THE BASTARD

EPISODE 15

WRITTEN BY: LIZZY OYEBOLA YAKUBU

 

(Click here for episode 14)

 

I was so tired as I walked out of the operating room to the dressing room.

 

 

It had been such a busy day for me. I woke up around 4am, had my devotion to 5am, had a workout session with Dola from 5am to 5.45am and then started to prepare for a very hectic day ahead.

 

 

My rounds started at 7am and I walked into the West-Ward to see what the house officers and the Junior Residents had done before the Consultant would join us.

 

 

“Good morning, Dr. Blossom!” They chorused as I entered the ward and I smiled.

 

 

“Good morning. I trust you all had a very wonderful night rest” I said and they all responded in their own ways.

 

 

Some complained that they were so tired, others complained that they were so sick and so on.

 

 

“Good morning, Mrs. Allen”

 

 

“Good morning, Dr. Blossom”

 

 

“Did you sleep well at all?”

 

 

She nodded and I smiled, squeezing her hand lovingly.

 

 

“What of that headache? How is it now on a scale of 10?”

 

 

“Ermmm…like 8”

 

 

“Oh my!” I exclaimed silently and smiled at her, giving her a reassuring face.

 

 

“Can you see very well? How many doctors are here with you?”

 

 

“8” She correctly said.

 

 

“How many fingers do you have on your two hands?”

 

 

“10”

 

 

I did some more tests to confirm her consciousness before checking her IV and getting set for the arrival of the dreaded consultant.

 

 

“I hope you uploaded the results of the MRI and CT scans on the website for the professor to gain access to it?” I asked the house officer.

 

 

“Yes, doc!”

 

 

Almost immediately, the door flung open and Professor Asubiojo entered, his eyeglasses sagging as usual.

 

 

The nurses and matrons stood up with immediate alacrity and the chorus of ‘Good morning, sir!’ rung through the ward.

 

 

He did not reply, as usual. He came directly to where we were and looked at the patient briefly.

 

 

“What is the case?” He roared.

 

 

The house officer stepped forward, a note in his hands. I knew just then that he was in for it. It was too late for me to warn him, so I silently prayed that God would touch my professor not to turn the ward upside down.

 

 

“A 49-years-old woman had a history of arterial hypertension and chronic renal insufficiency treated by failed kidney transplant one month before and after dialysis since 2011. She was in therapy with clopidogrel and acetylsalicylic acid because of deep arterial thrombosis.” He explained and started to peep at his notes to give further details.

 

 

“Doctor Fries!” He roared my name.

 

 

“Yes, prof!”

 

 

“Is your house officer stupid?” He asked and I hesitated.

 

 

“I am sorry sir” I apologized.

 

 

“Is clerking that difficult to do for an intern? Oh my, what a boy! You cannot even memorize everything wrong with your patient and present to me?” He roared again.

 

 

I peeped at the patient and saw that she looked so uncomfortable and scared.

 

 

“I am sorry sir” The house officer said quickly. My prof retrieved a red jotter from his pocket and brought out a pen.

 

 

“What is your name? You shouldn’t be a doctor. I will ensure that” Professor Asubiojo said, looking at the intern’s ward coat intently, writing down his name with all gusto. I knew he meant it. It would take some supernatural powers and interventions to make him erase the name of his offenders off his jotter.

 

 

I was covered with sweat from head to toe since I knew it was me he would face to ask for all the details the house officer couldn’t fully give! People called me his best student but despite that, I never felt so confident before him, he would never spare me from all his roaring and all.

 

 

“Doctor Fries!” He roared again.

 

 

“Yes, prof!”

 

 

“Maybe it is degrading but I feel more confident when I hear you tell me about a patient. You did not fully entrust this intern with the clerking, did you?” He asked and I sighed, straightening my ward coat, trying to appear confident.

