Secret Betrayal

Episode 36

I heard distant voices in the
background and someone
shutting the door, followed by
silence. My eyes opened and
squinted again from the
bright lights that hit my retina
and gave me a tough time
recognising that I was in a
hospital ward. I tried to sit up
but my head refused to
follow my will. It felt like lead
against my skull. I groaned
from pain and bit my lower lip
as the thoughts of my last
few conscious hours flashed
back. Tears trickled down the
sides of my eyes on to the
bed as I sobbed. Thankfully
the door opened and a young
nurse walked in with a broad
smile that felt like home. The
name tag on her uniform read
Ruth.

“How are you feeling?” She
asked while placing a hand on
my forehead.

“Where am I?” I ignored her
question.

“You don’t have to worry
about anything ma’am.” She
grinned and felt my pulse.

“You’re atDr. Sam’s
Hospital.We have been
waiting for you to resuscitate
since a gentleman brought
you here some few hours
ago. He said you slumped at a
pharmacy nearby. You
know…BarkMed’s Place.”

Her voice was soothing, I
thought. “I need to leave here
at once.”

She had gone to use the
intercom to inform the doctor
I had regained consciousness.

I made to stand up and felt
the pound on my head
intensify. That was when I
also realised I was on drip,
hence had my right wrist
fastened to the edge of the
bed.

“Don’t do this to yourself
ma’am, at least not until the
doctor has certified you are
okay. We need to identify you
please.” She spoke with such
calmness that defied my
thoughts of a typical Nigerian
nurse. She didn’t appeal to
me like those that would
spank and yell at someone for
not pushing so hard in the
delivery room.

“Look, I just need to leave as
soon as possible.” I winced.
“Lemme just leave here
please.”

“Please ma’am, the
gentleman who brought you
here said he’s under
instructions.”

“Instructions from who?” I
defied my pounding head to
rant.

“From the manager at
BarkMed’s Place, where you
lost consciousness.”

I sighed with relief and
relaxed​. Ruth seemed relaxed
as well.

“Can I have my phone
please?”

“Yeah sure. We would have
reached out to someone but
we’ve not been able to
identify you, besides your
mobile phone has been
locked or we would have
reached your…husband or
anyone else.” She said as she
handed me the phone. I
wanted to wonder how she
knew I was married when I
remembered I had my rings
on.

I didn’t know who to talk to.
My family was out of it as I
didn’t want to cause any form
of panic. I didn’t care about
my status anymore, I needed
help and was going to ask for
it, even if it meant putting it
up on social media. I wasn’t
the first after all. When I
unlocked the phone, I realised
I’d had twenty seven missed
calls, Collins’ alone was
twenty. I was sure the others
were from his friends’
numbers.

“Thank God.” Ruth looked at
me inquisitively as I was glad
they hadn’t taken any of the
calls to inform Collins about
my location.

“I’m sorry we missed the calls
that came to your phone.
That’s why I was asked to
come and get the phone.

“There’s no problem at all.” If
only she knew what was on
my mind. I called the only
person that could understand
what plight I was suffering at
the time, the only person I
should never have called.

What face did I have? What
guts? But that was the
Hobson’s Choice.

The shock in Vera’s voice was
almost palpable but the love
and wanting was perspicuous.
“Hello love,” her soft voice
emanated benignly as the line
clicked open.

I lost my vocal cord and my
senses turned off. Only one
thing happened. I broke down
and sobbed.

“Fifi, what’s the matter with
you?” She asked with a tone
of urgency. I couldn’t bear it
anymore and hung up.
Vera called back and at the
third ring I picked up and
continued to sob. With so
much persuasion, I told Vera
where I was and why. I could
feel the panic in her voice as
she told me to hang on, that
she’d call back.

I’d hardly taken the phone off
my ear when the doctor
walked in, a smallish elderly
man in his mid-sixties with
eye glasses that sat on his
nose, farther away from his
eyes. He had a way of looking
over the rim of his lenses and
wore a healing smile. I
doubted if people would ever
die in this hospital. He
examined me and began
asking about my identity but I
told him he shouldn’t worry,
that I could take care of
myself.