I was 16 years old when
I found out that I was pregnant. My first thought
was, "Oh boy, Shaquette how are you going to explain this
to your mother?"
Being that my family was so rooted in the Christian faith I knew
I was
doomed. Being so young and unmarried my family wasn't the only
criticism I
had to take. All of my friends were at my side during the whole
ordeal but
when Keshawn was born it was a totally different story. I wasn't
able to go
out to the mall or to the movies all the time and that really
made my friends
angry. Most of them stopped talking to me because I was too busy
with the
baby to go out and just hang around. When he was about 4 months
old I
got to go to the school picnic, but he had to come along too and
that was no
fun so, I decided to make the best of a bad situation.
As for Keshawn's father
when he found out he enlisted in the Marines and
disappeared. I get a $50.00 check here or there, and he may send
Keshawn a
picture of him every once in a while but that is all. I never
got an
explanation for his disappearing. Keshawn's grandmother used to
come and see
him she would pick him up and take him shopping, but once he turned
7 months
all of that stopped. She said that, I should have been used to
being a mother
by then. My family of course disowned me, and I moved into my
own apartment
which only made things more difficult, because I was only making
$5.00 an
hour at a dead end job which I hated with a passion.
Keshawn is 3 years old
now. I am 19, I graduated from high school at 17.
Fall semester of 2000, I will be a junior in college, which I
got to
attend because of a four year basketball scholarship. My G.P.A
is a 3.6 and
I am striving really hard to make that 4.0 average. My school
supplies 24
hour 5 days a week FREE child care. So Keshawn is there
while I am in class.
Thank God that I chose the right school.
Thank
God that I never gave up.
I guess
I am saying all of this... to show you that through all ordeals
there can
always be a happy ending in you want one. Even though it may take
a while to
do, just have faith, believe me it will get done.
