The Life of Jane continued

                             Abortion but not on demand


      Nancy and Jane became friends. But on the male side, things didn't go as well. Sometimes Nancy brought her boyfriend, Simon Kung along. Simon was an economics student too, just like Don. Sometimes the two couples would 'double date' as they used to say decades ago. But Don didn't like Simon, or for that matter, Nancy either.
      "Why are these people with us?" he said once. "I prefer to be alone with you." But Jane noted that Don seemed quite happy when the two of them were with a white couple.But now Don was gone and had left a baby behind,. Jane needed help and amazingly Nancy knew what had to be done.
     After hearing Jane's tale of woe, she seated Jane in one of her living room's comfortable armchairs and sat opposite her in another big chair. "You have three choices Jane," she said. First off, Jane could go to a place for unwed mothers. Here, she could have her child and then give it up to an adoption agency. It would take at least five months  or more.
     "I don't have that kind of time," Jane said. "I've got to get my  thesis finished and soon."
     Then Jane could fly out of England or travel by train and boat to a European country, Nancy said. It could be Switzerland or somewhere else. Jane could get an abortion in some country on the continent. "But it'll cost you over three hundred pounds, Jane. Do you have that kind of money?"
    Jane quickly did a few math sums in her mind and then shook her head. No, she couldn't do that.She didn't have that kind of cash.
    "Okay, so here's the way you get an abortion in jolly old England. You declare yourself mentally ill and then a doctor in a hospital will do the  abortion for you for free."
     "But how can I do that? I'm not mentally ill."
    "It's simple. You slash your wrists and tell the anbulance drivers when they show up that you want to commit suicide. You just tell them you"re pregnant and the baby has no father and you want to die."
   "And then? My God, I could die on the way to the hospital."
   Jane's mind wandered away from the apartment. Suddenly she wanted to float away from her body and this world with all its problems. But that's what she might be doing if she followed Nancy's advice. Then she became suspicious. "Nancy, how do you know all this?"
    Nancy smiled . Then she pulled up the sleeves of her chic lacy white blouse and showed Jane her two wrists. "See Jane," she said. "See the marks."
    And Jane could see two light scars that loooped around both wrists.
    "That's why I'm always wearing watches and bracelets Jane - to hide my scars. But you can't see much of them now anyway." Then  Nancy smiled again showing her gleaming white teeth. "So you see Jane, I'm still here. A nice innocent young Chinese girl who's come straight from the Orient. If my father only
knew."
    "But who was the father? Was it Simon?"
    "No no Jane," and Nancy smiled again and put a finger to her lips. "That's my secret. But first we'll get you to meet Teresa. She helped me in the past. We need her again."