Cattle Colonies: Yoruba Youth Group Rejects FG's Plan
A Yoruba Youth socio-cultural group called Igbimo Odo Yoruba has rejected plans by the Federal Government to establish cattle colonies across the country for herdsmen.
Leader of the group, Comrade Olufemi Lawson, in a statement on Monday, emphasised that the position of the Yoruba youth was in reaction to a statement credited to the Minister of Agriculture, Mr Audu Ogbeh, that the cattle colonies were to curb increasing cases of clashes between farmers and herdsmen in the country.
Mr Lawson said the youths will vehemently resist any attempt by the Federal Government to introduce the cattle colonies in any part of the Southwest, and other Yoruba speaking parts of the country.
According him, every legitimate means within its reach would be used to fight the government, stressing that creation of the colonies was another attempt to re-colonise Nigerians, particularly the people of the Southern part of the country.
"It is absolutely sad that at this age and time in our history as a people, certain persons will resort to arbitrary use of state power to grab the ancestral lands of our people in order to reward a minute but violent group of herdsmen, who have continually assaulted, molest and violate the right to life of innocent Nigerians across the country without any concrete action to checkmate their excesses by the Federal Government,” Mr Lawson said in the statement made available to Business Post.
The group further said it was alarmed by the 'insensitive' position of the Federal Government, coming at the very moment when several states are counting their losses, particularly of human life, as a result of attacks on innocent farmers, women and young children allegedly by Fulani herdsmen.
“We cannot continue to overlook the humongous disasters that these herdsmen have continued to wreck on our communities, leading to loss of means of livelihood, assault on our women and loss of lives.
“Sadly, all these atrocities have not been enough to attract any concrete action from the federal government, neither have they resulted into the arrest or prosecution of the perpetrators of these crimes and their sponsors.
“What we have witnessed instead is the audacity of these elements to claim responsibility for their crimes and even make media appearances to justify their actions against armless people, who are being maimed endlessly by these gang of herdsmen,” the statement read.
“While we want to specially commend Governor Ayodele Fayose of Ekiti State for the radical approach of his government towards tackling the menace of these (alleged) Fulani herdsmen in Ekiti State, we wish to seriously warn other Governors of the Southwest that any attempt by them to conspire with the proponents of the 'Cattle Colonies' whose main agenda is to unjustly grab our lands out of our possession, shall be resisted by our generation and generations to come,” the statement stressed.
The group also advised the Federal Government that rather than proposing the establishment of cattle colonies, which is seen as a colonial anti-people land grabbing strategy, government should first take decisive actions by bringing to justice all perpetrators of violence hiding under farmers/herdsmen clashes without further delay.
It also urged the Federal government to stop looking too far in finding a lasting solution to issues of grazing in the country as practicable solutions have already been proffered through various recommendations of the past. Most recent, as contained in the recommendations of the 2014 National Conference.
A Yoruba Youth socio-cultural group called Igbimo Odo Yoruba has rejected plans by the Federal Government to establish cattle colonies across the country for herdsmen.
Leader of the group, Comrade Olufemi Lawson, in a statement on Monday, emphasised that the position of the Yoruba youth was in reaction to a statement credited to the Minister of Agriculture, Mr Audu Ogbeh, that the cattle colonies were to curb increasing cases of clashes between farmers and herdsmen in the country.
Mr Lawson said the youths will vehemently resist any attempt by the Federal Government to introduce the cattle colonies in any part of the Southwest, and other Yoruba speaking parts of the country.
According him, every legitimate means within its reach would be used to fight the government, stressing that creation of the colonies was another attempt to re-colonise Nigerians, particularly the people of the Southern part of the country.
"It is absolutely sad that at this age and time in our history as a people, certain persons will resort to arbitrary use of state power to grab the ancestral lands of our people in order to reward a minute but violent group of herdsmen, who have continually assaulted, molest and violate the right to life of innocent Nigerians across the country without any concrete action to checkmate their excesses by the Federal Government,” Mr Lawson said in the statement made available to Business Post.
The group further said it was alarmed by the 'insensitive' position of the Federal Government, coming at the very moment when several states are counting their losses, particularly of human life, as a result of attacks on innocent farmers, women and young children allegedly by Fulani herdsmen.
“We cannot continue to overlook the humongous disasters that these herdsmen have continued to wreck on our communities, leading to loss of means of livelihood, assault on our women and loss of lives.
“Sadly, all these atrocities have not been enough to attract any concrete action from the federal government, neither have they resulted into the arrest or prosecution of the perpetrators of these crimes and their sponsors.
“What we have witnessed instead is the audacity of these elements to claim responsibility for their crimes and even make media appearances to justify their actions against armless people, who are being maimed endlessly by these gang of herdsmen,” the statement read.
“While we want to specially commend Governor Ayodele Fayose of Ekiti State for the radical approach of his government towards tackling the menace of these (alleged) Fulani herdsmen in Ekiti State, we wish to seriously warn other Governors of the Southwest that any attempt by them to conspire with the proponents of the 'Cattle Colonies' whose main agenda is to unjustly grab our lands out of our possession, shall be resisted by our generation and generations to come,” the statement stressed.
The group also advised the Federal Government that rather than proposing the establishment of cattle colonies, which is seen as a colonial anti-people land grabbing strategy, government should first take decisive actions by bringing to justice all perpetrators of violence hiding under farmers/herdsmen clashes without further delay.
It also urged the Federal government to stop looking too far in finding a lasting solution to issues of grazing in the country as practicable solutions have already been proffered through various recommendations of the past. Most recent, as contained in the recommendations of the 2014 National Conference.