 

 

“Erm, my prof! Mr. Abrahams is actually a very good intern. I do not understand why he was not confident before you. He probably is shy of you, sir!” I said, seizing the opportunity to save the intern from the trap he had entered.

 

 

He burst out laughing, coughing as he did.

 

 

“Why is Dr. Fries so funny like this?” He asked so more and we all had to join him in the laughing spree before he would descend on us all. “Are you saying this to deliver him from my claws?” He asked and I smiled, bowing my head slightly.

 

 

He brought out the red jotter and pen and extended it to me.

 

 

With fear and trembling, I looked into his mischief-filled face and I wondered what his next scheme was.

 

 

“Dr. Fries, I will give your intern another chance. If he is able to do it well, cross out his name from my jotter. If not, you will be punished on his behalf” He said and I sighed. “You will have to go to the Ward EVERY 4 HOURS to record each patient’s blood pressure, okay?” He asked and I sighed, looking at the shivering intern who was obviously scared for me.

 

 

“Ok, prof!”

 

 

The intern threw the notes again and started explaining all he had clerked earlier.

 

 

“In January 2015, the patient had an intense headache, vomiting and rapidly progressive deterioration of the consciousness. An urgent computerized tomography (CT) at our hospital revealed a 42 mm hematoma of the left cerebellar hemisphere, with calcifications and perilesional edema, causing compression of the brainstem and triventricular hydrocephalus.” He continued. My heart smiled at that. I had always known him to be very good. He must have been scared by the consultant’s perpetual roars.

 

 

“Thus, an external ventricular drainage was immediately placed. A Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) showed a tumor mass of the left cerebellar hemisphere of about 52 × 33 × 27 mm with heterogeneous signal due to the presence of peripheral calcifications, diffuse intralesional bleeding, solid nodules and cystic and necrotic components. Discrete perilesional edema, severe brainstem compression, triventricular hydrocephalus and herniation of the left cerebellar tonsil were present. DWI, spectroscopy and perfusion sequences did not provide further information because of the diffuse intralesional blood.” He explained and I looked at the face of my professor, looking all conquered.

 

 

“At admission the patient was comatose and with equal and reactive pupils, then she rapidly deteriorated up to GCS 5 and was recovered in our intensive care unit and intubated.” He rounded off and everyone clapped for him, including the patient!

 

 

“It looks as if you are very much better now, madam” He asked the patient with a sarcastic look on his face.

 

 

“I like my doctors” She said and we smiled.

 

 

“Dr. Fries, cross out the name and hand my jotter over to me, now!” He said as calmly as he could.

 

 

I did and he gave me a ‘We shall meet later’ look. I sighed because I knew exactly where he was going to catch me.

 

 

“Dr. Fries, does the patient need surgery?” He asked.

 

“Urgently, prof!” I replied quickly. I knew he was going to rush me with so many questions and even ask me to assist the surgery!

 

 

Oh my days!

 

 

“Explain the procedure”

 

“An urgent midline and left suboccipital craniectomy associated with the laminectomy will be performed.”

 

 

“How do you think the tumor mass would be?” He asked and I paused.

 

 

“Sir?” I asked to be sure that I heard him correctly. I knew the question was too baseless.

 

 

“You heard me!” He said and I sighed again.

 

 

“Well. I do not know if I got your question right but from the explanation of the intern, the tumor mass must have slightly increased in consistency. It must have some vascularized soft tissue, and significant blood collection and necrosis.” I said and he started clapping.

 

 

“She is just like her mentor” He said, laughing out loudly as he clapped. I didn’t know when I signed up for mentoring under Prof. Asubiojo but he wouldn’t stop calling himself my mentor!

 

 

“Continue. Let me hear more about the surgery procedure” He said, looking at me intently and with a very interesting smile.

 

 

It must be one of those lucky days of mine!

 

 

Prof Asubiojo was always fluctuating in loving me. He might love me today and punish me tomorrow. He was my direct consultant and I knew that I had a whole lot to learn from him if I would become a neurosurgeon like him but he could be so scary. No one liked to work under him but even if I decided to avoid him, he would always send for me for so many important cases of his.

