HEART OF GOLD
EPISODE 2
Frank’s roommate had just returned from lectures and was about to remove his shirt when he noticed that Frank was not lying down properly.
Sas: “guy weting dey worry you now? See as you just sleep yakata like drunkard. O boy adjust your sleeping position jor!” he teased his friend.
He had expected his friend to return the batter since he knew Frank to be light sleeper but there was no response from him.
“guy wetin do you na” he said touching his friend and noticed that he was not himself.
Sas: “egba mi o. What happened here?” he asked rhetorically and ran out to call his neighbours who came in running on their heels.
Quickly, someone grabbed a bowl of water and sprinkled it on Frank who jerked up immediately, still looking very weak. His pupils were dilated and his friend could tell that he was not himself.
“help me take him to the university clinic, please” he said and they all helped to carry him out. Outside they got a taxi and they drove off to the clinic with Frank drifting in and out of consciousness.
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Stacey was standing at the door way, her hands akimbo, wearing a denim bumshort over a black Tshirt with the inscription “ready for war”.
Her husband came in and drew close to hug her.
“hey, how are you doing? Don’t tell me that you missed me so much and so you had to wait for me at the door” he said.
Stacey: “we need to talk” she said, ignoring his outstretched arms.
Declan: “what kind of talk will prevent my wife from hugging me? It is my first day at work after marriage and God knows that I have been dying to hug you” he said sweetly.
She went into his arms and hugged him.
Declan: “good, now can I go and shower and eat and then we can discuss whatever it is that you want to say” he walked past her without waiting for her response and went into the bedroom where he changed into his towel and headed to the bathroom.
Stacey watched as her husband ate with relish his meal of white rice and vegetable that she had managed to prepare despite the pain she felt in her heart as a result of the letter she saw in her husband’s box. She wondered how men could be so callous as to do some of the things they do.
After the meal, she cleared the dishes and sat down on the chair opposite her husband. She had chosen that vintage position because it gave her the opportunity to watch his reaction.
“I am all ears, what is it baby” he said.
Stacey: “Declan, how could you do this to me? How could you?” she said struggling with her emotions.
Declan: “and where is that coming from? I don’t get it”
Stacey: “you d–n well know what I am talking about. How could you have the heart to do this to me?” she repeated leaving him more confused than he was.
Declan: “listen, I do not have an idea of what you are talking about and it will save us lots of time if you go straight to the point rather than throwing tantrums. For Christ sake, our marriage shouldn’t start on this note” he said getting worked up.
“You don’t know what I am talking about right? Okay, no problem. I will make you understand” she said and stormed out of the sitting room to the bedroom.
She returned carrying the hospital report and threw it at him, startling him.
“now, can you explain to me what this is all about?” she said going back to her seat.
Declan was taken aback and couldn’t find his voice for some minutes.
Declan: “where did you see this? I mean how did it get into your hands?” he stuttered.
Stacey: “how I found it or how it got into my hands does not matter. What matters most is that I have seen it. And come to think of it, what were you thinking? That I would never get to find out or what? I am your wife, I see no reason why you should keep things like this away from me” she said.
Declan: “of course I would have told you in due time. I…I didn’t want you to find out this way” he explained.
Stacey: “well, you had better start talking because there is no better time to talk about it than now” he said.
Declan: “can we just put this off till tomorrow? I really had a long day at work and I need to rest now” he said, trying to change the topic.
“hell no, we are not putting anything off till tomorrow. For your information, my box is packed, if you don’t tell me all that I need to know right now, I will go back to my house where I was living happily before you and your parents came and deceived me into this hoax called marriage” she threatened.
Declan: “you want to leave me just like that? Our marriage is barely two weeks old and you are already talking about moving away? I thought we signed for better for worse, until death do us part”
Stacey: “I made that vow based on mutual trust, without knowing that you were keeping such a vital information away from me. And by the way, isn’t what is contained in this paper tantamount to death? How in God’s name can you consent to giving your father who is more than 60 years old one of your kidneys? What does that imply if not that you want to make me a widow in my prime? Few weeks before our wedding, you travelled to India with your father after you told me that you were accompanying him for medical checkup. Little did I know that you were going to carry out tests on your kidney to see if you can donate one to your father. I saw it all in the hospital report, the transplant is scheduled to take place in India in two months time, that is less than 3 months after my wedding. You and your people would not even allow me enjoy my honeymoon in peace” she began to weep.
Declan: “I am sorry I haven’t told you until now. I was afraid that you would refuse to marry me if you knew about it all along. As you know my father’s kidneys are bad and he has been undergoing dialysis for months now. Recently, the doctors told him that he needed a transplant. As the first son, my family mandated me to donate one of my own to him and I had no option than to accept. Please understand with me” he pleaded with her.
Stacey: “I don’t get it. Why would your people say you should give him one of your kidneys?” she asked.
Declan: “because I am his first son and it is my duty in our culture to take care of my father as the first fruit of his g—n” he explained.
“that is rubbish. Absolute rubbish, being the first child does not mean that you should lay down your life for others when you are not Jesus Christ of Nazareth”
Declan: “you have to understand with me. My father has done so much for me. He gave me the best of everything that money can buy and gave me the best of education in this country and beyond. When my mother died, he took care of me until I was more than ten years before he married my step mother who gave birth to my siblings. It is a family decision that I give him my kidney. Remember that you have promised to stand by me for better for worse on the altar, please let’s go through this together”
Stacey: “there is no way we can go through this together. So, because your mother is dead, your step mother and siblings want you to go and die? Why didn’t she say her own children should donate their own kidney? No way! There is nothing like for better for worse in this case”
She said and ran back into the bedroom.
Question: Hmmn…this is a very dicey situation. If you were the wife, would you allow your husband to donate one of his kidneys to his old father? Do you think his family means well for him by mandating him to give out one of his kidneys?
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