Cattle Colonies: Yoruba Youth Group Rejects FG's Plan
22-Year-Old Girl Disowned By Her Parents After Being Released From Prison.Photos A 22-year-old lady, Bukola who was arrested for random theft has been released after spending one year in prison in Ilesa, Osun state. The young lady who reportedly had a baby inside the prison was arrested and remanded for stealing a dress. According to the president of Behind Bars initiative; Prince Gwamnishu Harrison, the lady has the habit of stealing things both valuable and non-valuable.
She was arrested by the police after she stole a dress and was caught wearing same dress. She was then charged to court and later convicted.
She just left prison yesterday after one year.
According to reports, she has been disowned by her parents as he her siblings don't want to see her.
She is currently in Delta state in the custody of a well meaning Nigerian.
According to reports, she has been disowned by her parents as he her siblings don't want to see her.
She is currently in Delta state in the custody of a well meaning Nigerian.
22-Year-Old Girl Disowned By Her Parents
"My Mother Had No Idea I Survived Her Abortion"
Growing up in Storm Lake, Iowa, I always knew I was adopted. My sister, Tammy, who's four years older than me, was also adopted. That was the norm in our house. It was actually a thrilling surprise when our mother, who suffered from a hormonal imbalance that made getting pregnant difficult, found out she was expecting our little brother just before my seventh birthday.
Tammy and I were typical sisters, and we
fought like it. It was during one of these explosive arguments, when I
was 14, that I learned the devastating truth about my birth. "At least
my parents wanted me!" she blurted out. I couldn't understand why she
thought she was more wanted by her biological parents than I was. She
told me to ask mom and dad for the truth.
I waited up for our mom to get home from work that night. When I asked, I could tell it was something she didn't want to talk about. It took a long time before she finally said,
"Missy, your biological mother had an abortion during her pregnancy with you, and you survived it."
My parents had never intended for me to know. The only reason they had told my sister, then a junior in high school, is because she was pregnant. By sharing my survival story, they hoped to dissuade her from considering abortion.
Later on, I learned that the woman who gave birth to me had been forced into the abortion by her own mother.
She spent five days hooked up to a saline infusion drip in the hospital, with the expectation that I would die in the womb before labour was induced. The abortionist was shocked when I came out alive.
Nurses rushed me out of the room, hoping medical care could spare my life. My heavily sedated mother did not know that I had been born alive. She left the hospital thinking the abortion had been successful. It would be 30 years before she learned the truth.
My parents adopted me in October 1977, when I was three months old. I was not a pretty baby — I was hooked up to tubes and wires in a neonatal intensive care unit—but they say it was love at first sight.
Doctors thought I would face a lifetime of health complications, including mental disabilities, but by age 5 I had caught up developmentally and was given a clean bill of health.
The world felt like it stopped spinning the night I learned that I was an abortion survivor. I was angry and scared, and I felt ashamed and guilty for living. Every little emotion you can feel, I felt that night.
I was in pain for many years after that.
As a teenager, I developed bulimia and turned to sex and alcohol to cope with the pain. My parents never realized how much I was hurting, though, because I was great at hiding it. From an outsider's perspective, I was the perfect kid.
I would go to Planned Parenthood for birth control when I couldn't get in to see a primary care physician. On one of my visits there, a man shouted at me, "You don't need to do this!" Irritated and thinking it was none of his business, I rolled down my car window. He thought I was there to have an abortion, but I explained that I was getting the pill and that I was an abortion survivor myself. But as the words came out of my mouth, I thought to myself, this makes no sense. I wasn't knowledgeable about pro-life activities before, but once I understood that abortions were performed at my local Planned Parenthood, I never went back.
I started college at the University of South Dakota. I would later learn that my biological mother had gone there as well, and my maternal grandmother was a professor at the College of Nursing during the time I attended. I sometimes wonder if we ever unwittingly crossed paths.
At 22, I started searching for my birth parents in earnest. I had some information from my adoption papers, but their identities remained a mystery. Coincidentally, I ended up moving to Sioux City, where the failed abortion had taken place, and that gave me the opportunity to search records on a regular basis. I pored over phonebooks, newspapers on microfiche, and yearbooks at the library, not knowing my birth mother's name but just looking for someone who looked like me. I even put an ad in the local newspaper asking for anyone with information to come forward.
I knew where my maternal grandparents had been employed, so that was a huge piece of the puzzle that allowed me to eventually find them. I actually found my grandparents before I found my birth mother. I sent them a letter, but only my grandfather wrote back. He admitted that he knew that I knew my live birth was not the intention the day I was born, and he said they were now completely estranged from my biological mom. I couldn't put my finger on it then but now I know there was something sinister that ended their relationship.
In 2007, a mistake revealed my birth parents' names. I had requested my medical records from the hospital where the botched abortion had taken place, and when they arrived in the mail, I realized administrators had forgotten to black out my parents' names—a huge HIPAA violation for which I am grateful.
I learned that I was living in the same city as my biological father. I reached out to him via letter, sending it to his office in the hopes of protecting him. I didn't know if he'd ever told his family about the pregnancy. He certainly didn't know I was alive. I simply told him that I was alive and that I wasn't angry or bitter. He never responded. A part of me wonders if he thought the letter was some weird, cruel joke. His relationship with my mother ended after they learned of the pregnancy, and I have every reason to believe he never knew I was born. He died six months after I sent the letter.
I was 36 when I learned the full details of the circumstances of my birth.
In 2013, my biological mom's cousin emailed me after learning I'd been in touch with the family. By then, I was speaking out publicly against abortion.
Through my cousin, I learned that my parents were college students who were in love and engaged to be married when I was conceived.
My 19-year-old mother was an athletic person who'd always had irregular periods; she didn't realize she was pregnant with me until the third trimester.
She didn't want to have an abortion, but my grandparents didn't approve of the relationship between her and my father.
My grandmother arranged for the saline abortion within days of learning of the pregnancy.