 

 

He even became a very important part of our prayer points when Dola and I met to pray at the chapel every Friday and Sunday. We would pray for God to grant me favour in his sight and make him soft on me. It seemed as though, the prayers had started coming to pass after such a long time of praying.

 

 

“A Piecemeal tumor resection might be realized and a significant brainstem displacement might also be evident. The edematous left cerebellar tonsil, displaced downward into the occipital foramen, will be resected. The intraoperative diagnosis on frozen sections, I presume will be low grade glioma. After surgery the patient will remain intubated and under pharmacological sedation, with enlarged and scarcely reactive pupils. These are my hypothesis, professor” I said and he smiled.

 

 

“Listen up, everyone, I have an announcement to make” He said, not taking his eyes off me. He was smiling so largely in a way I had never seen before.

 

 

What announcement?

 

 

I would be performing the surgery?

 

 

Ah, no way!

 

 

I knew the surgery was too risky for me to attempt. I really did hope that that wasn’t his announcement.

 

 

“You all know how much I love Dr. Fries. She is so diligent and upright in all she does! You see, I dealt with this girl during the preclinical and the clinical years, like, oh my! I deal with you all now and you think it is wickedness, ask her! I am sure even her church members know my name because they must have joined her in praying for me seriously” He said and laughed again. “It was for her own good but she did not know. She was so full of herself as a new student of this institution because she was the student with the best WAEC result those times. I also showed her however that I was the best student at my own medical school” He said and laughed again.

 

 

I smiled at that.

 

 

I never even believed that I could beat Dola in our final examinations then. I was so surprised when I heard on the news that I was the one with the best result in the whole of Nigeria.

 

 

Blossom Fries!

 

 

Blossom Fries!

 

 

That was the name on everyone’s lips. It was too marvelous for me.

 

 

I had nine distinctions and Dola had nine distinctions as well. It was in the total points that I must have beaten him.

 

 

I gained admission into the University of Ibadan with my best friend, Dola and we met the then Dr. Asubiojo who made life difficult for us. We were not full of ourselves at all but he probably felt so threatened at our sudden popularity and academic success.

 

 

He tried as much as possible to make sure we failed but no matter what it was, we were always succeeding.

 

 

“So, you all know that Dr. Blossom Fries wrote her part 1 exams to qualify her for the senior residency.” He said and my jaws started to shake against each other.

 

 

Did I pass the exams?

 

 

Am I now a senior resident?

 

 

“Well, the dreams of this young lady to become a specialist and even a consultant is becoming a reality soon as this girl here, fried the whole exams for them! She passed stage 1” He announced and oh my goodness, my heart burst out into ecstasy!

 

 

My labor was not in vain!

 

 

The nurses and matrons had come close to our side and everyone was clapping and cheering. I was obviously their favorite doctor. I had won the award for four consecutive times.

 

“At age 32, she is now a senior resident. She has just one more final exam and she is going to ace that too and become a full surgeon! I am rooting for you, Dr. Fries!” He said and I bowed, exhilarated.

 

 

I couldn’t believe my ears at all.

 

 

“Thank you, my prof! Thank you so much, sir!” I bowed before him and he patted my back.

 

 

“Thank you everyone! Oh my, thank you!” I bowed before the nurses and matrons and my colleagues.

 

 

I pecked my patient who was also looking so excited. I was too overjoyed.

 

 

“So, get the patient ready for surgery. Let us celebrate this good news with some surgeries, girl!” He said as he started to go out.

 

 

There was a large offering of murmurs following his announcement but I was not surprised. I knew we must have a surgery to ‘celebrate’ the good news. I was so excited, however, because of the news.

