She suddenly felt like like she was drowning,she tried opening her eyes but couldn’t . She felt the sharp pain again, she tried moving her legs but couldn’t,waving her arms was almost impossible. Her bones ached and it seemed like ice cubes had hidden in her joints.
“I cant afford to die now lord,I still have lot to do, save me.”
Someone must have seen her arms at that moment because strong hands suddenly lifted her out of the pool. She blanked out.
She opened her eyes slowly and closed it almost immediately.
“let down the curtains”,she heard a voice say gently.
Few seconds later,she opened her eyes and met her mother’s tears swollen eyes. Pain twisted her guts as she thought of her mother’s pain and trials .Her mother immediately gave into tears and ran out of the room. Her 3year old sister stood up from the corner where she was building bricks,walked towards her and gazed lovingly at her,she took her hands in hers and sang “Amazing grace” in the the finest voice her 3 year old voice box could muster.
“Ma’am taught us in church yesterday. She said it is a song that tells us about God’s love and that it saves. You won’t cos die Aunty Tunmike,Jesus told me in my dream that he loves you.”
She smiled and squeezed her sister’s little hands gently,she then pulled her closer for a kiss. ‘’call me mama Anita.’’
Her sister returned her smile and gave her another kiss on the mouth. Tunmike watched as her sister skipped away as she called for her mum to come join them.
She felt the pain again like a surge of electricity. She reached for the glass of water on the table beside her. Just then her mother walked into her room looking refreshed. She had obviously just had her bath and had regained her color. Her mother sat beside her and gave her a peck,”I love you Tunmike,you have stayed this long and I won’t lose you now. You will be fine,we are going to get a donor very soon.” She smiled at her mother and raised herself up for a tight hug.
She so much wished she could believe her mother,she so much wished she could be share Anita’s optimism but they still hadn’t found someone with matching stem cells. She had lived for 21 years,every birthday was a rather noisy events. Family and friends always came around during such times to celebrate her survival and to thank God for her life even though some came to see for themselves and certify that she could make it through the next year. She slumped on her 21st birthday and that was when the doctor suggested a lasting solution,”Find someone with matching stem cells who is willing to donate some and we can work with that. This is the ultimate solution,your daughter would never experience the pains of a sickle cell patient again.” Her mother and sister had undergone series of test but there was no match. The search had begun but all efforts to find a willing donor had proven abortive. Her mother never gave up though but she could tell her faith was weakening.
“Mama,for how long was I out?”
Her mother loosened her hold and lowered her back unto the bed.”Three days. You came around this morning.”
She had gone out with her friends to the pool that Friday. It was her best friend’s birthday and she went into the pool against all protests from her friends. “Don’t tell me what to do”,she had said to them. They later joined her though,they had no choice. She smiled when she remembered her best friend’s last words,”I love you bestie but I hate your stubbornness,get in but you ain’t spending more than twenty minutes in there and your time starts now!”
“By the way,Amira called to check on you and to say she would be back this evening. She has been here since Friday also. She left with your doctor friend this morning to sign in at work. Tolu also called,he would be flying in today,he should be here by midnight.”
She smiled at the mention of her lover’s name. Tolu was the best gift God had given to her after her mother and sister ofcourse. After Tolu, came her best friend,Amira. They were the only true lovers apart from her mother and sister and she loved them more than life itself. She had willingly given herself to Tolu days after she slumped on her 21st birthday. That was after she had realized the impossibility of finding a matching donor. She had kept it a secret from her friend and her lover . It wasn’t even 100 percent sure and it was only 14 percent safe so why stress them out mentally and risk her own life in the process. “Make me your woman my love”,she had said to him that night. She smiled at the memories of what went down that night.
Her phone suddenly rang,her mother handed it over to her with a wink and left the room. “I’m only few steps away from you baby girl,just holla and I will be back”. She laughed at her mother’s newly adopted lingo. “this woman no wan grow old again sha”,she thought laughing out loud.
“Oko mi,Olowo ori mi,how far now” She said into the phone.
“Tunmike,you took ill again my love,I was scared,I couldn’t even talk to you. You were out for 3days. I’m on my way to your place,I need to be with you.”
“Guy,what about your conference in Berlin now?”
“A conference when my heart is on a sick bed? I left Germany yesternight ,I’m on my way to your place now.”
Tears stung her eyes as she wondered why God had given her such a great man.
“Why didn’t I meet you when I was 16? I could have been able to spend more time with you,more years. I met you two years ago but I so wish we had met 5 years ago.”
He became quiet for some seconds and she wondered what the sound he made was.
“Shuuuush you,we are going to get married soon and we are going to spend lots of years together with our children.” His voice changed and took an hoarse turn.
She smiled at his optimism. Marriage?she wished and children? he had said,the children she wished to have but would never be able to for even if she survived,she just couldn’t imagine bringing her kids to the world to face the same fate.
“are you crying Tolu?your voice sounds weird of a sudden.”
He took some time to reply,”no love,at all.”
“I love you baby”she said into the phone.
“always baby,always”he said as he opened the door to her room,phone still glued to his ear.
She gasped and smiled as she took him in. Her tall handsome lover, sleek and suave,loving and caring.
“You prankster!” she said as she threw a small pillow at him.
“And is that how to greet the noble knight who flew many hours across the globe to see his dame?”
