Chapter 31: Tacha Williams

Chapter Thirty One of Ruthless

Just a bonus Chapter 😊

Tacha rolled on the bed to get back to sleep, hoping she could really do that despite how many times her name had been called. The last thing she thought of doing was using the pillow underneath her head to cover her whole face instead, averting her face away from the early morning brightness walking its way into her eyes.

"Tacha what's this kind of sleep you've opted for nowadays? It's past eleven. Aren't you going to work?"

"Uhmm..." Tacha mumbled, turning her body away from Kenny. "Kenny I'm tired. Can you leave me alone for another thirty minutes please?" Her voice sounded more frosted. "It's Saturday. It's my first day off."

Kenny's mouth gaped open before she yelled. "Oh my God!"

"What's that?" Tacha turned very quickly, throwing the pillow on her face aside. She scrutinized Kenny's face hoping she was alright, before closing and opening her eyes to adjust to the light coming through the window of the room. If she was feeling sleepy a few seconds ago, Kenny successfully made her lose the opportunity to continue that.

"Oh my God Tacha, hope it's not what I'm thinking. Are you-" Kenny paused seeing the unfriendly expression on Tacha's face. She dropped her hands covering her mouth lightly. "I'm just worried Tacha. You look so tired and you sleep a lot these days."

Tacha came up, sitting in the same spot where she had been lying down for hours. She understood Kenny was worried so she tried not to make her feel bad despite being angry for disturbing her sleep. Tacha stared at Kenny. "Don't tell me you really think I would involve myself in such and not protect myself. People sleep when they are too tired. I'm not the first person to sleep for hours after so much stress."

"I don't see you taking anything. Pills or something and I just thought you could be pregnant with all the signs before me. I'm just concerned."

Tacha sighed, and a small smile came down on her lips. "Me, pregnant? I'm on family planning. I'm not ready to have kids now biko. If half of the women we see don't take responsibility to protect themselves, they would have given birth to more than a dozen by now. I wouldn't make such a mistake Kenny. Family planning is the real dodo."

"What!" Kenny chucked. "You, family planning? Are you married already or what? Why are you sounding like a married woman? How can you be so sure about that thing anyway? It's not even a hundred percent sure."

Tacha rolled her eyes. She knew Kenny was also sexually active but they never really talked about how they protected themselves. It wasn't something to be ashamed of, but it wasn't just something enthusiasm or something exciting to talk about like...boyfriend matters, crushes, money, love, date nights, and other interesting things friends' would always talk about. Tacha dragged the pillow closer to her body. "What do you know about family planning? It's a contraception anyway. Maybe the Family planning sounds like big grammar. The family makes it sound like it's meant for married women alone. Tell me the types we have that you are so sure none of it works."

Kenny laughed. "Are you really asking me that? Well," she shrugged. "Pills, injection, emm...and...I guess that's all I know. But I know and I've heard of many married women who fool themselves into believing that shit still got pregnant."

"You see," Tacha said, laughing at Kenny. "You know or you only heard?" She thought many are not fully educated or informed to know which one they think is best for them including her friend. It is true some women are on one or two methods but sometimes, just like she was told, some methods don't work for a certain set of people, and in the end, it wouldn't last for the time they planned for it to. Tacha wasn't sure how Kenny had been protecting herself, but she was aware that she bought drugs at the counter which she was definitely told could be taken after sex. Before, she thought men protecting themselves was okay, and that was enough for the two of them until she knew better.

Kenny raised her brows at Tacha. "So, you are just going to laugh at me?"

Tacha tried to stop giggling, holding her lips together before speaking up. "You see, there is no way I could explain that to you that you will understand. From what the nurse told me, it could be that the woman was due already and didn't visit back to renew it on time. Postponing it, but coming together with her husband at night, or maybe every night." Tacha smiled. "Even one night baby girl, something can happen. A lot more. I'm not a nurse to sit down and talk about that. So darling, Family planning or contraception, whatever way you see it... It isn't meant for married women alone. As long as you are sexually active, you have the right to protect yourself and always remember that some drugs affect your health and body so go the proper way. And...I know you aren't telling me, but don't you think you need to visit the hospital? Your period is lasting up to weeks now. It's been going for about two months now."

Kenny felt uneasy, moving her body. "How do you know? I always wear my pad from the bathroom."

"While I sweep six nylons of always if not more than that for weeks now. What kind of drugs are you taking? Do you really not believe in contraception at all?" Tacha asked before she saw Kenny, who felt a bit uneasy and quite embarrassed to talk about it. She moved closer to her and tickled her. "Aunty no dey do wayo wayo alone, take care of your body too."

Kenny laughed pushing Tacha's hands away.

Tacha bounced on her and tickled her more. It was her opportunity to get back at Kenny for not allowing her to enjoy her sleep. She didn't expect Kenny to be shy about approaching nurses at the hospital or choosing not to discuss her health issues. In a few weeks, Kenny would be clocking twenty-seven, and that's some big numbers ladies are expected to be married and start having kids. Tacha was glad her mum hadn't talked about that yet.

"So stop talking nonsense about me young lady," Tacha said, throwing herself back on the bed. "It's not easy resuming work in the morning and going straight to the restaurant to resume work again at night. I come home every night extremely tired Kenny. Every chance I get, I sleep and relax really well. I really hope I can still sleep before evening comes again."

It was Kenny's turn to laugh. "I can't believe you are back to your normal self. Anyone would have thought you wouldn't be able to survive."

Tacha turned to Kenny, her lips spread into a wide smile before the sound of her laughter filled the room. "All thanks to you. I can still remember that night I got to know Ricko was cheating on me and I thought I was going to die, but look at me." She giggled. "And even now that I've realised how much Nathan has really grown on me, and I thought I wouldn't be able to watch him from afar, just look at me."

The sound from Kenny's laughter merged with Tacha's own and the two enjoyed the moment before the sound faded into the thin air. "You are doing so well. You sound like you are over them. Good job." Kenny praised her.

Tacha smiled. These two relationships she had or the fling she had with Nathan thought her it's okay for one to lose what you think is dear to you, cry, cry, and cry like you might never survive without them, but in the end, you will always choose yourself, you will have to love yourself, you will have to brace yourself, you will have to smile, laugh, get back to work and make money to give yourself the best treat, you will have to stop feeling guilty, because after all only you knows what's best for you. Your happiness, your mental health, your future. So you will have to tell yourself the sex is good, but you deserve better. He's a good man, but he still doesn't make you happy. She's caring, but marriage can never make her a wife, he is handsome but he's got no future. He's got a good family but can he make a family? And Tacha thought.... He's got everything, but would he ever be able to choose her...over everything? Tacha sighed. It doesn't look like he was ever going to anyway. They were better living their lives separately.

Kenny realised Tacha was lost in her thoughts. "It's okay. It's okay to miss them."

Tacha's laughter came down and she smiled. "If only he weren't what everyone calls him. Deep down, he's a good man. Where can I order a beautiful dress?"

"Going somewhere?"

Tacha nodded. "I have a party to attend. You wanna come?"