 

 

“Erm, Doctor Haruna, call the Anesthesiology department and inform them of the surgery. Doctor James, ensure that the theatre is ready. The surgery is in one hour. House officer, intimate Mrs. Allen with the surgery procedure and get her ready”

 

 

“Yes ma!” The people concerned replied.

 

 

“Congrats, doctor” Flew in the air as I walked shyly, yet triumphantly out of the ward.

 

 

I needed a quiet place to talk to my bestie about the newest development.

 

 

Once I found a safe place in the toilet, I pulled out my phone to put a call through to him. That was when I realized he had called thrice already.

 

 

He picked up as soon as the call went through.

 

 

“Tell me you passed too! Tell me!” He said and I started laughing.

 

 

“You are speaking with a SR, right now. How can I help you?” I asked, acting the usual drama with him.

 

 

“Oh, SR, speaking with a SR, please can we have a SR meeting, right away?” He asked and I started laughing.

 

 

“I am so sorry, dear SR but I have to prepare for a surgery right away” I said.

 

 

“Prof. Asubiojo wouldn’t even let you be, right? Surgery again after how many surgeries yesterday”

 

 

“I tell you! If not for the joy of this news ehn, the thought of the surgery alone would have made me cry”

 

 

“Just hang in there, okay? You will be fine. Congrats once again, ore mi”

 

 

“Oh my, a heart congrats to you too, bestie. I need to send a message to dad also now. We will talk after the surgery, right?”

 

 

“Yes. But, have you heard from Princess yet?” He asked.

 

 

“Oh my, yes o. She called me yesterday that she is now in school. I have a meeting with her and her sister at the Cafe Chrysalis at 2pm today.”

 

 

“Oh great! We can meet there around 4pm then. I need to also assist a surgery at 1pm”

 

 

“Alright, bestie. I need to hurry now. Please pray for this surgery. It is highly risky.” I said and he smiled.

 

 

“What is the problem?”

 

 

“Liponeurocytoma”

 

 

“Wow, you brain openers ehn, the Lord is your muscle o!”

 

 

“What about you? Isn’t yours worse? You will be opening people’s bones here and there” I teased and he started laughing.

 

 

“Orthopedic surgeons are the bomb, c’mon!”

 

 

“Neurosurgeons are the bomb, joor! What are you saying?” I argued. Whenever we wanted to argue seriously, we would usually start from our specialties. It just always worked!

 

 

“Just go now o, Dr. Fries. Go and fry this surgery also. The Lord go with you” He said and we burst out laughing.

 

 

“C’mon, get off the phone, my friend!” I said, dropped the call and started to scroll down my phone for my dad’s phone number.

 

——————————————————–

I got off the bike and dragged myself into the Cafe Chrysalis, very tired.

 

 

I saw Princess and my face lit up. I was so excited. She stood up, looking at me with all joy and excitement. We walked into each other and hugged passionately.

 

 

Apart from Dola, Princess was the next closest friend to me while we were at secondary school.

 

 

We were the ‘efiwes’ of the class and Princess loved me so much.

 

 

She studied law at Bowen University, Iwo and had started her own law firm. She was even married already with two kids. She called me a few weeks earlier that her baby sis would be resuming at the University of Ibadan to study medicine and would love us to meet up.

 

 

“You look so radiant! Oh my, is this really my Princess? You look so queeny!” I asked as we eventually settled in our seats.

 

 

“What about you? See the way you are glowing.” She said and I raised my nose at her.

 

 

“Stop. I refuse to be deceived” I said and we both laughed.

 

 

“Blossom, what is going on with you na?”

 

 

“Everything is fine o. I became a senior resident today” I said excitedly but she shook her head.

 

 

“Is this how boring Medicine is? You’ve been doing this for over 12 years now if I am not mistaken. 3 and half years, pre-clinicals abi what? Then you did another 3 and a half years. Then you interned. Then you served. Then you started residency. Is it only you? Ah, nawa o! You will be 32 years old. What is happening?”

 

 

I chuckled, pretending to not understand what she was talking about.

