Tales By The Brothel

Episode 49

I was lying on my hospital bed in the military hospital one hot monday afternoon when a text message came to my phone and I checked and found that it was from Rita.

“Sir please I’m at Colliery hospital,” the text read. “Have been seriously sick for the past two months and my family no longer have money to pay for my hospital bill. Please help me sir.”

The text message sent my heart beating into my mouth as my blood pressure rose out of shock.

“If Rita was sick too and I once had s€x with her, that means her sickness must be related too,” I reasoned silently within myself.

Rita didn’t know I was down, thus the text message, cos if she knew, she would have pitied my condition first before sending the text.

General Obianodo soon got to hear about my ill-health and travelled all the way to see me.

He was angry and bitter with the fact that I was sick all the while and didn’t care to inform him.

“Please I’m sorry sir,” I apologised. “I never meant to hide my sickness from you,” I continued. “Just that I didn’t know it would last this long.”

“Hope you’re aware that senator’s wife is sick too?” He asked terrifying me the more with his question.

“Is she?” I asked feigning ignorance.

“She’s down with an unknown terminal illness,” the General informed. “But that’s by the way,” he continued. “I’ve ordered the lab to run a full blood test on you to let us know what the actual ailment is,” he added.

The fact that my heart didn’t stop beating at that moment when the General made those statements must have been a miracle because a cloud of hopelessness and uncertainty enveloped my mind and I began to feel dead even before the test.

The General noticed the sudden change in my countenance and asked what the problem was.

“Nothing sir,” I lied. “Its a nice idea,” I added.

My blood sample was collected later that afternoon and I was informed that the result would be out latest in two days time.

With fear and hope I awaited the result.

If not for the fact that I was under some form of insurance as military, my bank account would have long gone dry.

But then the test results came out two days later as scheduled and the worst was eventually affirmed.

I had HIV…