Son of Lies, chapter one. From 2009

Hi! My name is John,


The situation I'm in today, I have my ten years ago self to thank for. The fights I fought for the past 7 years and the ones I'm still preparing to face were declared upon me in a summer night.

Ten years ago I was a senior teenager, having a pleasant evening with some friends in the usual bar, I used to frequent at that time. Me and my friends, in a night like so many others, we talked about everything from, plans to politics, ethics and some gossip for the sake of argument. In that particular night, in the shuffle of several discussions, we somehow arrange to get to the topic of abortion and all its paradigms.

As a precedent pro-life believe, after getting nowhere with all the argumentation, I turned to the female assembly and said in this simple words: "In the chance you're pregnant, with an unwanted child, I beg of you to stand up through nine months of shame, and then for the sake of life let me take care of the poor unfortunate soul. I'll father the poor being, giving him all the satisfaction to any needs there will be."

Three years later, on the same bar but with a slightly different assembly. We gossiped about our lives and al its marvelous ups and downs. And this arrangement of complicated topic connections, one of the lady's present murmured about a past one night stand that could bring more than a night full of problems.

The assembly silence itself and the world seemed to stop for a while. All the focus was now on a possibly glowing star. And then someone popped the question "Did you make the test?" The lady busted into tears, like a little girl and said she was scared she wanted some friend to help her through the test. The group got closer to the little girl and comforted her, letting her cry, until there was no more pain, and fear to wash away, than there was the offer of something sweet to lift up the spirit, but she refused to give in to the enchantments of sugar.

It seemed the little girl had calmed down. And then there was this interview, with questions like "Have you told your parents?", "Do you know the guy's name?" and finally "What do you intend to do if it comes back positive?" The girl answered "no", "no" and "I don't know"

And then I took the last answer to reference my promise of three years before… But this time there was "in the chance", this time I was direct "I'll father this child…"

I remember my two best friends' faces, and at the time roommates, it seemed they didn't know whether to laugh or to worry for my sake. But I stayed the same, with the most serious face I've ever made staring at the speechless girl, surprised by a man that was set to keep his word.

DeWinter, one of my roommates, eventually killed the tension with a laugh, after rationalizing that I've must be joking. "What after all you're the gallant knight who will save the damsel in distress?"

"No" I replied turning to deWinter "I'm not going to save a damsel, I'm going to save an unfortunate soul from the clutches of death and its fiends" turned again to the girl "And I hope, you know, what comes if you decide to take that life you may possibly hold in you, the bloodstain you'll have in your hands for the rest of your life, the nightmares that will haunt you every time you close your eyes. I want you to think about that…" The girl was scared to death and the group, harassed me to make silence and speak no more… for the night was ruined and the party was over.

Everyone left except for me, Jack and deWinter (my roommates), the others accompanied the scared girl home as we stayed in silence and waited to pay the bill. When we were sure that everyone had left, deWinter stand up walked to me and… slapped me so hard that to this day I feel my cheek burning.

"How could you say something so awful to that poor girl?" She asked me, shouting for the whole world to hear how mad she was at me. "Why the need to scare her? She doesn't even know I she's in fact pregnant or not. You shouldn't have done that."

I looked at jack that still sited across the table, and kept silent watching as things developed, finally I answered "Cause and Consequence"

DeWinter was stunt and then she shouted "Cause and consequence? What the hell do you mean?"

"You always nag, about the fact that she never learns that actions have consequences in the end. What better chance than this one? Sometimes instead of nagging and complaining you have to take action, that's what I've done…"

"What if she's really pregnant? Will you face the consequences of your actions? Will you like you said Father the soul that in her?" Raised Jack from his long lasting silence.

"Yes, I will. I'll father him, take care of him, I'll raise him and educate him just like I promised"

"How? How will you do that? You're fresh out of college and you have no job, how will you be able to take care of this child?" Both of them asked, in a synchronized speech, almost like they've practiced it before.

"I have my savings, I'll get a job, and I'll ask for your help as well for my families. That surely will support my decision if I bring it up the right way"

"The right way? What do you mean the right way? You're going to lie, aren't you?" rationalized deWinter while we got up and head our way home. We thanked the bar staff, and wished them a good night, we resumed our debate only after leaving the building.

"Yes I'll lie if I need to." Jack then turned to me and said "Don't lie… there will be no need, we'll help you if they don't." then turning to deWinter he said "Won't we?" deWinter nodded after thinking for a few moments.

"Thanks guys" I said has we all came together to a group hug "But first things first, we have to know first if she's really pregnant, or if it is just a scare. Let's wait for the test results before getting the wells to turn. Will know soon enough what's to come, until then let's just enjoy the rest of the summer".