 

 

“Medicine is interesting though. If not for the incessant ASUU strike, I would have been done with my residency programme. But I love Medicine. It is what I have passion for” I defended myself.

 

 

“But you know what I am talking about, don’t you? I mean, in other areas of your life, how are you doing?” She asked and I sighed, still smiling. I was sad within me because she was not the only worried one, I was worried as well.

 

 

I was not even in any relationship yet!

 

 

Of course, I am worried but I tried as much as possible not to let it show.

 

 

“I am fine in all areas, Princess. My spiritual life is on fire, by His Grace and…”

 

 

“Maritally nko? Are you engaged? Are you in any relationship?” She asked and I sighed.

 

 

“Not yet” I said, still forming a smile.

 

 

“What is the matter? Brothers are not coming?”

 

 

“They are, but I am not convinced to go with them for life. God hasn’t told me anything about them” I said, like a child being interviewed.

 

 

“How is Dola?” She asked and I smiled.

 

 

“My bestie is fine o”

 

 

“You people should stop all these bestie nonsense na! What is wrong with you both? Is all well with you guys at all? What are all these bestie things?” She asked and I started laughing.

 

 

“It looks as if you are very angry today o. This is the first time we are seeing each other in ten years, c’mon, let’s enjoy the moments.”

 

 

“I am sorry, ore. I am just not happy that you both are not being sincere to each other. You love each other and I do not see the reason why you shouldn’t both be married by now”

 

 

“We will get married at God’s own time. I will get married to my own husband and Dola will get married to a fine lady. He is just a brother to me” I said and she shook her head.

 

 

“Swear!” She said and I started laughing.

 

 

“Swear? Princess, aren’t you born again yet?” I asked and she raised her nose.

 

 

“It is this born again you will use to be deceiving yourselves, right? Please spare me o!” She said and I smiled.

 

 

“Jesus is the only way t….” I was saying when she interjected.

 

 

“Spare me the preaching, please. I am not in the mood, seriously” She said and I pulled her hand into mine.

 

 

“Princess, thanks for worrying about me. I am praying about my marriage and I know that God will show Himself

strong soon”

 

 

“Issokay! But you love Dola, isn’t it?”

 

 

“Dola is a very good friend of mine.”

 

 

“If he proposes to you, you will say yes, right?”

 

 

“Well, if God says yes”

 

 

“That is my problem with you guys. Well, what should we order? My sister will soon be here. She had a lecture till 2pm” She said and I nodded, so many things crossing my mind.

 

 

Dola!

 

 

There were so many things I had seen about Dola and I but they only usually ended in my dreams and visions. Dola wouldn’t propose to me, nor would he tell me how he felt about me.

 

 

I wouldn’t call him a lord of the rings because he had not put a ring on my finger but I felt he was waiting till our residency programme was completed.

 

 

Or he probably didn’t love me as a woman!

 

 

As much as I was so worried, I always would never forget to pray for my marital life. I would fast and pray and claim all the promises of God.

 

 

God’s peace usually would fill my heart afterwards.

 

 

After placing our order, Princess faced me squarely again.

 

 

“That reminds me. How is daddy and his wife? Where are they now?” She asked and I smiled, quite relieved that she had moved away from the marriage issue.

 

 

“She is no longer his wife o” I said.

 

 

“He divorced her?”

 

 

“Well, after the court case, the other time, a man came forward to present himself as her husband and the father of those three boys.”

 

 

“Seriously? She was not a widow as she said?”

 

 

“She wasn’t. She was legally married to that man so that nullified her marriage to my father” I explained and she looked so intrigued.

 

 

“Where is she now?”

 

 

“Well, as Justice Adefarasin promised, she was sentenced to fifteen year imprisonment. She should be rounding off now” I said and Princess clapped, excitedly.

 

 

“That is so beautiful. Is daddy married now?” She asked and I sighed.

