It was a rainy Monday morning with thunderstorms. Ndukwe had prepared for school, but the weather was so bad.
It had been 2 days since he spoke to Ada, and he missed her, wanting to tell her about what he had dreamt last night.
He was walking to and fro in his room, waiting for the rain to stop. So, he decided to write a letter. While he was trying to write a letter, he started feeling dizzy. It was as if his head had became bigger and he could not feel his feet. He tried to scream and call out to his mom, but his voice was so low and unheard because of the sound of the rain and the weakness of his body.
Slowly, he started having goosebumps all over his skin and felt very cold. He tried to lay down with his back and face looking at the ceiling . The ceiling was rotating; he feels like he is in a fast rollercoaster and his body was in everywhere. He lost his vestibular senses. He could not move and his body was so cold and he could feel vapour coming out from his head; his mind was playing tricks on him.
So, he tried to close his eyes. He was slowly calling the name of God and his mom
Daniel, his younger brother, walked into the room.
"Ndukwe! Ndukwe! What is wrong?" Daniel asked.
Ndukwe tried to respond but couldn't find the strength to speak. Daniel ran so fast like the speed of lightening to get their mother, who rushed into the room and gasped at the sight of her son lying on the floor, so cold and unable to move
Ndukwe! Ndukwe! His mom screamed so loud that even the thunder heard her voice and Ndukwe whose mind was almost crossing to the land of light became a bit conscious, but could not move or speak.
Can you hear me?
Can you hear me? She screams as she wrapped her left arm around him and tapping his chest with her right hand to make sure he could still breath
As an African woman, she was shouting and saying , " Chineke ooo, wetin be this one Na? Ndukwe i will kill you if you die leaving me"
Tears keep flowing from her eyes and she don't know what to do
Slowly, he was able to move his right hand and rested his heads on his mom's chest. Thank you Jesus, Thank you Jesus! I had to take you to the hospital, she said.
She was so confused and don't know what to do because it's raining and it takes about 40 minutes to get to the hospital, and she is not even sure if he would be able to walk or make it till then.
She told Daniel to bring two pillows and he slowly rested his head on the pillows.
Please, don't leave me, he said with a slow weak voice. I will not leave you, God is there with you and all your siblings are here. But you should not leave us; stay strong. please! She walked into her room and took her thermometer and checked his temperature. Oh, no 102 degree she screams and burst out in tears. ( His temperature could boil beans) Just joking.
She tried to call her husband, but the connection was so bad because of the weather. So, the call didn't go through
She didn't know who to call or what to do
She knelt down and prayed because that's all she could think about
However, Nukwe's mom, was pacing back and forth, trying to figure out what to do.
She tried to call her husband again because she was so helpless and scared, but it still didn't go through
She screams so loud with her accent, Chineke ooo, why can't I get through to this man? He left me with his children and he is not there when I need him; she was nagging. Ndukwe, please hold on. She looks at her son, placing her hand on his forehead, Oh God, please help us.
She then called the emergency ward and fortunately the call went through and the customer representative picked up.
Hello!
"Whats your name and what's your emergency?"
My son is dying, she screams.
Madam, I can't hear you. You have to lower your voice and speak slowly, the customer representative said nonchalantly
I can't low my voice; my son is dying and I need an ambulance. The customer representative who acted like he did not care about the lives of anyone then asked for his home address and all the information needed. He told her that the ambulance would arrive in the next 20 minutes.
Can it not arrive sooner, she said crying and shouting, but unfortunately he ended the call (what a terrible customer representative)
However, she tried to call her husband again and fortunately, the call went through
Hello! Hello!
She was unable to hear him because the weather was bad. So she ended the call.
Her phone rang again and it was her husband calling.
Her husband voice was breaking up. Honey, the signal is terrible. What's wrong?
Can you hear me, he said.
I can barely hear you. Our son, he's not well. His temperature is high. she tried to explain everything to her husband.
Oh, babe. Please, take a deep breath, my dear. We'll figure this out. Everything will be fine. Please, calm down. I will call someone, a friend to come and drive you and Ndukwe to the hospital, he said. So he hung up the phone.
Stupid man. Why did I even marry this man, she said out of anger and worries
Doorbell rings and She rushes to open it thinking it might be ambulance or someone that her husband promised to call. So she walked so fast to the door, opened the door and saw Daniel, her younger son and her neighbour (Mrs Adeola)
Daniel's body was soaked because he entered rain without an umbrella to call their neighbour who is a nurse.
