To whom head is given, brain is expected and to whom brain is given, sense is expected. I was unable to bring sense out of the situation I met on ground. There were three conflicting reports on ground from three different doctors of the same clinic. My mother’s husband is of the 2nd doctors’ school of thought that we should apply diabolical means to save my mother. The first doctor that was treating her whom I heard was now on work leave did direct my mum to go home as every test came negative even though my mother was still in pain. The 3rd doctor whom is currently treating her was the one that directed her to be transfer do to the teaching hospital stating she has likely consumed a poisonous substance which in turn increased her appendix problem. According to the doctor, he suspect appendix even though he could not ascertain it.
I met my mum’s husband and Aramide arguing bitterly over where to take her to. The funniest part was that he has collected the money I sent to them from his daughter, Vera whom he deceived stating he was going to use it to start her transfer process. I decided not to be involved in the brawl and ask Vera to take me straight to my mother with Temmy by my side. Fortunately I met the doctor in charge attending to her there.
Me: Good morning Doctor, thank you very much for the care
Doctor: You are welcome, who are you to her?
Mother: (Speaking faintly, obviously in pain) He’s my son, my only son.
Hearing that sent a stream of emotion down my body and I felt so bad I wasn’t there on time to take care of my mother.
Doctor: Good, you are well educated I guess
Me: To my best sir, I’m currently in youth service.
Doctor: That’s better; we need to talk in private.
The doctor took me along into his office where he spit his mind and gave a sincere medical advice.
Me: Sir, I heard we have three different reports on ground from different doctors of this same clinic, I don’t think I’ve ever heard of such before. What’s going on sir?
Doctor: First thing I need you to know is your mother is safe and getting better.
Me: She’s still forcing out words sir
Doctor: I wish you saw her day before yesterday. You’ll know she’s better.
Me: I wasn’t told it was that bad.
Doctor: I wasn’t there while she was brought here. It was my colleague who is now on work leave that attended to her. I saw his report and follow up on it. Your mother consumed a rare poison that can’t be easily detected. I’ve asked her and your sisters but they could not provide us a reasonable answer. The poison wasn’t evident at first but she was feeling the pain.
Me: Which kind of poison works that way?
Doctor: Well according to my research, it could be that somebody put eye drop or something similar in her food or drink. Or somebody applied Poinsettia to her food especially vegetables.
Me: Poinsettia? I’ve never heard of that before.
Doctor: It’s an old way of poisoning people but not to kill them. It’s found more in the western world. I’ve not heard of it in this part of the world which is why I’m going to stick to eye drop or something similar. It might be a poison from local herbs.
Me: But who would want to poison her?
Doctor: That I can’t say, but I’m sure the person is not intending to kill her, probably to silence her for a moment.
Me: Well the person was successful, so what’s the way forward sir.
Doctor: Your mother has a pending appendix case that I think she’s been managing before this incident. I’m not sure of the major link between the poison and the appendix but the appendix is getting worse which is why she’s in pain. You’ll have to take her to the teaching hospital so she can have it removed.
Me: Surgery
Doctor: Yes, don’t worry; it’s a minor surgery case. Appendix is a common thing.
Me: Alright sir, that you very much.
Doctor: She should be able to walk so try to get a cab to take her there because using the clinic ambulance might be more costly.
Me: I came with my car
Doctor: That’s better then. (He opened a file and gave me a sealed letter) Take that to the teaching hospital, it’ll make them attend to you on time. I couldn’t give your sister because I understand the problem with your Dad.
Me: I don’t understand too. I’ll apply wisdom in transferring her to avoid their drama.
Doctor: If the wisdom won’t work, you can use the police, let them just hold him till she’s transferred.
Me: I hope it doesn’t get to that. Thank you so much Doctor.
Doctor: You are welcome. Please take care of your mother. I have your sister’s number , I’ll call her to know how far you’ve gone.
Me: Thank you so much sir.
I left the doctor’s office to meet my mother with Temmy and Vera staying with her.
Vera: What did the doctor say?
Me: We are going to teaching hospital. I’ll explain other things later.
Temmy: I don’t understand why they are arguing at the expense of mum’s life.
Me: Mum, how are you feeling?
Mother: (Forcing herself to speak) This belly pain is not giving me peace.
Me: Don’t worry mother, we are going to the Teaching Hospital now (she wanted to speak). Don’t bother saying anything mum. Temmy I need you to help me, we’ll have to trick her husband. (I told him the plan)
Temmy: What if it didn’t work?
Me: Then I won’t have option than to use the police.
Temmy: That will surely have after effect, but she’ll at least be alive.
Temmy and I went outside to meet them still arguing; only this time, Aramide was already crying.
Aramide: (Crying) Will, he wants to kill our mother (Temmy held and hug her while telling her the plan)
Me: Good morning sir thanks for the care sir.
Vfather: You saw me here before you entered but refused to greet me, but now you are saying good morning.
Me: I’m sorry about that sir, I saw you were very busy and I needed to see my mother on time.
Vfather: Busy doing what? Is it not this your sister giving me problem? Because you guys went to school, we won’t hear word again.
Me: Sorry about that sir. I’ve spoken with the doctor and he said we should follow your way. He said that’s the only solution.