 

 

“I wish o. He’s been sick for some years now. He is presently in Indian for a heart surgery. We are seriously praying he comes out alive and strong” I explained and she looked sad.

 

 

“Oh my! God will lay His perfect hands upon him in Jesus Name o”

 

 

“Amen, my sister!”

 

 

“What of the principal?” She asked again and I smiled.

 

 

Everyone knew how much we had become so close after the whole court problem. She became a mum to me and would always shower her love on me.

 

 

“She is now married. But it’s been years since I last saw her. We do chat anyway and she now battles with all these old age issues. Hypertension, Diabetes, dialysis and the likes.”

 

 

“Oh my! My ever vibrant principal! Wow!” Princess exclaimed.

 

 

“She invited me for a visit but since I have been so busy, I couldn’t go….”

 

 

“Of course! You missed your girlfriend’s wedding and naming ceremony, so, we know…”

 

 

“Haven’t you forgiven me yet? I wish you understand the way Medicine works here. It is so consuming, my friend! I am so sorry” I apologized.

 

 

“Okay o. I have no choice but to even forgive you. See you looking all lean now all in the name of studying Medicine”

 

 

“Oh my, I didn’t know it was that obvious o” I said and laughed a bit.

 

 

“So, the principal still resides at Abuja, right?”

 

 

“Yes”

 

 

“I guess I should try to see her when next I visit too”

 

 

“You should. I have applied for a leave as well. I need to go check up on her. Her last text message to me was so scary. I would have gone since but Dola stopped me”

 

 

“I don’t get it! See ehn, Dola has no control over you yet. As long as he has not proposed to you, you can do whatever you want. What is he even feeling like? Don’t be cheap with Dola o. He might break your heart more than you can even imagine!” She said and I smiled.

 

 

“C’mon Princess, stop that!” I said, feeling quite overwhelmed at all that she had said.

 

 

Am I being cheap?

 

 

When the principal told me about how much her health had deteriorated, she said she feared that she might die, that I should come and visit her. After telling Dola, he said, spiritually, the coast was not clear. He instructed me not to go as he was not through in his spirit that I should go.

 

 

He said he would love us to go together when we have the slightest leave but months after, we still had not gotten the leave.

 

 

Why am I even listening to Dola?

 

 

He is not my husband yet. He has not even proposed to me.

 

 

Dola has no right to tell me what to do and what not!

 

 

Princess is right!

 

 

“Show Dola how much you are an independent lady without him. Stop listening to all of his every word. When he starts to see that you are drawing away, he will come back to you! He will propose! But, stop these nonsense first, okay?”

 

 

Princess left me more confused than I had ever been!

 

 

Can I really do without Dola?

 

 

“God, please, have mercy!” I pleaded silently.

 

 

The door to Cafe Chrysalis opened and I turned to check if it was Dola.

 

 

It was him!

 

 

My heart melted as I saw him. He scanned through the restaurant for me and when he saw me, he winked. I smiled back.

 

 

“Lord, I love Dola! Why isn’t he loving me back? Why am I the only one who is overly in love with him?” I asked silently as I peeped at him occasionally at the counter.

 

 

Looking at his back view, I examined how much Dola had grown into a man!

 

 

He had the kind of face that stopped you in your tracks.

 

 

He had tousled dark oily hair, which was thick and lustrous. His eyes were a mesmerising deep black. His face was strong and defined, his features molded from granite. He had dark eyebrows, which sloped downwards in a serious expression. His usually playful smile had drawn into a hard line across his face.

 

 

“Hey beautiful lady, can I sit next to you?” He asked, waking me out of my slumber.

 

 

“Oh Lord, have mercy!” I exclaimed and he chuckled.

 

 

“Were you thinking dirty?” He asked and I chuckled.

 

 

“Yeah, something like that” I confessed. Between us, there was no secret of any kind so we understood each other so perfectly.

 

 

“Oh c’mon, what was it?” He asked and I eyed him.

