DARKEST BEFORE DAWN * ** CHAPTER 1

It was a bright Saturday morning, I woke up with a pounding headache, it was so intense I couldn't even do any house chores. I decided to lay down for a bit while Claudia played with her toys in the next room. A loud knock at the door shook me awake a few minutes later. I rolled out of bed and reached for my wrapper before walking out.
When I opened the door, there was a white envelope on the ground with my name on it. I checked for who might have brought it but saw no one so I bent down and picked before going back into the house. I placed the envelope on the table then walked to the kitchen so I could prepare something to eat. I was still feeling sick so I prepared some chips for Claudia and warmed some Nshima from the previous night for myself.
After eating Cludia continued playing while I sat down in the living room so I could check the content of the envelope.
I blinked my eyes twice as I stared at the white elegant wedding card that I had removed from the envelope, my hands trembled violently as I read what was printed inside the card. I read again and again just to be sure I wasn't hallucinating.
"How could John do this to me?" I thought, my heart rapidly pounding. It had been six months since he had left the house claiming he needed space and since then I had not set my eyes on him, it's like he had disappeared into thing air. He had blocked me on social media, all his numbers where unreachable and none of his relatives were willing to give me information about him.
I spent sleepless nights waiting for him to walk through the door but he didn't, I had cried my lungs out, I had run out of lies to tell Claudia each time she asked about him.
I felt breathless as I tried to process what was happening.
"The Simutende and Bwalya Family are proud to invite Miss Thandiwe Ndlovu to celebrate the marriage Ceremony of Linda Simutende and John Bwalya.
Date : Saturday the 17th of May 2000.
Church service: Miracle Blessings Center Makeni at 10:00
Reception : Radisson Blue Hotel at 8 Pm
Strictly two people per card. No children.
So John was getting married after walking out on me? What hurt the most was the fact that he was marrying my childhood best friend, the one person I had trusted with my life, the one person I thought would never leave me, the only family I thought I had. How could Linda do this to me? To our friendship? And to think Linda had visited me a week ago to console me over my failed marriage, she had also bought me a few baby stuff and promised to check up on me once she came back from her business trip.
" Just be strong Thandi for you and the babies and keep praying maybe John might come back." She had told me, so she had only come to mock me?
I was still staring at the card when i suddenly felt an excruciating pain just below my abdomen coupled with dull pains in my chest. I lay on the floor for some minutes writhing in pain. I knew I needed to get help or I would lose my baby. As I tried standing up, I felt a trickle of liquid fall down my leg, when I looked back, I saw blood on the floor.
" I am losing my child, " I thought to myself trying to slowly walk to where I had put my phone.
"Mummy," Claudia exclaimed obviously surprised with the blood that was dripping.
"Get me my phone." I whispered. Without asking me anything, she rushed to the other room and brought me my phone. I was very scared but I kept my calm because Claudia was awkwardly staring at me. Who would I call in that state? I had no one i could rely on, the only relative I had was an auntie who was staying on the copperbelt.