April 30th,
Dear Diary,
My friend Mary, came to see me today, with the most astounding news. She is pregnant! I didn't know quite how to take it. Should I be happy for her? Surprised? Worried? I didn't know. But whatever I did, it must have been appropriate because she did not seem to worry about my reaction. You see, we are still teenagers, and this will be some piece of news her family and friends won't take to well. But Mary felt she could at least tell me. She also told me who she thinks the father is, and sorry to say this, but I think my best friend is losing her mind. It is quite possible considering that she must be awfully tormented about this. I cannot even begin to comprehend what she must be going through. I know I couldn't sleep for worry of what to tell my parents, if I were in her shoes. For worry of what people would say especially! Oh, the horror of it! I just got so tired of thinking about it, I fell fast asleep totally exhausted with worry.
When she left, she didn't tell me to keep it a secret, but we are such that she doesn't need to tell me anything, I understand what she wants, so I hold my tongue. However, news goes around our little village here by the lake pretty fast. In a day or two, mutual friends of Mary and me, started to question me about Mary. Everything is still such a secret that they whisper and cover their mouths as they talk into my ear, as though some lip-reader will decipher what they have to say. "Is it true that Mary is really pregnant?" Asks one. "Oh, my, did you hear that Mary is pregnant?" Squeals another. Not wanting to lie, and not wanting to cause Mary any undue embarrasment, I say I really don't know. After that, I try to avoid people as much as I can. I realized that the news must be going around quite a bit when my mother stepped me off into the bedroom and very seriously asked me about Mary. She probably thinks what Mary has is contagious, because she was looking at me pretty hard, as though I am hiding something. Well, I am hiding something, but not what she is thinking. I couldn't lie to my mother, so all I said was that people had mentioned something like that to me, but I am not sure whether or not it's true.. She asks me what Mary and I discussed the other day when Mary came to see me, and I said to her, "nothing."
Needless to say, I was dreading market day that week. All those inquiring eyes, all those pointing fingers. But it was unavoidable. Mary and her mother came as they did every week, to buy food and fish. We are a small fishing town you see. You could hear the collective gasp of the entire market when Mary and her mother were spotted. Where I was standing, a few people were talking about Mary. Some said that they thought her boyfriend Joe was the father, and that he had high-tailed it out of there. Others said that no, Joe was quite the gentleman, and would make a lady of her. Still others said, "What the hey, who can tell? Mommy's baby, daddy maybe." Small town gossip can be very hurtful and ruinous, and I did not know what to say or do. I turned my face away and pretended I wasn't there.
Mary's mother was looking very intense, and was not her usual cheerful self. They did not stay long at the market. Mary, however, did not look too worried. She smiled and greeted everyone as usual though she was showing signs of a little exhaustion. I was sure my friend had lost it.
Months Later:
Well, it's been quite a time we have had in this little seaside village of ours. Mary had the beautiful baby boy. We thew her quite the baby shower. She and her boyfriend got married, much to the chagrin of the naysayers, and though they are nowhere close to having enough money, they are doing okay. I don't know how they are going to save for education for that little boy of theirs, who is just the most intelligent and adorable thing on the face of the earth I'm sure, but they are so happy, they don't know any better. I guess we can forget about a retirement plan for them. They are young yes, but if they are determined, they can eeke out a minimum wage living from Joe's carpentry work, and when their son is old enough, he can help his dad and help bring home some more money. They named him Jesus, by the way. The whole nightmarish saga has been forgotten, and forgiven.