Heart Of Gold

Episode 12

The day for the transplant came and the medical director who was the head of the team of doctors that was to carry out the transplant came around to check on Declan who was already hospitalized. He checked to make sure that everything was in order for the surgery but found out that Declan’s blood pressure at that moment was too high for them to carry out any surgery.

Doctor: “I am sorry but we have to reschedule the surgery. The donor’s blood pressure is too high and we cannot do anything until it is stable” he said to the Ogars and the Declans.

Declan: “my blood pressure is still high? But I have been on bed rest since we came here, how comes the blood pressure is still high doctor?”

Doctor: “there are lots of factors that can be responsible for that. It is possible to be on best rest and yet your mind is not at rest. I will advise that you avoid thinking of anything that could trigger the high blood pressure” the doctor said with his thick Indian accent.

Mr Ogar: “doctor, I think we should reschedule so that my son’s blood pressure can get stable just like you said. We can stay here for as long as you want, I don’t want anything that will harm my son in any way” he said.

Doctor: “that is the best thing to do, sir” I will check with the other doctors and get back to you on a new date, he said and walked away.

Mrs Ogar: “what was that rubbish you said to the doctor? How can you tell him that we can stay here for as long as the doctor wants us to stay? Don’t you know that we left businesses behind in Nigeria? Don’t you know that the earlier we get done with this transplant the better?”

Mr Ogar: “but you heard what the doctor said about my son’s blood pressure”

Mrs Ogar: “oh please spare me that. He is not the first person to have a high blood pressure, we all do and yet we don’t pause out lives or other peoples own”

Declan: “Ma, please try and understand with my father, he just wants to make sure that everything goes well. As soon as my blood pressure stabilizes, we can go through with this” Declan who was listening to their conversation said to her.

Mrs Ogar: “see who is talking? Anytime that my blood pressure stabilizes, we will go through with this, who do you think you are deceiving? You think I don’t know that this one of your tricks to delay the surgery or even to cancel it? You are busy thinking about things that will affect your blood pressure because you know that they can never do the transplant if your blood pressure is high. You are now here forming innocent” she remarked sarcastically.

Stacey: “no ma, my husband is not faking it. As a matter of fact, he cannot do something like that…” she started to say before her mother in law interrupted her.

Mrs Ogar: “shut up your mouth there. You think I don’t know that this is all your plan? You were the one who is telling your husband things that will affect his blood pressure, I know it”

Stacey: “with due respect, ma…” she started to say but her husband held her hand and told her to keep quiet.

Frank was in his compound washing his clothes when Ann, Liz’ friend came in. Frank was surprised to see her because she had never visited him before.

Ann: “Frank, how far?” she said in her gentle voice.

Frank: “I am good, Ann. How are you and what are you doing here?” he said rinsing his hands and raising his head.

Ann: “oh, I actually came to get a text book from a friend who moved into your compound yesterday” she said looking at the shirt he was rinsing.

Frank: “oh, I see. I am aware that a student moved in here yesterday but I didn’t know that you know the person” he said.
He expected Ann to reply or say something but she did not talk. He went up to the cloth line in the middle of the compound and sprayed the shirt he had finished rinsing and she was still there, staring at him.

Frank: “hello, you seem so far away. What’s up?” he asked her.

Ann: “that shirt…” she trailed off.

Frank: “yes? What about the shirt? You like it?”

Ann: “not really. Is it yours?” she asked suspiciously.

“Yes, o. I wouldn’t be washing it if it is not mine. I don’t do laundry for people” he said.

Ann: “that shirt…rape…Liz…” she said incoherently.

Frank: “shirt, Liz, this, that. What are you saying?”

Ann: “Oh, never mind. I will just start going back now” she said quickly and walked briskly out of the compound.

Frank: “What was she trying to talk about?” he asked himself after Ann left.

Frank: “Oh, this was the shirt I wore the day Liz was raped! Gosh, this silly girl remembers what I wore even though it was dark? D–n it” he said and kicked the bucket he was using to wash the clothes.

Frank: “how could I be this careless? I should have even burnt the shirt that day o” he said, thinking of what to do.

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Ann took a bike immediately she got outside the compound and went directly to Liz apartment. Liz was on in the bathroom when her friend entered.

“Who is it?” she asked when she heard her door open.

Ann: “it is me o, come out here Liz” she said eagerly.

Liz: “I dey baff o, which one be come out here like say this house dey catch fire?” she said in pidgin English.

Ann: “see ehn, it’s like I have a clue to the guys that raped you o”

Liz: “what! You have a clue? How? When even my boyfriend who is helping me fish out the guys doesn’t have a clue yet?” she said, washing her face with her Avocado face soap.

Ann: “I am serious about this” she said.

Liz: “So, who is it?”

Ann: “come out of the bathroom first o, even the walls have ears. Before I will say something now and someone will go with my name”

Liz: “hahaha…fear-fear. Don’t worry, I will soon be out” she said.

She came out after a few minutes and sat beside her friend.

“so tell me, what did you find out?”

Ann: “you know that it was very late that night that you were raped and to make things worst, the guys were flashing bright touches on our face right?”

“yes?” she said urging her to go with her eyes.

Ann: “Well, when the guys held you down and one of them mounted you, I was able to make out the shirt the person who raped you wore because my eyes were already adjusting to the darkness” she said and paused to see her friend’s reaction.

Liz: “so? You saw the shirt, how does that help?”

Ann: “guess who has that shirt on this campus”

Liz: “who? She asked her heart beating fast”

Ann: “Your boyfriend Frank and I suspect that he has a hand in your rape” she dropped what sounded like a bombshell in Liz’ ears.