Vfather: That’s what I’ve been saying. You kids that only came to this world yesterday will be arguing with elders. If she stays a day more here without getting to baba, you people should just look for money to bury her.
Me: God forbid sir. We’ll go today but she needs to take another injection in the afternoon before we can leave.
Vfather: She doesn’t need any injection from them again, they’ve been giving her injection and yet everything remained the same all these while. They want to kill my wife?
Me: Sir, she doesn’t have enough strength to move an inch, that’s why this particular injection is necessary. It will make her sleep for a while to garner required strength.
Vfather: Why not give her now then?
Me: She already took one this morning, it’ll be conflicting.
Vfather: Okay, like what time will they give her the injection so I can know how to arrange for cab?
Me: Doctor said around 2pm, but I think we should arrange for the cab now and prepare every other thing needed because I’ve told him we’ll love to leave earlier than 2pm.
Vfather: Getting a cab won’t be a problem. I’ll call a friend of mine, a cab driver; he’s the one that brought her here. But I’ll have to go and quickly make some arrangements at home.
Me: Alright sir. You can also pay the man ahead.
Vfather: Don’t worry, none of them will collect money for their services.
Me: Okay, thank you sir. We’ll be waiting for you sir, or should I follow you?
Vfather: No, you stay with her, I’ll do it. But I’ll go with all her transfer papers.
Me: They’ve given it to you?
Vfather: My doctor friend already did that since
Me: Okay sir, you can go with it.
He left the clinic premises and headed for where he said to be going. We quickly helped my mother to the car with the help of some nurses. We took her to the teaching hospital and met Bankole there. He took over everything from us and made sure the surgery was done as early as possible. While in the surgery room, we were outside waiting and Uche was calling almost every minute to ask about her.
This renewed behavior from Uche is something. She’s getting more caring and winning more people in my family to herself or so I thought except one person who loves Funmi too much.
Aramide: So what’s going on with you and Funmi.
Me: I’ll rather not talk about that now. There is another pressing issue.
Aramide: What’s that?
Me: What did mum ate before her illness started, and who prepared it?
Aramide: I was in school and so was Vera. Praise told us they both eat rice prepared by her. What’s the problem?
Me: Somebody did poison her and I want to know why.
Aramide: Hmm
Me: You know something?
Aramide: Not much but Vera and praise does.
Me: Where is praise by the way?
Aramide: She’s at home
Me: Who’s been taking care of her?
Aramide: Vera does that. She goes home every day.
Me: I need to speak with Vera (We called Vera from where she was talking with Temmy in the car). Vera do you know who poisoned mum?
Vera: Praise told me she saw Dad putting watery sugar in her drink.
Me: Watery sugar? She had a drink that day?
Vera: Yeah, Dad brought those drinks saying somebody was celebrating his new car at his work place.
Me: What more do you know?
Vera: Well, I overheard Dad telling somebody on phone “he’ll soon be around, they’ll both come”
Aramide: I think he was referring to you
Me: How? I’m still not getting it.
Aramide: Remember I told you mum wanted to see you urgently?
Me: Yeah
Aramide: It was him that told me, not mum.
Me: Meaning he’s the one that wanted me to come, for what?
Vera: I think Dad is involved in a ritual stuff. It has to do with him having a male child and maybe money too who knows and I think he needed both of you to do some rites for him as twins.
Aramide: He was going to use mum as bait.
Vera: They’ll tell you to do something if you must save your mother.
Me: D–n! Are you serious about this? How did you come about this?
Vera: Well my father took Praise for a kid, and that made him discuss anything while she’s there.
Me: Does mum knows about this?
Aramide: I don’t think so.
Vera: She might know a little but not all.
Me: This means you are not save any longer Aramide.
Vera: Brother Taiwo, I think she should go with you.
Me: I think so too. But let mum get well first. Please when your dad eventually got to know we are here, he’s going to be very angry, do not argue or confront him, okay. Just keep saying sorry.
Vera: He can’t guess where we are, this hospital is bigger than that.
The surgery went successfully but we were told she lost more blood than expected, so she was going to be watched for two days or more before they can discharge her.
Around 6pm in the evening while Temmy and I were contemplating on where to lodge for the night, Uche surprisingly came back bringing us dinner. She insisted on staying with us till my mother gets discharged and she got to know about my story of two mothers.
The act of care from Uche was making Aramide unease because she obviously wanted Funmi and I back together. Meanwhile, I’ve not heard anything from Funmi since she broke up with me close to two weeks now. All my effort to reach her was frustrated by her as she will either ignore my call or switch off her phone and I was starting to get used to life without her.
My mother was discharged after two days and we took her home. That was when we discovered her husband did not come home since he left the clinic according to Vera and Praise who were at home.
After staying with her for some hours, buying her all the necessary stuffs, we decided to drop Uche off in Lagos before we’ll head back home but Aramide insisted I visit Funmi and settle things with her. I saw the idea as counterproductive as I felt she does not want the relationship again. If she does, she would have at least allowed me to explain things better. Aramide was however adamant to the extent of her calling Sam (Funmi’s cousin) to get the proper direction to her house.
I do not have option than to go to her now even though I don’t know what I’ll meet there. I wish and pray everything is settled, either positively or negatively so I can be totally free.