My mother's sister actually visited her in the hospital during the five-day infusion and tried to get her out of there because she knew it wasn't what my mother wanted. But nurses convinced her that it was too late, that they would be risking my mother's life.
When she finally went into labour, she was told not to look, that seeing the "hideous" fetus would be traumatizing. She was so out of it that she didn't realize I was born alive.
The abortionist had estimated that my mom was about 20 weeks along, but the fact that I had survived and weighed 2 lbs., 14 oz. suggested otherwise. A neonatologist later placed my gestational age at 31 weeks.
The most devastating part of my story is that my grandmother demanded that I be left in the room to die. Ultimately, the nurses saved me.
How was I put up for adoption without my mother's consent? When I compare her handwriting with that of the adoption papers, it appears that her signature was forged.
After relatives put my birth mother and I in touch, we spent three years getting to know each other over email and phone calls before finally meeting in person in May 2016. She has lived with so many regrets, the biggest one being that she never ran away from her parents. Now I'm grateful to have an opportunity to share our story with the world in the hopes that no other woman and child will go through what we've experienced.
Melissa Ohden is a pro-life public speaker and founder of the
Abortion Survivors Network.
Growing up in Storm Lake, Iowa, I always knew I was adopted. My sister, Tammy, who's four years older than me, was also adopted. That was the norm in our house. It was actually a thrilling surprise when our mother, who suffered from a hormonal imbalance that made getting pregnant difficult, found out she was expecting our little brother just before my seventh birthday.
Tammy and I were typical sisters, and we
fought like it. It was during one of these explosive arguments, when I
was 14, that I learned the devastating truth about my birth. "At least
my parents wanted me!" she blurted out. I couldn't understand why she
thought she was more wanted by her biological parents than I was. She
told me to ask mom and dad for the truth.I waited up for our mom to get home from work that night. When I asked, I could tell it was something she didn't want to talk about. It took a long time before she finally said,
"Missy, your biological mother had an abortion during her pregnancy with you, and you survived it."
My parents had never intended for me to know. The only reason they had told my sister, then a junior in high school, is because she was pregnant. By sharing my survival story, they hoped to dissuade her from considering abortion.
Later on, I learned that the woman who gave birth to me had been forced into the abortion by her own mother.
She spent five days hooked up to a saline infusion drip in the hospital, with the expectation that I would die in the womb before labour was induced. The abortionist was shocked when I came out alive.
Nurses rushed me out of the room, hoping medical care could spare my life. My heavily sedated mother did not know that I had been born alive. She left the hospital thinking the abortion had been successful. It would be 30 years before she learned the truth.
My parents adopted me in October 1977, when I was three months old. I was not a pretty baby — I was hooked up to tubes and wires in a neonatal intensive care unit—but they say it was love at first sight.
Doctors thought I would face a lifetime of health complications, including mental disabilities, but by age 5 I had caught up developmentally and was given a clean bill of health.
The world felt like it stopped spinning the night I learned that I was an abortion survivor. I was angry and scared, and I felt ashamed and guilty for living. Every little emotion you can feel, I felt that night.
I was in pain for many years after that.
As a teenager, I developed bulimia and turned to sex and alcohol to cope with the pain. My parents never realized how much I was hurting, though, because I was great at hiding it. From an outsider's perspective, I was the perfect kid.
I would go to Planned Parenthood for birth control when I couldn't get in to see a primary care physician. On one of my visits there, a man shouted at me, "You don't need to do this!" Irritated and thinking it was none of his business, I rolled down my car window. He thought I was there to have an abortion, but I explained that I was getting the pill and that I was an abortion survivor myself. But as the words came out of my mouth, I thought to myself, this makes no sense. I wasn't knowledgeable about pro-life activities before, but once I understood that abortions were performed at my local Planned Parenthood, I never went back.
I started college at the University of South Dakota. I would later learn that my biological mother had gone there as well, and my maternal grandmother was a professor at the College of Nursing during the time I attended. I sometimes wonder if we ever unwittingly crossed paths.
At 22, I started searching for my birth parents in earnest. I had some information from my adoption papers, but their identities remained a mystery. Coincidentally, I ended up moving to Sioux City, where the failed abortion had taken place, and that gave me the opportunity to search records on a regular basis. I pored over phonebooks, newspapers on microfiche, and yearbooks at the library, not knowing my birth mother's name but just looking for someone who looked like me. I even put an ad in the local newspaper asking for anyone with information to come forward.
I knew where my maternal grandparents had been employed, so that was a huge piece of the puzzle that allowed me to eventually find them. I actually found my grandparents before I found my birth mother. I sent them a letter, but only my grandfather wrote back. He admitted that he knew that I knew my live birth was not the intention the day I was born, and he said they were now completely estranged from my biological mom. I couldn't put my finger on it then but now I know there was something sinister that ended their relationship.
In 2007, a mistake revealed my birth parents' names. I had requested my medical records from the hospital where the botched abortion had taken place, and when they arrived in the mail, I realized administrators had forgotten to black out my parents' names—a huge HIPAA violation for which I am grateful.
I learned that I was living in the same city as my biological father. I reached out to him via letter, sending it to his office in the hopes of protecting him. I didn't know if he'd ever told his family about the pregnancy. He certainly didn't know I was alive. I simply told him that I was alive and that I wasn't angry or bitter. He never responded. A part of me wonders if he thought the letter was some weird, cruel joke. His relationship with my mother ended after they learned of the pregnancy, and I have every reason to believe he never knew I was born. He died six months after I sent the letter.
I was 36 when I learned the full details of the circumstances of my birth.
In 2013, my biological mom's cousin emailed me after learning I'd been in touch with the family. By then, I was speaking out publicly against abortion.
Through my cousin, I learned that my parents were college students who were in love and engaged to be married when I was conceived.
