I remember how frightening, heart-wrenching and life-threatening it was for women who did not have a choice but to have an abortion. I used to feel sad when I heard about women or young girls who got pregnant and the baby’s father shun them. Their mother, father or caregiver disown them. Most of them felt alone and decided to have an abortion. These women did not know if they would live or die after the procedure. I used to feel sad when I heard about women who died because they had it done by someone who was not qualified to do an abortion. One day, I was in the airport waiting to board a flight. A pretty, well-dressed woman walked in the waiting area. I was thinking that she must be well to do and happy. There were empty seats, but the woman came and sat next to me. She said good morning and I said good morning. We did not say anything else for a moment. A couple with a toddler walked by us. The pretty well-dressed woman said, “It breaks my heart when I see babies.”
“Why?” I said and looked at her.
Her eyes were glittering as she softly said, “When I was 17 years, I was in love with a boy. My parents did not like him, but I used to hide to see him. I got pregnant and he wanted us to run away together, but I told him no. I will tell my parents and they will let us get married. That was my biggest mistake. My mother got some women to hold me down and she bent a clothes hanger. She took it and she ripped the baby out of me. I ended up in the hospital and the doctors had to do a hysterectomy on me to save my life. When I see babies, I long for the one that was taken from me.”
“Oh God!” I said, feeling sad for her.
She quickly took a handkerchief from her handbag and wiped her eyes. The shock of what this well-to-do woman said to me had me emotional. She then started to apologize for upsetting me. I told her, “Don’t apologize. She needed to talk to someone and I happen to be her listener. After that conversation, we sat quietly.
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