 

 

“I said it was dirty and you wanna hear it?” I asked and he nodded.

 

 

“C’mon, I was only wondering how beautiful you have become” I said and he started to laugh.

 

 

“Beautiful? No, I am handsome, not beautiful, c’mon!” He said and I raised my nose at him.

 

 

“You are so full of yourself, boy!” I said and we laughed together.

 

 

“So, I bought this wine and Shawarma wraps for us. Let’s devour it first so that, afterwards, we can order for dinner and get going, right?” He asked and I nodded.

 

 

Should I ask him if he loves me?

 

 

If he wants to get married to me?

 

 

I was feeling really uneasy. Unlike me, I was not free with him that evening. My heart burnt with so much desire than I could contain.

 

 

I constantly pleaded for His mercies to avoid any error.

 

 

He poured us some wine and after the ‘cheers’, I couldn’t bring myself to raising the goblet to my mouth. There were tears in my eyes but I couldn’t make them fall.

 

He drank his wine and started to devour his shawarma.

 

 

“I am sure you saved the woman today, right?”

 

 

“Trust Prof. Asubiojo na” I said and he smiled.

 

 

“What’s up? Eat na” He said after a while, his mouth food of the shawarma chunks.

 

 

I smiled again and started to play with my fork and knife.

 

 

“How was your meeting with Princess?” He asked after a while, still tearing at his food.

 

 

“Fine” I replied curtly. I wish I could tell her all Princess told me.

 

 

“She’s become a rascal, right?” He asked, laughing out loudly.

 

 

“You met with her?”

 

 

“I couldn’t but she called me and started raking” He said and laughed, wiping his lips with a napkin.

 

 

“What did she say?” I asked and he drank some wine before looking at my face.

 

 

“She said we are already old and we should go and marry. I told her to supply the man to you and the woman to me and we will be good, then.” He said, obviously joking but those words hit me right in my heart.

 

 

Isn’t he thinking about me at all?

 

 

I started feeling so bad and regretting why I became so close to a guy in the first place.

 

 

“Why do I feel that you are so distant today, Blossom? Is all well?” He asked, finally seeing through into my feelings.

 

 

“I am fine. I will love to go to Abuja tomorrow to see Mummy Makinde” I said, thoughtlessly.

 

 

“You have a leave already?” He asked, looking all concerned.

 

 

“I am off duty for the next three days”

 

 

“Oh my! But, Blossom, we have discussed this, haven’t we? I don’t want you to go alone” He said and I chuckled.

 

 

“Why?” I asked, boiling from within. “Why should I follow whatever you say?”

 

 

He looked amazed.

 

 

“Blossom, what is the problem?”

 

 

“The problem is that I no longer want to have anything to do with you again!” I said and his jaws dropped.

 

 

“Blossom!” He exclaimed. “You are my best friend! You are the closest person to me. You don’t want to have anything to do with me?” He asked and I nodded.

 

 

I knew I couldn’t explain further!

 

 

I meant to say that I didn’t want to just be a friend! I wanted to be in his heart! I wanted to be his wife!

 

 

But, I flopped.

 

 

Just then, my phone started ringing. I checked it and saw that it was Jerry. I was glad. He was the right person I needed at that point.

 

 

I didn’t even ask him to excuse me. I picked the call with immediate alacrity.

 

 

“Hello Jerry” I greeted with a smile. “Right now? No, I am not busy” I said and Dola looked up at my face, quite shocked. “Where? Okay. I will be right there. What? C’mon, stop that, Jerry!” I said, blushing intentionally. “See you soon, doc” I dropped the call and looked at Dola apologetically.

 

 

“I am so sorry, I need to go now” I said and he nodded.

 

 

“I see. To see Dr. Jerry, right?”

 

 

“Yes. You know, after his proposal, I have not seen him yet”

 

 

“Oh, you now have an answer for his proposal?” He asked and I chuckled.