My 19-year-old mother was an athletic person who'd always had irregular periods; she didn't realize she was pregnant with me until the third trimester.
She didn't want to have an abortion, but my grandparents didn't approve of the relationship between her and my father.
My grandmother arranged for the saline abortion within days of learning of the pregnancy.
My mother's sister actually visited her in the hospital during the five-day infusion and tried to get her out of there because she knew it wasn't what my mother wanted. But nurses convinced her that it was too late, that they would be risking my mother's life.
When she finally went into labour, she was told not to look, that seeing the "hideous" fetus would be traumatizing. She was so out of it that she didn't realize I was born alive.
The abortionist had estimated that my mom was about 20 weeks along, but the fact that I had survived and weighed 2 lbs., 14 oz. suggested otherwise. A neonatologist later placed my gestational age at 31 weeks.
The most devastating part of my story is that my grandmother demanded that I be left in the room to die. Ultimately, the nurses saved me.
How was I put up for adoption without my mother's consent? When I compare her handwriting with that of the adoption papers, it appears that her signature was forged.
After relatives put my birth mother and I in touch, we spent three years getting to know each other over email and phone calls before finally meeting in person in May 2016. She has lived with so many regrets, the biggest one being that she never ran away from her parents. Now I'm grateful to have an opportunity to share our story with the world in the hopes that no other woman and child will go through what we've experienced.
Melissa Ohden is a pro-life public speaker and founder of the
Abortion Survivors Network.
Abortion Survivors
Mr. Ahmed:
Who is your Role Model?
John:
My seat mate.
Mr. Ahmed:
Who is your Role Model? (Faces another student)
Adeniyi:
Chike Obi
Mr.
Ahmed: Clap that boy.
Class:
(claps)
 | |
| Chike Obi |
Mr.
Ahmed: Why did you choose him as your role model?
Adeniyi:
He’s a great Mathematician and I want to be like him in future.
Mr.
Ahmed: That’s great. Well, if you don’t know what Role model means, it simply means
“A successful person in one or more areas of life and has touched your heart
with his success and you wish to be like him”. (He told the story of Chike Obi).
After
the story he told, the whole class wanted to be like Chike Obi. I no longer want
to be any other thing more except A Great Mathematician. That’s when I know the
value of mentor.
“Back in my youth I was trying to convince a
very wise business man to mentor me and the price and risk suddenly became very
high.
You see, my rich dad was my first mentor. But
he wasn’t my only mentor.
Back in 1996, through a mutual friend, I met
Peter. He was a distinguished and articulate man who has had his own companies
listed on the American and New York Stock Exchanges and on the NASDAQ.
The problem was he was very private and did
not mentor.
How was I going to convince him to take me on
as an apprentice?
Over the course of several months I finally
got him to agree to a meeting to talk it over. I told him I would work for him
for free if he would teach me everything he knew.
Naturally, he was skeptical. But once he saw
that I was serious, he decided to take my offer on a trial basis.
There was a bankrupt gold mine in Peru he was
considering buying. He asked me to drop everything and fly to Peru at my own
expense, inspect the mine, meet with a bank and find out how much it wanted for
the mine, and then fly home and give him a report.
That caught me off guard!
At first I hesitated. I had appointments
scheduled for the week, it was expensive and moreover, I wasn’t sure I was up
to the challenge. But deep inside I knew this was a defining moment for me.
In those few seconds, I realized that if I chose
not to go to Peru I would lose this valuable potential mentor. Setting aside
self-doubt and swallowing all excuses, I decided to take a leap into the
unknown.
 |
| Robert T. Kiyosaki |
I flew to Peru and inspected the mine. It
turned out to be an unwise investment, and I recommended against his buying it.
He agreed with my findings and more
importantly, he agreed to teach me.
By shunning doubt and excuses, I gained the
courage needed to take the next step toward my financial goals.
I am telling you this story to illustrate how
important a mentor was to me and what I was willing to sacrifice to get a great
mentor. Mentors changed my life.” – Robert T. Kiyosaki.
What else do I still have to say about
mentor? With the little enlightenment above I hope I have been able to
enlighten you about MENTOR.
Watch out for… “How to Choose Mentor”
Stay Tuned…
The
Achievers Foundation Cares!
Importance of Mentors
"Learning cost"
The price you pay for learning sometimes seems high hence it is called learning cost. Be willing to pay for what you don't currently know. The least thing you pay as learning cost is money.
Most people feel that learning cost is only just money, well that is their model of the world and I respect it. Truth be told there are more learning cost than just money. Guess you have seen people who can afford the cost and still can't learn. Learning always costs hence we call it learning costs but many will rather not pay it's full price for reasons best known to them. In learning there are no short cuts, what you know you know, what you don't know you don't know.
There are several opportunities to learn but all comes at a cost of which money is the least cost. The weird thing about learning cost is that we all see money as the stumbling block or challenge when in reality it is not. For our coaching session, we always let our clients know the TERMS of learning costs before we embark on the journey. For us the terms have always and will be
The price you pay for learning sometimes seems high hence it is called learning cost. Be willing to pay for what you don't currently know. The least thing you pay as learning cost is money.
Most people feel that learning cost is only just money, well that is their model of the world and I respect it. Truth be told there are more learning cost than just money. Guess you have seen people who can afford the cost and still can't learn. Learning always costs hence we call it learning costs but many will rather not pay it's full price for reasons best known to them. In learning there are no short cuts, what you know you know, what you don't know you don't know.
There are several opportunities to learn but all comes at a cost of which money is the least cost. The weird thing about learning cost is that we all see money as the stumbling block or challenge when in reality it is not. For our coaching session, we always let our clients know the TERMS of learning costs before we embark on the journey. For us the terms have always and will be
T - time
E - energy
R - resources
M - money
S - sacrifice
Everything in life is learned. Learning will cost you hence terms and conditions apply.
