BELINA (Tender Beauty)
EPISODE 2
The tension in d waiting room of Best Result Hospital can be sliced with a knife. The nurses are on their toes doing one thing or d other. The waiting room is unusually rowdy & the people
are busy moving from pillar to post & not even d nurses were able to calm them down.
The reason for d turmoil laid on d bed in the operating room with three doctors
attending to him. He had been involved in a fatal accident on his
way out & was unconscious.
We have been told to avoid ‘one way’ in Lagos, but some people
would just not listen. Best Result Hospital happened to be close by
so he was immediately rushed there.
Adewale rushed into d hospital like a possessed man. He saw Deji’s family members & some
friends & instantly knew that d news was not a frame up
“No”, he screamed. People gathered to help him & calm him down but he was violent.
“No, he must not die”, He was coming to see me, I … I …”
The nurses moved him to a chair, “pls calm down young man, everything would be fine”, one of the nurses said.
The three doctors came out after about 2hrs. they looked tired & sapped as they made for their offices. Doctor Richard
headed towards d waiting room & upon entering, everyone held on to him like a lifeline asking all sort of questions. The doctor tried to make out one question but could
not.
Finally, he said, “calm down everyone, he is alive”.
Everyone started talking at the
same time again but this time, they were talking to God
Deji’s father went to meet the doctor & said, “Thank you doctor, God bless you, e ko ni ri laburu
“Yes sir. He is alive sir but he needs prayers now cos he is in a
coma. The accident affected his head and his survival chances are
slim”, doctor Richard said.
Deji’s father’s face froze and it seemed like he had seen a ghost.
Adewale who had been
eavesdropping suddenly went to hold the Doctor’s shirt.
“Please,
make sure he survives doctor. He wouldn’t be on that bed if I hadn’t insisted that he come to my place. I would not be able to bear it if he…, if he…”
Doctor Richard placed his head on his table some minutes later
deeply distressed. Memories which he had tried hard to blurt out came uninhibited to his
mind; those were the memories that gave him consistent
nightmares.
A tap on his shoulders jerked him from his demons.
“What is wrong Richard?” Doctor
Tony who was Richard’s best friend asked.
“I… I am fine
“No, you are not. If you did not hear me calling your name, you are not fine.” Tony said looking
worried.
“It is nothing.. The tension in the waiting room was just more
than iy bargained for.” Richard said standing up.
Tony laughed a bit, “Rich, you are a doctor and you definitely have faced worse situations.
Richard sighed, “the accident of the patient occurred when he
was on his way to a friend’s place and the poor guy is almost
ripping his head off in guilt”.
Still not getting his point, Tony asked, “And?”
Richard glared at him, “Tony, that patient has only 20% chance of
survival and I can’t watch him die. Do you remember that I know exactly what that guy in the waiting room is facing?
Alarmed, Tony stood up,
“Richard, you are not still blaming yourself for what happened then, are u?” he asked.
Richard looked at him, his eyes haunted, “Tony, I still have
nightmares. I can’t forget. I have tried all I know can work as a doctor
and I don’t wish even my enemy would be in my position”, he said
and took a deep breath.
“I would get some air”, he said and left the
office.
The alarm that went off in my head would have definitely woken the dead. I wanted to tell dad to repeat what he just said but I knew that I was not having
problem with my ears.
I turned cold eyes at Tunji and said quietly but firmly, “leave”
“What?” He asked looking like a fool.
I moved towards him slowly & before he could count one to
three, what he heard was ‘kpa’;even though my hand still ached
from the hot slap I gave him, I forgot all about it & dad who
was busy saying all sorts of rubbish as I pushed Tunji out of d house.
After slamming the door forcefully, I turned around to face my mistake of a father but I was
greeted with a hot slap. The slap was so hard that I practically
started seeing things but I steeled myself against crying.
‘Never let them see your tears, it
makes you vulnerable’, I
remembered d words of my mum.
“You this little brat, you are so stupid. How dare you slap Tunji?
You better go after him now & beg him”. Dad growled.
“God forbid. You have no right whatsoever to think you can control my life. Who do you think
you are? I am not going
anywhere with you and that son of a nobody but you can go if you want to. I am 22 for God’s
sake & I have the right to make my own decisions”, I yelled.
“Not while u are under my roof. You have to do what I tell u”. He shot back.
I almost said something but I bit
it back. I looked at my dad & as quietly as I could, I said
emphatically, “like I said, you can go with him but as for me, you better think again ‘sir’. I stormed out of the house.
To be continued…