ABSTRACT
The year 2020 rolled in and I was already in a fight for life. Not for my life but for the new life that was forming within my womb. News of my pregnancy caused a rift in my relationship. We didn't plan for this child, but divine wisdom said this child would come to be and I was ready to accept this assignment. My husband, on the other hand, filled with worry, uncertainty, doubt and maybe even fear was losing it. “What are we going to do with another child?” he screamed. “We're going to love him and raise him with our other children,” I retorted. He wanted me to abort; I was opposed but willing to entertain it. In fact, I called a few abortion centers sobbing through each phone call as I told them why I was calling. I just couldn't do it. I had a plan though; one that would require divination, ancestors, and trusted elders. I won't tell the secret of what I did; but, my son is living proof that a mother's prayers, ancestral guidance, and spiritual sacrifice do work. Little did I know how much more support we would need to make it through pregnancy and birth in a pandemic.