Three reasons you must consider paying learning costs:
1) Great learning isn't cheap and cheap learning isn't great.
2) you will always pay for what you don't know.
3) "practice, practice, practice" becomes your new mantra
Be brutally honest, all that you have truly learned has cost you something. Many times people pay learning cost without realizing they are paying it.
.
.
The interesting thing about learning cost is that if you pay it right once, you never have to pay it later twice.
Life offers you opportunity daily to learn, what stops us from gaining life's lessons are learning costs.
Whatever truly has worth has cost. When you don't pay learning cost you pay a high price for ignorance.
On the upgrade side of life, we have agreed to the terms and are paying learning cost.
Setbacks loses its effect when you see it from the perspective of learning cost.
E - energy
R - resources
M - money
S - sacrifice
Everything in life is learned. Learning will cost you hence terms and conditions apply.
Three reasons you must consider paying learning costs:
1) Great learning isn't cheap and cheap learning isn't great.
2) you will always pay for what you don't know.
3) "practice, practice, practice" becomes your new mantra
Be brutally honest, all that you have truly learned has cost you something. Many times people pay learning cost without realizing they are paying it.
.
.
The interesting thing about learning cost is that if you pay it right once, you never have to pay it later twice.
Life offers you opportunity daily to learn, what stops us from gaining life's lessons are learning costs.
Whatever truly has worth has cost. When you don't pay learning cost you pay a high price for ignorance.
On the upgrade side of life, we have agreed to the terms and are paying learning cost.
Setbacks loses its effect when you see it from the perspective of learning cost.
Learning Cost - The Achievers Foundation Blog
Long ago a young couple, Lukas and Anna, lived on a small but
prosperous farm. When Lukas' father, Heinrich, began to grow old, the
couple invited him to share their home.
The night Heinrich arrived on the farm, the family celebrated. The
table brimmed with produce from the fields and gardens, and Anna baked
bread and filled the vases with flowers.
After the meal, Lukas showed his father to his room.
Heinrich's eyes teared up as he looked at the comfortable bed layered
with blankets and pillows and at the handmade rocking chair beside a
window that looked out on the southern fields. A fresh wind blew in
through the window, ruffling his son's hair.
"I hope you will be comfortable here, Father," Lukas said.
Heinrich took his son's hands in his. "I will be happy so long as I
am near my family," he said. "And I will happily help you on the farm."
The next morning Heinrich awoke early and strode to the chicken coop
to feed the chickens. In the afternoon he mucked out the horse barn, and
in the evening he helped his son feed and water the animals. Although
he was sore by day's end, he was happy to be able to help his son.
That night once again the family shared a fine meal.
"There's good news," Lukas told his father. "In a few months you will have a grandson. Anna and I are due to have a baby."
Heinrich was overjoyed at this news.
The months passed, and all was well, though each night Heinrich felt a
new ache in his body. Sometimes he wished he were young again. "Son,"
he told Lukas, "I won't always be able to work so much as I do now, I
fear. I'm growing old."
"That doesn't matter," Lukas assured his father.
Sure enough, as time passed Heinrich grew weaker. Sometimes his hands
trembled, so he stopped carrying buckets. He could no longer get up at
dawn, and by evening he was exhausted. Still, all was well.
Then Anna gave birth to a son. They named him Niklas.
When Heinrich looked into his grandson's eyes, his own welled up with
tears. He cradled the baby to his chest and looked down at him,
remembering the day his own son, Lukas, was born. "It seems it was just
yesterday that you were a baby like Niklas," Heinrich said to Lukas.
Lukas laughed. But Anna was scowling, and she reached for the baby.
"Father, your hands are shaking. Here, let me take Niklas," and she
snatched the baby from her father-in-law's arms.
Heinrich felt a stab in his heart. He did not wish to worry Anna. Of
course he would take care with this child. How could she think
otherwise?
That night at supper, Anna turned on her father-in-law. "I worry that
with your unsteady hands you might drop one of our good plates," she
said. "I've taken the liberty of bringing in this bowl for you to use,"
and with that she handed him a large wooden bowl
Heinrich stared in dismay. "That's the bowl for chicken feed," he said. "That bowl belongs in the barn."
"It's good enough," Anna said firmly. "We don't have money to burn,
and if you break a plate, we'll have to replace it. This way we won't
have to worry."
Lukas simply stared down at his plate.
The old man nodded. He saw that changes were happening rapidly to him these days, and so time passed.
By the time little Niklas was standing, the old man could barely walk
outside. His feet throbbed, his back ached, and he was always tired and
sore.
One night as Heinrich was pouring himself a glass of water, his hand
shook so badly that he knocked the glass to the floor, where it
shattered.
"See that!" Anna cried. "Even the baby doesn't break glasses! Lukas, I think it's time your father ate in his room."
Lukas sadly nodded. "I'm afraid she's right," he said to his father,
and so they made a table for the old man where, each night, he ate
simple porridge from a wooden bowl. No longer did he share the family's
feasts.
"Now perhaps we'll have some peace at the supper table," Heinrich heard Anna say. And the baby heard too.
Several years passed, and when Niklas was old enough to speak, he
often crept into his grandfather's room. There the old man and the young
boy whispered together.
"What do they talk about?" Anna said. "I don't want your father filling our boy's head with nonsense."
"Father," Lukas said to Heinrich, "be careful what you say to our boy. He's young and impressionable."
Heinrich said nothing.
One afternoon a few months later, Anna walked out to the barn and
discovered her son hard at work. He was at his father's worktable,
scraping and pounding and cutting. "What are you doing, Niklas?" she
asked.
"I'm making a gift for you and one for father," he said. "Don't look. You'll find out what they are tonight."