“Ojebi” she said and pulled her tongue out.
Tolu took in her lean figure and shivered. He couldn’t lose her,not now,never. He moved closer to her bedside and kissed her as though his life depended on it. He looked into her eyes and told her about his trip and the fun places he was planning to take her to for vacation. “you need to take some time off work my love.” like he had always said. She thought she needed it also. She did agree that she had always overdone it but she loved her job and would not be treated like an invalid or a disable.
“Okay,so when are we going?”she asked,surprising him.
He was surprised,he had always begged her to slow down and now,she finally agreed. Words couldn’t describe how happy he was..,”next month,Paris and Venice.”
Paris and Venice,she had always wanted her honeymoon in those beautiful cities. She wondered if she should ask him about how he got to know she would love to go there. “Chill,did i?”
He suddenly went down on his knees and produced a ring with a large diamond on it. "Marry me" he said. The streak of bright light penetrated her eyes and she immediately closed it. When her eyes finally gotaround accommodating the jewel,she stared wildly and screamed,”How much did you buy that?return it and get something smaller”
He laughed so hard and she finally joined in.
“Marry me silly girl before I change my mind,you know I’m proud” he said teasingly.
Tears finally escaped and flowed down her face.
“I love you so much Tolu mi”
“you’ve got no choice baby cos now you are stuck to me forever.”and he sealed their silent vow with a kiss. In between their kiss,he raised his head and said,”mind you,I already asked mum and she joyfully gave her blessings .You had think she was the one I proposed to.”
She laughed and whispered a thank you to God.
*********************************************************
It was her wedding morning. Tolu wanted them to wed quickly so she could take a break and so the wedding was fixed for 3weeks after he proposed. She had just dropped his call when Amira waltzed into the room.
“You are the most beautiful angel heaven lost to man and I’m happy to famz you. I would have continued dishing out compliments but my dear your prince awaits. That fish called to profess his love in church oh,he just didn’t tell you. He is such a dear. So get off your butt and go kiss your prince in church.”
She grabbed her friend’s arm ,”I love him Amira”
“I know madam,you wouldn’t consider walking down that aisle in few minutes if you didn’t.” Amira said as she turned to get her clutch.
“I’m scared Amira”
Amira stylishly dabbed at the drop pf tears that had escaped from her eyes and then turned back to her friend,giving the brightest smile she could muster,”you will be fine Tunmike.”
She took her hand and they walked out of the room.
FEW MINUTES LATER…….
And seeing that there is no objection to the union of these two,I hereby join you in the name of the Father,the son and the holyghost. You may now kiss your bride.
Tolu swept his bride into his arms and gave a mind blowing kiss,a sharp,familiar pain surged through her. Her vision became blurry,she couldn’t make out her lover’s face,she tried to take deep breaths but found that so impossible. The pain she felt couldn’t be compared to the ones she had felt in the past.
“HELP US!!!” Tolu screamed.
The congregation gathered around them ,the last voice she heard above the noice was that of her husband telling her everything would be alright.
*********************************************************
She opened her eyes to the white walls of the hospital. Tolu,Amira and her mother were speaking in low tones. Her sister rushed to her side and gave her the flowers she had been holding as the little bride during the wedding. “Hello sis,you are not going to die,are you?” she asked innocently.
She tried to talk only to find out that she was receiving oxygen. She lifed the breather a little and said “of course not”,after which she smiled and returned the breather to its position. She then pointed at her husband and told her sister to call him. Anita moved away from her bed side and tapped her new uncle.
“She is calling you unc Tolu.”
He looked her way and gave a weak smile. “she is awake,my love is back”,he said to her mother and best friend.
They all moved towards her and offered a prayer of thanksgiving. She removed her breather for some minutes and addressed her family.
“I love you mama,you are the best woman in the world. Amira,words cant tell how wonderful and great you have been. Anita,come here baby.” Her sister moved closer and she gave her tight hug and kiss,the show of affection evoked tears. “So excuse me y’all,I wanna talk to the boo before I send you all home for the night. “
They stood up to leave and she called after them to bring her change of clothes in the morning.. She stared at her husband with tears in her eyes. He hugged her and moved back to avoid making her uncomfortable on the bed. She removed her breather and pulled him closer. She kissed him for long before she started gasping for breath which made her return her breather to its position. She took deep breaths and slided it off her nose again to talk.
“I love you ife mi,don’t ever forget that. I want an epitaph saying,”I wish I didn’t have to leave so soon but I will forever be in your hearts.”
“NO! NEVER!!!” her husband screamed. “you ain't leaving me,our unborn kids need you,I do too. Ife mi you have to stay with me. Please don’t leave.”he cried.
His tears hurt her,”but I don’t want to leave,I want to stay but I’m in pain,It’s unbearable,I’m so weak,I hurt so much.”
Her confession made him cry so much,he slid her breather back across her nose and kissed her palm.
“You have to go now,come check me tomorrow.”she said.
He refused till she slept off. He woke up in the midnight to find no signal or wave on the patient bedside monitor.
“DOCTOR!NURSE!!! SAVE HER!! I NEED HER,SAVE MY WIFE PLEASE!!!”
The doctor and nurse looked at him in pity. “I’m sorry sir but she is gone,we lost her.”
His tears shook the foundations of the earth that day,the earth had sent back heaven’s angel.
THE END
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