The next few weeks were amazing. my friends and I spent as much time as we could together including having sleep overs in each other's houses. We were furiously preparing for our entrance into SS3.
Secondary schools in Nigeria, West Africa have 6 classes.
Jss1, Jss2, Jss3, SS1, SS2, SS3. JSS stands for Junior Secondary School while SSS stands for senior secondary school.
SS3 was the climax of secondary school where you will write your final exams, SSCE, UTME, BECE
SSCE senior secondary certificate examination. UTME unified tertiary matriculation examination. BECE basic education certificate examination.
Everything was moving on fine and I was happy but in the next few months, it turned out life had one more surprise for me in my teenage years.
I was on my way back from Sarah's house where I had gone for a sleepover one Saturday morning.
I was crossing the road when a speeding car appeared from nowhere and knocked me down.
I lost consciousness immediately and my head started bleeding from the impact of the hit.
The driver hurriedly sped off immediately he realized what he had done.
Luckily a good Samaritan, a very nice man took me to the hospital.
By the time I got there, I had already lost a lot of blood. A transfusion was the next thing to do.
unfortunately or should I say fortunately, my blood type O negative was the rarest blood type and apparently the hospital blood bank didn't have any left.
They have to send for blood from the general blood bank in the city some miles away.
The good Samaritan apparently didn't want to take that risk with my life so he offered to donate some blood because he also had O blood type.
He was taken in for a blood test and luckily it turned out that he was also O negative. concidence right? not quite.
let's find out.
Several other tests were conducted before he was finally allowed to donate.
After the blood transfusion was done, I was moved back to my room to recuperate.
The doctor however had some news for him. after the test was conducted, the results had shown that there was a 99.9% blood match which would only mean one thing...
You guessed right, the good Samaritan whose name I later found out to be Mr Matthew was my father.
I woke up some hours later, my head felt heavy and my ears were ringing.
I looked around. I was in hospital ward and there was a man sitting at the edge of my bed obviously asleep with his head hanging at the end of the bed as he dozed off.
He looked tired and worn out.
who was he?
I sat up slowly. he had the same color and nose type as mine, curly hair as well just that his was cut low and mine was worn long and black was braided into cornrows.
My sudden movement must have woken him up. He jerked up immediately.
Hello dear, please relax and try not to move too much,
let me call the doctor, he placed his hand on my arm to calm me.
He pressed the button to summon the doctor and after a few minutes the doctor appeared followed by a nurse.
They examined me as I sat there wordlessly.
She seems alright, the doctor addressed Mr Matthew.
How are you feeling young lady?
I'm feeling okay apart from this constant headache, I felt around my head as I traced the bandage wrapped around it.
I'll give you some pain killers and you will feel better.
if all your vitals are great, you may be discharged today.
I heaved a deep sigh of relief. I really disliked hospitals.
I lost my mother in one so they always terrified me.
I lay back on my pillow while the nurse injected the pain killers to the IV bag connected to my hand.
You will be alright dear, she smiled.
I smiled back.
The doctor asked to talk to the man outside while the nurse left.
I wondered silently if he was the one that knocked me down with his car. at least he deemed it fit to bring me to a hospital.
I felt so tired that I dozed off after a few minutes.
Turned out some of the pain killers had sedative effects.
after a few hours, I woke up again.
Mr Matthew had already gotten me some food.
Jollof rice with chicken and salad.
it looked yummy, must have cost a lot.
I brought you some food, I didn't know what you liked so I just got some rice.
you must be hungry.
Thank you so much sir, I smiled. how thoughtful of him.
I felt better already and the headaches had subsided.
I sat up slowly and picked up the food and began to eat.
surprisingly it turned out I was very hungry and I finished it quickly.
wow that was fast, he teased.
I looked down in embarrassment and pinched my cheeks.
well I got you two just in case.
he brought out the second one.
my eyes twinkled.
I collected it gratefully.
how long was I out? I asked in-between mouthfuls of rice.
about 10 hours.
wow!! I thought.
after I was done eating, the doctor came and checked me again.
Everything seems fine Shewa, you are free to go home now.
Mr Matthew went to settle the discharge papers and soon I was on my back back home.
Thank you so much sir, I thanked him.
Mr Matthew had told me all about my accident and everything that happened of course leaving out the most important detail.
it's no problem, Shewa. Are you sure you don't want me to come with you and explain to your aunt and uncle what had happened?
No sir, thank you but I'll manage.
I wasn't quite sure my aunt and uncle will take seeing me with a man after being missing for almost 2 days.
when I got to the house, I knocked on the door clutching my bag nervously.
Aunty Damilola opened the door, she was on the phone, no officer, my niece isn't back yet....
Shewa?! she screamed as the phone fell from her hand. that phone must have broken, I thought absentmindedly.
She pulled me into her arms and hugged me tightly.
Dapo!! Dapo!! Babe!! she's back. Shewa is back... she shouted as tears streamed down her eyes.