Anna was overjoyed; she could not wait to see her son's creation.
That night Niklas handed each of his parents a box. "One for each of
you."
They quickly opened the boxes and inside they discovered two wooden bowls.
Niklas smiled. "These will be your bowls when you are old -- when you
no longer can eat from the good china, and when you must sit alone in
your room eating porridge."
Anna and Lukas instantly understood. They rushed into Heinrich's room, and Lukas tenderly lifted his father into his arms.
"I'm so sorry, Father," he said as he carried him back to the table.
"We'll never neglect you again," Anna promised, as both she and her husband imagined their own old age.
And they were forever grateful to Niklas for the vital lesson he taught them.
The Wise Child
EPISODE 6
JERRYGod can be funny. If he was going to let nemesis catch up with me, he should have at least given me some time. Why today? Why now? On the first date?Mr. Aziz’s son was my patient. The lad had to remember me. For the next split second, I had arranged all the lies in my head and I couldn’t go wrong. If I did, Toni would have questions to ask me. Emeka’s bad mouth had caught up with me too early. I smiled at Mr. Aziz and then at his son. “Rasheed, how are you?” “I am fine, Doctor!” The kid replied. ‘Did he have to include ‘Doctor’ again?’ I thought with a stern frown. “Rasheed!” A woman called. Mr. Aziz turned to his left as he wife beckoned. I thanked the Heavens as Rasheed dashed off to meet his mother, it could only mean that the discussion was over. Mr. Aziz stretched out his hand to Toni. “Good evening.” I frowned. He ought to take his leave and not make an acquaintance. Toni took his hand calmly. “Good evening, Sir.” I cleared my throat. “Nice to see you, Sir.” Mr. Aziz nodded. “Have a nice evening, you two.” He said and walked away. Toni stared at me with a smile, but I knew there were lots of questions beneath the smile. “Shall we?” she asked. No way! There was no way I was going to let her off without any explanation. That would just give her the opportunity to start investigating and then, I would be damned. I smiled back. “They call me Doctor because I helped out with his cut some weeks back. He is aneighbour. I thought you might want to know that.” I said confidently. She shrugged. “That’s good, Doctor.” “A lot of kids in my compound call me doctor, I volunteered for paramedical jobs as a youngster so I have a good knowledge of these things.” She nodded with enthusiasm. “Paramedic?”“Yeah.” I said as we approached the door to the cinema. “You should switch jobs.” She said as she nudged me. I stared at her. “Really?”She pulled my hand. “The movie is about to start. Let’s go, man.”
***************
NORA
I picked up Toni’s diary. It might not be right, but experience has taught me (actually, I have had no experience, but it is a cliché saying, right?) that you might want to sneak up on a diary. You might actually be saving someone from depression. (True story).
I took a deep breath as I prepped myself to read from Toni’s diary. I turned to the first page of her memoirs and her picture from her first surgery fell out. I wasn’t sure that I wanted to see more of it if it pertained to her operations, it might just make me sad and I wasn’t ready for it. I braced myself and flipped through a number of pages and then something interesting caught my eye. CANCER HAS A BROTHER…his name is Jerry So I just met this guy named Jerry…and yes, I like him. But then, who am I to like him? He is smart, but also so dumb (why would anyone waste their time in a bar?), not like I didn’t do it in thepast, but it is not just right. I am not sure I can stick around Jerry for too long, he is worse than my Cancer. I might just be in love with him too. I liked him from day one and it doesn’t happen with me like this! Okay, I have got to go.
***
I picked up Toni’s diary. It might not be right, but experience has taught me (actually, I have had no experience, but it is a cliché saying, right?) that you might want to sneak up on a diary. You might actually be saving someone from depression. (True story).
I took a deep breath as I prepped myself to read from Toni’s diary. I turned to the first page of her memoirs and her picture from her first surgery fell out. I wasn’t sure that I wanted to see more of it if it pertained to her operations, it might just make me sad and I wasn’t ready for it. I braced myself and flipped through a number of pages and then something interesting caught my eye. CANCER HAS A BROTHER…his name is Jerry So I just met this guy named Jerry…and yes, I like him. But then, who am I to like him? He is smart, but also so dumb (why would anyone waste their time in a bar?), not like I didn’t do it in thepast, but it is not just right. I am not sure I can stick around Jerry for too long, he is worse than my Cancer. I might just be in love with him too. I liked him from day one and it doesn’t happen with me like this! Okay, I have got to go.
***
I
took a deep breath as I dropped her diary. She didn’t have eyes for James.
Good. That unsurprisingly brought relief to my soul. Now, I would focus on
James and his feelings. But then back to Toni, could she really be in love? Or
maybe she was infatuated by Jerry. The guy has got good looks, but I really
didn’t want Toni to be in that stage of falling hopelessly in love and hoping
that life would allow her enjoy those moments. I relaxed in my seat as I prayed
that Toni would tell Jerry about the cancer so that she would work on getting
over him and it would help Jerry stay away from her too. My phone buzzed and I
reached for it. James was the caller. I ignored his call. I smiled gallantly as
I did this and prayed silently that my little theatrics won’t bore him.
