Boulevard of pain

5

It was already noon and Anita was hungry. She went to the hospital canteen to eat but she had no appetite so she settled for snacks and fruit juice which took her forever to finish eating as she was occupied with different thoughts.

It was already getting late and she had to leave Lagos for Calabar. She was left in a tight corner with Ella. She was not sure the doctor will approve her traveling but she had to leave. After contemplating on what to do, she finally decided to have a tête-à-tête with the doctor and left for his office.

By the time she got back to the doctor's office, he was very busy attending to another emergency patient. She had to wait for another 2hours before the doctor finally attended to her.

"I am really sorry for keeping you waiting, Miss."

"It's okay. I would really like to have a word with you, sir."

"You can have your seat, I am all ears."

"Doctor, I am here because of my sister, your patient."

Anita had lied to the doctor earlier in one of their conversations that Ella was her younger sister and she had been knocked down by a hit and run vehicle.

"I have to leave for Calabar. I am a working class lady with little or no free time and I don't want to leave her alone, my mind won't be at peace. What can I do?"

"Oh I see. If you want, we can transfer her to any hospital in Calabar if that would make you will feel better."

"Transfer?" Anita repeated after the doctor snapping her fingers happily. "Why didn't I think of that earlier? That's perfect, Doctor, I love the idea."

"In that case we would start making preparations on how to move her to the general hospital in Calabar. I will call the hospital now to notify them that we would be bringing in a patient. I will ask them here to prepare the ambulance that will transfer her."

"Thanks Doctor, you are truly a life saver."

"That's my work ma'am, don't thank me." He replied jokingly then got serious.

"This new arrangement will cost you extra fee, if you don't mind."

"Of course, I don't. I am ready to pay anything."

"Then we are good to go. Just wait for me outside I will let you know when we are prepared and ready to move."

As soon as Anita stepped out of the Doctor's office, her phone rang and before she could struggle to bring out the phone from her brimful bag, it had stopped ringing.

"Oh my God!! 20 missed calls, who could this be?"

10 missed call from Ada, 5 from her fiancé and the remaining 5 was from her colleague at work.

Her phone rang again, this time it was her fiancé.

"Anita, what the fuck happened to you? I have been trying your line since yesterday, it was switched off and today, you refused to pick. You really got me worried here. Are you fine?"

"James." She called out as she broke down into tears. "I really need you hear rite now." She managed to say.

He asked, this time with a very soft and concerned voice, "Baby, are you fine? Where are you? Tell me, so I can come pick you up."

"I am still in Lagos. I am currently at one of their General Hospital."

"General Hospital!! Anita, what are you doing there?"

"I was involved in an accident, it was.."

James interrupted her before she was able to complete the sentence. "You were what? How? When? Where? Just wait where you are, I am on my way."

"Baby, calm down. I knocked someone down, I am with her in the hospital."

"Anita, why do you like doing this? You almost gave me a heart attack, I thought you were the one involved in the accident."

"But I was nao,  I was the one driving the vehicle that hit the young girl."

"Okay, is she fine? How is she?"

"They just operated on her but she's still in coma."

"Operation!! Coma!! Is it that serious?"

"Yes it is. I have asked the doctor to have her transferred to Calabar."

"Really? And he agreed? What about the girl's parents? How would the parents allow you transfer their child?"

"No one has come for her yet. I lied to the Doctor that she's my sister. I can't leave her here. I promise that when she's better and able to speak I will take her back to her parents for now, let me take responsibility of her."

"I hope you know what you are doing. When will you be arriving home?"

"I don't know but the Doctor should call me soon."

"Miss Anita!" The Doctor called out.

"Oh, hold on love, the Doctor just called me"

"Yes Doc, are we set?" She asked.

"Yes, we are good to move. I just need you to clear out all the bills."

"I will do that right away."

"Perfect! Will you be going with the ambulance or...?"

She interrupted, "No, no. I will go in my ride, thanks."

"Okay. Please make your payment snappy so we can start moving." The doctor said and walked away leaving Anita to return to her call.

"So honey we leave now."

"Okay dear, wish you safe trip. Be good for daddy, okay? You know daddy loves you."

"I love you too, honey." She said and ended the call.

She hurried through all the payment and collected her transfer letter then assisted the nurses in moving Ella to the ambulance.

***********

At the dead of the night, Anita arrived at the General Hospital with the ambulance ahead of her. She had never spent 10 hours on the road, it was a long drive. All through the journey, James and Ada had been calling to keep track on her and make sure she was fine.

Anita saw to it that Ella was admitted into a room and was properly attended to before she left the hospital. It was too late for her to go home so she decided to spend the night at James' place which was not too far from the hospital.

By the time she got to his place, it was already 12 midnight. Her phone battery was flat so she couldn't call James. She got down from her car and rang the doorbell.

"Who be that? Wetin you dey find for this kain time? You no dey sleep?" The gatekeeper shouted as he set out to open the small hole in the gate used to peer visitor's face.

Anita wasn't surprised at his behavior. She knew he could be grumpy atimes.

The gatekeeper peeped from the small hole on the gate and shouted when he saw her.

"Madam, na you? Wetin, you dey find by this time of the night? And Oga allow you make you enter road?"

"Adam, would you open the gate and stop shouting?" She said and went back into her car.

Adam hurriedly opened the gate and she drove in. As soon as she was properly packed, she got down and said to the gateman.

"So Adam, if someone was chasing after me, you would have allowed them kill me abi?"

"God no go allow us make we see that one but you sef know say I no just fit open gate like that. No vex. Why you sef just dey enter house since morning?"

"See Adam, I am in no mood for stories tonight. I am very tired and I need to rest so goodnight!" She said and went inside the house.

*************

We have come to the end of this chapter, thanks for reading.

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