Mrs Adeola, a beautiful black woman. She speaks good English, talks slowly and softly that you have to listen carefully to hear her. She is so Educated and polite. She has a good sense of humour and empathy.
They both greeted and she walks inside and saw Ndukwe lying down.
She came with African hot body cream and rubs it on his body while he slowly massage his body as they waits for the ambulance; his body became warm.
Oh, Adeola, I am so sorry to put you through all this stress.
It's okay! Adeola said.
Ndukwe's mom told her that she called hospital and hopefully ambulance would arrive soon. While she was still talking the door bell rang and they slowly carried him on a stretcher into the van and drove away
It took them nearly half an hour to reach the hospital, and Ndukwe, weakened and dizzy, was slipping in and out of consciousness. His mother clutched his hand, tears streaming down her face, as she prayed for a miracle.
As they arrived at the hospital, they carried him on the stretcher to the emergency room.
" Madam, please, you have to stay outside, one of the nurses told his Mom as they took Ndukwe into the emergency room
They tried to revive him, Ndukwe slipped into unconsciousness. The doctors and nurses sprang into action, leaving his mother outside the room, her heart pounding in her chest.
The reality of the situation hit her like a punch to the gut. She couldn't focus, couldn't think about anything other than her son's life hanging in the balance. How had a normal day turned into a terrifying nightmare?
Desperate for answers, she bombarded the hospital staff with questions, but the only response she received was reassurance that everything would be okay.
" How can everything be okay, she said with a loud voice."
Mrs. Adeola held her and consoled her.
"Stop crying, I know how you feel. Everything will be okay; Trust God."
As she clung to hope, the only thing she could do was wait and pray for her son's life to be spared.
She had been waiting for around 15 minutes, but there was still no response from the doctor. Beads of sweat formed on her forehead, and her heart raced. Suddenly, she caught sight of a nurse approaching and dashed towards her.
"Are you the nurse in charge of my son?" she asked anxiously.
"Your son? What's your son's name?"
"Oh my God!" she yelled at the nurse, "I just brought my son here. What do you mean, 'what's my son's name'? Are you stupid?" Her frustration nearly creating a scene. Mrs. Adeola then apologized to the nurse and insisted that she should stay calm and sit.
"Oh my God, I'm losing my mind."
"Can I get you some water?" Mrs. Adeola asked.
"Ye, yes, yes, please," she replied, trying to regain her composure.
She felt a little relief and patiently waited to receive a report from the doctor. Her phone rang, and it was her husband.
"Babe, hello, can you hear me?" She replied with a crying voice and said yes, she could hear him.
"How is Ndukwe? What did the doctor say? Is he going to be okay?" he asked with a distressed voice and a broken soul.
She replied, saying she had not yet received any reports from the doctor, but Ndukwe was unconscious when they arrived at the hospital.
Babe, stay strong. Ndukwe needs us now more than ever. He's a fighter, just like you and he will be Okay
Her heart pounded in her chest as she relayed the distressing news to her husband. She could feel the fear and worry in his voice as he asked about their son. He had always been the light of their lives, and now, seeing him lying in a hospital bed, was a nightmare they never saw coming.
Babe, I will be coming home tomorrow. I wish I was always there for you and my kids, maybe all this would not have happened. He blamed himself, but tried to stay strong, He said.
After hanging up the phone, she sat alone in the hospital waiting area. She felt a sense of helplessness wash over her, but she knew she had to remain strong for her family. She thought back to the time when Ndukwe was a little boy and how he would come running to her with skinned knees or when he had a bad dream. She was always there to support and comfort him.
The doctor finally emerged from Ndukwe's room with grim expressions on his face. Ndukwe's mom rose to her feet and steadied herself, ready to face whatever news was coming. The doctor explained that Ndukwe had suffered a severe head injury and was in a critical condition. The next 24 hours would be crucial.
The news made her cry so hard, that even few people who were around her felt so sad and some cried, but they tried to comfort her.
"Adeola said, "Ndukwe is a fighter and he will fight for his life."
The both sat together and Adeola was telling her about the experiences she has had being a nurse and miracles that has happened to some of her patients lives.
Mrs, Adeola phone rang; her ringing tone was an old school jazz song. It was a call from her home, so she had to leave.
I will be back she said and then left
Ndukwe's mom was left alone. At about 20 minutes her husband's brother came to the hospital and she explained everything to them