****************************************************************
Jerry and Toni walked out of the movies looking sober. All other viewers had the same look. The protagonist had died, it was a good movie, but a sad one too. “Take my advice, we should see Alien World next time. This movie was too depressing.” Jerry said as they walked into the car park. Toni took a deep breath. “I didn’t want him to die either.” There was a momentary silence between them. “There is something I would love to tell you.” Toni said. “Cancer is a b---h!” Jerry said angrily. Toni swallowed painfully as her heart skipped a beat. “Oh!” Jerry nodded. “Yeah…” he then sighed. “What did you want to tell me?” Toni stuttered. “Err…Cancer is a b---h!” she said with a very unconvincing grin. “Do you think I believe you?” he asked. She shrugged. “You know me. I have no reason to lie…although, those were not going to be my exact terms, but Cancer sure had something to do with it…and of course, Cancer being a bane! I think that was my term.” She added hastily. Jerry nodded with a smile as he got to the car. “Do…do you want to walk?” Toni asked. Jerry smiled. “Of course.But, what about the car?”“The park is never closed.” She replied. “Let’s go.” He nodded and walked with her. “So tell me, what really do you do?” “I run my own NGO. Just something for the kids.” She replied. “Just keep people off the streets and reduce the menace in the society. More like contributing my quota to development.” Jerry smiled. “That’s really noble.” “So, how was being a paramedic for you?” she asked. Jerry shrugged. “Nothing serious, I wasn’t going to pass as a good Doctor anyway, so I just enjoyed the brief stint then.” “Why did you think you won’t do well as a Doctor?” He stared at her. “Do I look like a good Doctor to you?” “I think you are a good person and that could be translated into any field you find yourself.” She replied. “Anyway, how is your family?” “Family? Err…they are fine. They live in Abuja.” He replied. “What about yours?” She shrugged. “Nora is the only family I have and I think you know that part. Folks died and I have only had my sister and their money.”
“I am sorry.” He said.She smiled. “It’s okay. It’s a long time ago, we have passed thatstage now. So, what plans do you have for yourself?” Jerry slipped his hands into his pockets. “Plans? Hmm…I might want to quit the bank job someday, it is not really forthcoming. I want to raise a family too, if I find the right conditions.” “What do you mean by ‘right conditions’?” She asked with a soft chuckle. He shrugged. “You know how it is around here, there is a lot of drama and marriage is a big deal. Kids are a big deal. They tend to play around a lot and get injured, so many responsibilities.” Toni smiled. “I think you are just being evasive of the point that these things are bound to happen, and good thing is you have the paramedic experience, so that should cover up for the kids and their injuries, don’t you think?” Jerry nodded, “Yeah.” “I think a family is beautiful. You should really look forward to it.” She added. He smiled. “And what about you? How many kids do you want to have?” Toni threw her face away as she walked on. “Err…I think we have sort of walked too far from the car.” “Really?How many kids?” Jerry insisted. Toni had never thought about having children, they were not in her plans. Men were not either. Until Jerry happened. “I really don’t know. I just want to be happy.” She replied. Jerry smiled, surprised at her statement. “But you are happy. Right?”She nodded. “I am. I meant a happy mother.” Jerry nodded. “If a woman marries the right man, and I mean in me in this context, all will be well.” He said with a smile. “Are you trying to sell yourself?” she asked with a smile. “It won’t be such a bad idea, right now, would it?” he asked. Toni shook her head with a smile. “It is a terrible idea.” “But I will make a good husband, won’t I?” he asked. She shrugged and walked along. Jerry stopped and watched her walk on. He had built another lie to cover up his lie. He knew his life was all messed up now Emeka had predicted. He knew he had to find a way to be honest with her before the lies caught up with him. Toni battled with how she would tell Jerry about her condition in
her mind, she had painted different scenarios and had finally chosen the best one. She would just turn to her left and say it to him and run. That seemed easy. It was always easy to run. She turned to her right, no one was there. She looked back and Jerry stood away from her. She swallowed as he had ruined her perfect moment.
Jerry started to walk towards her. She watched him and thought of another way of telling him. She didn’t see it forthcoming. She would just keep quiet. “Hi.” Jerry said.
Toni smiled. “Why did you stop walking?” “Are you in love with someone else? Like, do you have someone waiting on you?” he asked. Toni smiled. “This…this is the first time someone has asked me a question like this.” “I don’t want to lie to you for a minute. I…I have…I…” Jerry stuttered. Toni raised an eyebrow. “Chill…this is not a professional exam. What do you want to say?” “I know we have not known each other for long and I know that I am terribly jumping the gun by saying what I am saying, but I don’t want to leave here today without telling you how much I like you.” Jerry started.
Toni folded her arms and pulled a face. He smiled. “Can you please be less tensed up?” she asked. He took a deep breath. “I am struck by you. I guess that is the
best way to put it.”“No. That is not the best way.” She replied.He rubbed his forehead. “It’s getting late, Jerry. I want to go home.” She said. He nodded and took her hand. “Let’s go.” “Tell me about your childhood.” Toni said breaking the silence between her and Jerry as he drove. She was tired of wishing she had told him she had Cancer and she was now afraid of losing him to the silence. Jerry stared at her with a smile. “What is there to tell?” “I had a lovely childhood.” Toni started. “I never got the best grades from my High School, but I was the school diva. I had this group of girls, we went everywhere and terrorized other girls in school.” Jerry stared at her. “Seriously? You don’t seem that type of girl to me.” “Everything is never as it seems and oh, that was High school. It was crazy, man. I had fun! We bullied girls. Pitch girls of a sort.” She replied. “What kind of guy were you in High School?” “Regular guy.The nerd.” He replied. “Guys called me a freak. I knew the Multiplication tables off heart.” “You are a freak!” she replied laughing. He nodded. “I enjoyed it, I must say. I got a lot of awards and teachers definitely loved me. I carried on the feat to my university. Class guru! Top of the class…straight A’s.” he sighed. “Wow! So, what happened?” she asked. Jerry stared at her. “What do you mean?” “Microfinance Bank?” she asked. He smiled. “Life happened.” “I think you should quit.” She replied. “Try to chase a better future, Jerry. I am not saying that Microfinance banks are not good, but this one in our hood is really obsolete. No one patronizes them.” She added. He sighed. “I would work on it.” “You should.” She replied.
