immeasurable support throughout this great project.

Chapter 1

She is pregnant, Dr. Asuquo finally announced after skimming through the stapled white paper the lab attendant had given to him.

Iboro’s eyes widened as she tried to figure out if she was in a dream or she was in the midst of a confused reality. She sat still in her chair moving her eyes from the doctor to her guardian as if waiting for an explanation she had requested.

Dumbfounded, Mrs. Obot turned to her, also awaiting an explanation to the conundrum. . She had always trusted Iboro and could go to the ends of the earth defending her but with this, she was not yet sure of what to believe. Mrs. Obot wondered what could be the genesis of such a mess. Uwem the security man had reported a drama between Kufre (her son) and Iboro a long time ago, a shady story blurred further by his ineloquent narration. Now she was forced to attempt a mental recount of what his unclear story was about.

Iboro, did you hear that? she asked almost whispering. Iboro, did you hear that? Mrs. Obot asked, with weighty lips, almost whispering. Of course she had heard the news, jaded by the piercing air of suspicion in the room. She summoned courage to mutter this is impossible. She told her guardian how the diagnosis was far from being the truth. How do you mean it is impossible? She rattled.

How do you mean it is impossible? She asked in a voice that told how much betrayal her trust in her was suffering.

Mummy, I can only get pregnant if a man touches me…she cried, at least that was what she was told and the way it was portrayed although she understood better now, she’ll rather spill it to her that way ‘…a man touches me’.

… so, what are you insinuating? she interrupted with a raised voice.

No man has touched me, she announced as tears crawled out of her already reddened eyes.

Dr. Asuquo who was at the moment busy with some other files was forced to raise his head. She is a virgin and pregnant at the same time? That is not possible, he thought smiling at Iboro in a way that said, ‘stop lying girl’. A tall, dark complexioned man and owner of Aquo Medical Services, was one that had an endearing personality and was loved by anyone he came across; his patients, friends, employee, relations and acquaintances. He watched as the two women stood to leave his office with movements intertwined with sad emotions.

He smiled to himself as he remembered what had happened to him many years back when he was in Medical school. He had met a girl in a gathering with her friends, her beauty enchanted him and he dreamt of being very good friend with her, and then the next moment he pictured her being his wife. He had walked down to her and sat close to her. She did not notice his presence. She was engrossed by a novel and earphones plugged to ears.

He greeted her but she still did not notice him, the music would not let her. She was entrapped in a world between her and the novel. Then he tapped her, she removed the earphone from one of her ears and looked up from the novel.

Hello she greeted wondering what help she could offer the handsome stranger.

It seems you were carried away by your two ‘fun – filled’ entertainers, he said smiling at her, a smile she could not resist.

Yeah! You got that right, She replied returning his smile.

He asked if that was what she did always and she wondered why he would ask such question. She can’t possibly spend her whole time reading a novel while listening to music. She was only sitting there to