“Kadija…Kadija” Rita called Khadija with a strong Kikuyu ascent as she went to their bedroom where she responded from. I followed her in.
‘Ni nini imefanyika?’ She asked. ‘Ameingia tu na aka collapse’ Khadija said amid sobs. We rushed Mzee to the black harrier of Madam Rita. I drove it at high speed to Mama Lucy hospital.
We got to the hospital in less than five minutes. At the nurses desk lots of laughs filled the air even though the sign on the wall read ‘SHhhhh’. Nurses tried to be helpful by rushing around in a manner likely to suggest they were looking for the stretchers. Very many minutes’ later two lady nurses appeared with a stretcher and we rushed to pick mzee.
When we got to the car, foam had started spilling from his mouth and he was having difficulties breathing properly. We rushed him through the long corridors and when we got to a door, the nurses requested us to wait. We sat at the bench at the reception and waited.
We sat there watching the TV that was hanged on the wall. ‘Chuma ya doshi, chuma ya nguvu advet ran again’ Khadija looked at me but I pretended and did not look her way. I knew mimi si chuma mbaya. Chuma lazima ikue imefika gauge, the man on the advert ended. After that then came the ‘I told you to kick it more to the left, kick it harder’ advert by 1Xbet. I knew hii TV
hainitakii.
I rose and proceeded to the water dispenser to drink water. We sat there till 1 am and no one came to see us. At about 0200hrs a nurse came from behind the curtains and requested to see me. ‘Is this your father?’ Nurse Mercy asked. For those asking how I knew she was mercy, I read it on the badge. ‘No he is a husband to that lady, the one seated on the left edge’ I answered. ‘I don’t know how to share this story’ Nurse Mercy started. I knew things are not okay from the look she wore on the face. ‘Ok and who is the other lady next to her’ she asked. She is also a colleague from the estate. Mercy signalled m
e we move from their view. We left and proceeded to a vacant room besides. “What’s your name again?”, she asked. I am Conrad. I answered taking more concentration on why she was asking.’Ok Conrad, I don’t know if it is right to share this with you…’its okay just say’ I interjected…’ I wanted to let you know that Mzee did not manage make it’ we have tried the best we can but it has failed. ‘I was saddened with the loss’
‘How could that happen?’ I asked with a gloomy face. ‘Mhh Conrad you see from the history Mzee had high blood pressure, diabetes and he had been treated of pneumonia recently.
Any little shock was able to finish him. I was deeply shocked. Mercy took me by her shoulder and started to shawl my back in consolation. She pressed me against herself and I could feel her breasts pressing my chest.
The feeling relieved my pain a bit. I left and shared the information with my colleagues. What surprised me however is Khadija was not shocked with the news.’Amekuaga mgonjwa kwa muda, hata hakuna kitu angeweza fanya’ it’s in her narration that I learnt mzee was relieved from his duties as a military man because of his condition.
Khadija called her relatives and informed them of the same. Nurse Mercy helped us to do all the necessary arrangements. She consulted me in every stage.’Kesho asubui sitakua si uchukue namba yangu unipigie nikupee Daktari atawasaidia mkikam’ mercy requested. I took her number and saved it as Daktari.
I beeped her so she can have mine too. We cleared a few steps and at 3 am I drove back home. That day Khadija slept in Rita’s house. I bid them bye and left to my room. When I got to my house there was no power. I remembered I had not paid my tokens. I took my S8 phone from my pocket, the one Rita had bought for me and switched on the light. Its then I realised I had an unread message.
When I opened it was Daktari, ‘Poleni kwa msiba’ read the text. I replied and slept. That morning I woke up at about 8 am. There were two missed calls and a text message. One call was from Rita and the other from Daktari. The message was from Daktari, ‘Hii ndo namba ya Daktari utapata mchana, atakusaidia. Pole tena kwa msiba tena’ . I called Rita and she informed me they were almost leaving. I took a passport size shower and rushed to join them.
TO BE CONTINUED