Crushed

Episode 24

A way of letting the secret that Mama had hidden for years to be revealed?

Wow!

“But for his broken neck and some cracked ribs, he is fine!” he said and I hugged my baby once again

“Mum, where is Mercy?” he asked all of a sudden and I paused

“Mercy?” Seyi asked, looking into his face, intently

“Yes. She was been operated on the last time I was here. Where is she? Did she survive it? Tell me!” he just bombarded us with the questions that I just had to say something
“She should be fine already. The surgery was successful” I said and he smiled broadly, obviously relieved
“Can I see her please?” he asked and I shook my head
“You have several fractures Jean. You possibly can’t move now.” Seyi said and he frowned

“But I want to see her. She is my best friend”

“Oh yes I know son. Let’s go and check her first and then we would get back to you. Okay?” I asked and he nodded.

“Congrats” Dr. James said as we went towards him at the door. He hugged his friend and shook my hands happily

“I am so happy for you my people” he said and we couldn’t but just blush
Just then, there was a knock at the door
“Who is there?” Seyi asked, almost angrily
“There is an issue sir. You need to come out” someone said from outside and we opened the door.

The nurse was sweating profusely
“I just saw your car and knew that you are around. Doctor, we have a serious case” she said, breathing so heavily and I was shocked
“How is Mercy? The girl in the female ward?” I quickly asked
She nodded wearily
“It’s her parents o” she said and started running towards the lobby

We followed right behind her and the sight was gruesome!

“Mrs Brown!” my husband and I screamed as we arrived at the lobby

Mrs Brown had actually attacked her husband with a very sharp knife, cutting deeply into his arms.

He was busy screaming ‘Help!’
“Security, what are you doing? How could you be watching when this kind of a thing is happening? For what reason have you been employed? So all you could do was stand by and watch, ehn?” My husband fumed and shouted at the four security men who had actually left the gate for sightseeing inside
It was so annoying that they would behave like that when the reputation of the hospital would be at stake

“Where is everyone? Why would you allow this people in here?” he asked on angrily.
I had to pacifyingly pat his back before he calmed down eventually

Mrs Brown had fallen to the ground, the knife still in her hands

“Doctor!” She cried out while her husband just sat like a mauled cow, holding his bloodily battered arms and wriggling in pain
“Mrs. Brown, what is the meaning of all these?” I asked and she smiled, tears running down her face

“I have brought him here for a test. It is either he does the test like this, in my presence and let me know what my fate is, or I kill myself right here in front of everybody!” She cried and my husband looked me in the eyes
I smiled a bit

“Test?”
“Yes o mummy. That was how some ladies from the opposite neighborhood came around to the house today, saying that they had been infected on the HIV from Baba Mercy. I said it was not possible. He actually denied knowing the ladies but you would know when your husband is lying nah! I begged him to lets come here and get tested but he refused. I pestered him till he started beating me, planning to take life out of me. I was left with no option than to hold a knife too and that was why I was able to drag him here”

“Really! But he is an elder!” My husband said, obviously teasing him
“I don’t care. He should just get tested and not put my future at stake” she cried further
“Get the Procedure ready and get both of them tested right away.” My husband ordered the nurse and they wheeled the necessary materials into the lobby in a few minutes

“I don’t want to do any test. I am not doing any test at all” He said and started running out of the lobby

His wife brought the knife close to her neck
“Stop him or I kill myself. Better stop him now” she cried in a very loud voice
“Just leave him since he doesn’t want to do it. Just give us the knife so we could get the sample of his blood from it” A nurse said and Mrs. Brown calmed down a little as she surrendered the knife

As we awaited the result which I believed would determine the HIV status of my beautiful Mercy too, Mrs. Brown couldn’t just be calm.

She kept on hitting her knee against the other and slapping her thigh
“My life is ruined” she cried aloud and even my heart started to race
“Make it negative oh Lord! Please have mercy” I prayed silently as my husband gave me a knowing look and pressed my hand gently

“The result is ready sir” a nurse said after a while

We all looked up in expectation as we expected an answer.

Just then, my husband’s phone rang aloud and it was grandma
“What’s the result abeg?” Mrs. Brown asked on, so anxious to know the outcome
“Hello Granny”

“Hello Oga, this is Joe sir”
“Ok Joe. Is anything the matter?”
“I saw Granny on the staircase o- she has died oo” he said and my husband and I screamed so loudly
“Dead?” we asked together.
“Impossible!” I cried as I paced up and down for the umpteenth time before my husband pulled me and led me towards the exit

“Nurses, do the needful. We would get the result soon. Organize an ambulance and let it meet us at home immediately too” Seyi ordered as we jumped out of the lobby
Mama must have followed me immediately I followed Seyi!
She must have!
Oh my God!

Now, an HIV issue had come up again and I wondered what the result was.
Whatever the result was would define Mercy’s life afterwards o
Chai!

This is really crushing!

“Tell your nurses to tell me the result o” Mrs Brown shouted after us even as we drove away

“Come back at night” My husband shouted back at her as he sped up
…closely followed behind by a fully loaded ambulance!