 

 

“Leave that to me” I said, brought out my compact powder and started to make my face even again.

 

 

“You won’t take your Shawarma?” He said and I shook my head, looking sorry again.

 

 

“Jerry asked me to meet him at a cafeteria so I need the space in my tummy right now to accommodate all the food he would get us” I said and he nodded.

 

 

“You seem to really like Jerry now” He said and I laughed shortly.

 

 

“Have I ever hated him?” I asked as I adjusted my blouse and brushed the edges of my hair.

 

 

I was about to say my final B-Y-E when his phone also rang. Looking into the screen, I saw it was Dr. Mary.

 

 

Dr. Mary is one lady that was never shy to admit that she loved Dola! She had asked me so many times for the method of winning his heart. I felt she was not a decent girl, despite being my church member, so I didn’t like her at all.

 

 

“Please, let me pick this call” He said and I nodded, as if I didn’t care.

 

 

“Yes doc, good evening ma” He replied, courteously. I pretended to be scrolling down my phone but my ears were so open to listen to all the jot and tittle of their discussion.

 

 

“Erm, right now, I am in the middle of a meeting. When I am done, I will call you to let you know where I’d be. Okay, doc. Thank you too” He said and dropped the call.

 

 

“I guess you need to also leave now” I said and he nodded.

 

 

“Yes, that was Dr. Mary. She was seriously crying. She said she wanted to discuss something with me.”

 

 

“Crying? What did she say is wrong?” I asked, not that I cared for Mary.

 

 

“She said it was confidential. She hasn’t told me yet”

 

 

“Wow, confidential? Hmmm, okay!” I exclaimed. “So, you will go and meet her now?”

 

 

“Yeah. I will be going to the chapel now. I will probably ask her to meet me there”

 

 

“Isn’t it just you and I that meet at the chapel?” I asked out of nowhere. “Why are you meeting her at the chapel too?”

 

 

“Isn’t that the safest place to meet with anyone?”

 

 

“But you know she likes you! Why would you meet with her?”

 

 

“I do not know this, Blossom. You were the one that told me that and you might be so wrong!”

 

 

“So, I am lying?”

 

 

“Not at all! I am just saying that our judgement of people could be wrong. You wouldn’t believe me also no matter how much I tell you that Dr. Jerry doesn’t seem to love you as he professes, right?”

 

 

“You are wrong! Dr. Jerry is a child of God and you are only skeptical about him because you are jealous of him!” I blurted out.

 

 

“Then, you are also wrong, Blossom! Dr. Mary is a child of God and you are only skeptical about her because you are jealous of her. Is that correct?”

 

 

Tears had started forming in my eyes as I started wearing my shoes so I could leave.

 

 

“Will you be leaving for Abuja or not?” He asked and I giggled.

 

 

“What is your business if I do?” I asked and started to walk out.

 

 

He followed after me, calling me over and over again.

 

I waved a bike down and climbed it.

 

 

“Blossom! Oh my!” He exclaimed. “Well, greetings to Dr. Jerry, right?” He said.

 

 

“Same to you!” I replied as the bike zoomed off.

 

 

I didn’t know I could be so particularly jealous that much but I was!

 

 

I didn’t like the fact that he was too diplomatic and friendly with everyone!

 

 

 

“Bikeman, just go directly to Alexander Brown Hall” I said, suddenly losing all interest in meeting Dr. Jerry. I never liked him nor did Dola. Three months before, he had proposed to me in a restaurant where fellow residents had gone for dinner. I told him ‘No’ at that spot but he wouldn’t stop disturbing me.

 

 

I felt he was the right person to make Dola jealous but the table turned against me instead!

 

 

“I must leave for Abuja tomorrow!” I resolved in my heart.

 

 

I knew that was going to hurt him more and I was more than ready!

 

 

I needed to show him how independent I am without him!

 

 

WATCH OUT FOR EPISODE 16

 

 

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