Lesson 2

The words come to her in slow motion. They are like an echo, a faraway melody to her ears. Sophia hangs up the phone slowly while the voices inside of her head catches her by surprise. What kind of mother will you be? How on earth will you be able to take care of a baby in college? So many voices swirling around her head. This time “time” doesn’t stop, but it slows down and then reverses so that she’d go back to every experience she had witnessed from her youth until now. It’s like what people go through when they are faced with a near-death experience—when their life flashes before their eyes. This feeling is close to death. Suddenly, her chest feels tight, like someone had punched the daylights out of her. Then a jabbing piercing pain shoots from that vital organ, a pain that is worse than one can imagine.
“Sophia, what’s the matter?” Margery asks, falling beside Sophia. “Let me call an ambulance.”
The sirens blare below the building, getting their attention. An EMT straps her on the stretcher, and Margery gets in beside her.
“Margery. It’s true. I’m pregnant. My life is over….”
“Your life is not over. There are options for you. Just don’t give up now,” Margery assures her.
“What options? This can’t be happening to me?”
The EMT then looks at her with sympathy. “It looks like you had a close call. From the look of things, your recent news about your pregnancy caused you to feel off. We have a social worker who will take on your case from here on out.”
“Cause me to feel off,” Sophia repeats, feeling the world coming at her full force.
“Yes, and you need to find some techniques to deal with this for the safety of your baby,” the EMT says.
Suddenly, another life is in her hands. A life the size of a nickel, and the thought to rid of the pregnancy crosses her mind. But it’s illegal. This issue that Sophia wants to enforce in Washington, and all over the world—a woman’s rights to her own body.

When Greg finds out, Sophia’s world moves in on her like closing walls. She can’t breathe. Greg’s disapproval stings her in the heart. Standing in his apartment, time stands still.
“How could have this happened?” he says, pushing his face into his hands.
“I don’t know. I thought we were safe,” Sophia says, stepping forward, catching the deep angry lines on his forehead.
“There are options, Greg. We can still make our relationship work,” Sophia assures him.
“What relationship? As far as I know, we are through. I’m not ready to be a father. I’m in college! When can I take care of a baby?” Greg says, exasperated.
“You’re breaking up with me, Greg? How could you? This isn’t the end. We can make it work.”
“You already said that, but I don’t see a future with you. It was just a one-night stand, that’s all. A one-night stand.” He turns and walks away.
“Fine, run away. The baby is still yours, whether you want to believe it or not.”
“Catch you around.” And Greg leaves her standing there with her mouth open, her heart broken. Nothing makes the least bit of sense. She tries to stop the tears from coming, but a powerful force within her cracks, and the tears come gushing out of her eyes quickly.