Episode 21

Last updated on March 30th, 2023 at 01:45 pm

I’d been at the hospital for about a week now. If my life were to be a movie, not like I thought it could be a blockbuster, but the name of the movie would be something like, “Stripped Bare.” Mummy had called everyday all through the week, sometimes her pastor would speak to me on the phone until my mean nurse came to check on me. She had warned me many times not to stay on the phone for too long. Yesterday when she came inside, she saw me on the phone and took my phone from me mid-call. Without saying anything, she left the room with my phone. I was angry but I liked that she saved me from mummy and her pastor who was always seeing one vision or the other. 

He had seen a vision that this was an attack from Jude’s family and the party I attended made me more susceptible. I assumed that the stress of that week and the following week got to me, but I didn’t think it was spiritual or anything. Anyone could tell that I stressed myself that week at Jude’s house. My nurse, Sade, did not want to hear any excuses of me not sleeping or eating. I think she put up that mean front so patients didn’t argue with her.

Vic ensured to call every night too, expecting updates and feedback. She sent me some money too. Sarah though, I had been unaware of an angel around me. In these past few days, I got to know more of her. On the day I was admitted, Sarah came to the hospital with my son, we both tried Jude’s number and he was still unreachable. She then offered to help me get my clothes from home. 

I described where everything was, she went to my house and came back to the hospital with clothes and food. She also took some clothes for Dimeji, she eventually left the hospital at around ten in the night. Jude did not come around until Sunday evening. He came into the room after seeing the doctor and gave a half-hearted apology. Something about being caught up with work.

“Jude, since Friday?”

“I told you, it’s work.”

“Okay.” I replied. I had no energy to stress the issue.

“What of my son?”

“He is with Sarah.”

“Sarah? The same Sarah?”

“Yes.”

“Why?”

“Jude, do you expect me to still hold him even as I am here?”

“I thought you could not bear to leave him with anybody? At least you took him away from my mother.”

“I thought we had settled this. Is that why you have been acting this way to me?”

“I said I was busy with work!” He roared. He was about to talk again when Nurse Sade came in, “Please sir, what’s the problem?”

“It’s nothing, nurse. Good afternoon ma. I am Jude, her hus-”

“Do you know how she has been faring?” she asked, I blinked back my tears.

“I have explained to her.”

“Okay sir. If you are done you can leave, she needs to sleep.”

Jude was obviously shocked that the petite nurse could talk that way to him. He got up from the chair he was sitting on and mumbled something to me, or the nurse, then he left.

***

Vic could be quiet about many things, but she had not been quiet about the fact that I was worrying too much and it affected my health.

“Babe, suspend all thoughts and crap and be safe first.” She would say. I could not convince her otherwise, maybe because I knew it was the truth too. We talked every night even if it was just for five minutes and that was on the nights she was busy. Her mother called me once too and apologized for ‘intruding’ as she put it. The next thing I knew mummy Abound was in the hospital looking for me. She came with different foods and fruits, I started crying as she unloaded them.

“My sweetheart, you don’t have to cry. We are in Osogbo together and we should see each other more often, but we don’t, I guess life happens like that. Your friend had to tell me what was happening when we spoke some nights back.”

“Thank you mummy.” That’s all I could say.

“It’s fine, I hope you don’t mind ehn? Pele dear.”

***

Sarah had been coming to the hospital every two days and she always came with food. I had been in the hospital for about eleven days now. When she came the night after mummy Abound came to see me with the whole food in Osogbo, she had to take the food back to her side to help me store. Every time she came, she brought Dimeji who I think looked better and more spoilt. He was always licking sweet or ice cream or whatever. He rarely cried whenever they were leaving.

It made me wonder why Sarah and Sam had no kids of their own. I once asked Vic if she thought they could be having issues with fertility and Vic said she thought they had an unconventional marriage. They lived far from each other and seemed really fine when they were together. Sarah did not do any family chores when there was a party in the family. And Sam always supported her when mummy complained. I think there was more to their marriage. I would probably never know; Sam was very tight-lipped. He was also detached from the family even as the second born. He was fine with decisions made without him there. Even Dele, the third born, was more involved in the family. I felt like everyone just stopped pestering Sam and assumed Dele was covering for him. Then there was the last born of the family who was still in school, Dayo. 

Every Christmas, there was a family party at my parents’ and everyone’s wives came around to help. Bimbo’s wife would come two days before Christmas with her kids, my nieces. Dele’s wife would be there too and even Dayo’s girlfriend would be there. Mummy had one time grumbled that the girl was overbearing and she could not marry her son, but no one said anything even though for two years now, she had been coming for Christmas, working hard and serving everyone.

Sam was only close to me, sometimes he would tell me about personal things and then act like he never told me. The guy was just weird. I called him to tell him how his wife had been of help in the past eleven days and he told me to thank her and not him.

“I am her husband but I don’t compel her to do what she doesn’t want. It was her decision and I have also thanked her.”

“Okay sir. I just wanted to tell you how she has really helped me. If not for her… I don’t even know.”

“It’s fine dear, be safe. What of your husband?”

“He is fine, thanks.”

“Okay, I have to go. It’s time for my night call with my wife.” And he ended the call. Yes, a really weird man.

***

Sarah coming through for me had obviously improved our relationship. She and Vic already exchanged contact. Mummy Abound even got her contact too. Mummy hated the fact that she was helping me though and she could not hide it.

“So, she can be useful like this, I thought she was useless and cannot lift those hands of hers.”

“Mummy. Who do you want to help me?”

“You self you will not give yourself peace of mind, nobody in our family has ever had this rubbish condition you have. I have been fasting since this rubbish started, I have lost so much weight.”

“Mummy, you know you can stop fasting if it’s too stressful right?”

“What kind of mother does that make me? Ehnehn, how is your husband even coping this one you have been confined to the hospital bed?” I ignored her saying I was confined.

“Coping? How?”

“How is he feeding? Who is taking care of him and the house?”

I ended the call without replying to her. I had never felt this mad at my mother. In this condition, she could still ask this. I hadn’t even seen Jude for about four days now, I didn’t know if he was trying to avoid the nurse since nurse Sade never allowed him to rest whenever he was around. Whatever be the reason, Jude did not give me enough support. I had to tell myself the truth.