****
****************************************************************
Jerry and Toni walked out of the movies looking sober. All other viewers had the same look. The protagonist had died, it was a good movie, but a sad one too. “Take my advice, we should see Alien World next time. This movie was too depressing.” Jerry said as they walked into the car park. Toni took a deep breath. “I didn’t want him to die either.” There was a momentary silence between them. “There is something I would love to tell you.” Toni said. “Cancer is a b---h!” Jerry said angrily. Toni swallowed painfully as her heart skipped a beat. “Oh!” Jerry nodded. “Yeah…” he then sighed. “What did you want to tell me?” Toni stuttered. “Err…Cancer is a b---h!” she said with a very unconvincing grin. “Do you think I believe you?” he asked. She shrugged. “You know me. I have no reason to lie…although, those were not going to be my exact terms, but Cancer sure had something to do with it…and of course, Cancer being a bane! I think that was my term.” She added hastily. Jerry nodded with a smile as he got to the car. “Do…do you want to walk?” Toni asked. Jerry smiled. “Of course.But, what about the car?”“The park is never closed.” She replied. “Let’s go.” He nodded and walked with her. “So tell me, what really do you do?” “I run my own NGO. Just something for the kids.” She replied. “Just keep people off the streets and reduce the menace in the society. More like contributing my quota to development.” Jerry smiled. “That’s really noble.” “So, how was being a paramedic for you?” she asked. Jerry shrugged. “Nothing serious, I wasn’t going to pass as a good Doctor anyway, so I just enjoyed the brief stint then.” “Why did you think you won’t do well as a Doctor?” He stared at her. “Do I look like a good Doctor to you?” “I think you are a good person and that could be translated into any field you find yourself.” She replied. “Anyway, how is your family?” “Family? Err…they are fine. They live in Abuja.” He replied. “What about yours?” She shrugged. “Nora is the only family I have and I think you know that part. Folks died and I have only had my sister and their money.”
“I am sorry.” He said.She smiled. “It’s okay. It’s a long time ago, we have passed thatstage now. So, what plans do you have for yourself?” Jerry slipped his hands into his pockets. “Plans? Hmm…I might want to quit the bank job someday, it is not really forthcoming. I want to raise a family too, if I find the right conditions.” “What do you mean by ‘right conditions’?” She asked with a soft chuckle. He shrugged. “You know how it is around here, there is a lot of drama and marriage is a big deal. Kids are a big deal. They tend to play around a lot and get injured, so many responsibilities.” Toni smiled. “I think you are just being evasive of the point that these things are bound to happen, and good thing is you have the paramedic experience, so that should cover up for the kids and their injuries, don’t you think?” Jerry nodded, “Yeah.” “I think a family is beautiful. You should really look forward to it.” She added. He smiled. “And what about you? How many kids do you want to have?” Toni threw her face away as she walked on. “Err…I think we have sort of walked too far from the car.” “Really?How many kids?” Jerry insisted. Toni had never thought about having children, they were not in her plans. Men were not either. Until Jerry happened. “I really don’t know. I just want to be happy.” She replied. Jerry smiled, surprised at her statement. “But you are happy. Right?”She nodded. “I am. I meant a happy mother.” Jerry nodded. “If a woman marries the right man, and I mean in me in this context, all will be well.” He said with a smile. “Are you trying to sell yourself?” she asked with a smile. “It won’t be such a bad idea, right now, would it?” he asked. Toni shook her head with a smile. “It is a terrible idea.” “But I will make a good husband, won’t I?” he asked. She shrugged and walked along. Jerry stopped and watched her walk on. He had built another lie to cover up his lie. He knew his life was all messed up now Emeka had predicted. He knew he had to find a way to be honest with her before the lies caught up with him. Toni battled with how she would tell Jerry about her condition in
her mind, she had painted different scenarios and had finally chosen the best one. She would just turn to her left and say it to him and run. That seemed easy. It was always easy to run. She turned to her right, no one was there. She looked back and Jerry stood away from her. She swallowed as he had ruined her perfect moment.
Jerry started to walk towards her. She watched him and thought of another way of telling him. She didn’t see it forthcoming. She would just keep quiet. “Hi.” Jerry said.
Toni smiled. “Why did you stop walking?” “Are you in love with someone else? Like, do you have someone waiting on you?” he asked. Toni smiled. “This…this is the first time someone has asked me a question like this.” “I don’t want to lie to you for a minute. I…I have…I…” Jerry stuttered. Toni raised an eyebrow. “Chill…this is not a professional exam. What do you want to say?” “I know we have not known each other for long and I know that I am terribly jumping the gun by saying what I am saying, but I don’t want to leave here today without telling you how much I like you.” Jerry started.
Toni folded her arms and pulled a face. He smiled. “Can you please be less tensed up?” she asked. He took a deep breath. “I am struck by you. I guess that is the
best way to put it.”“No. That is not the best way.” She replied.He rubbed his forehead. “It’s getting late, Jerry. I want to go home.” She said. He nodded and took her hand. “Let’s go.” “Tell me about your childhood.” Toni said breaking the silence between her and Jerry as he drove. She was tired of wishing she had told him she had Cancer and she was now afraid of losing him to the silence. Jerry stared at her with a smile. “What is there to tell?” “I had a lovely childhood.” Toni started. “I never got the best grades from my High School, but I was the school diva. I had this group of girls, we went everywhere and terrorized other girls in school.” Jerry stared at her. “Seriously? You don’t seem that type of girl to me.” “Everything is never as it seems and oh, that was High school. It was crazy, man. I had fun! We bullied girls. Pitch girls of a sort.” She replied. “What kind of guy were you in High School?” “Regular guy.The nerd.” He replied. “Guys called me a freak. I knew the Multiplication tables off heart.” “You are a freak!” she replied laughing. He nodded. “I enjoyed it, I must say. I got a lot of awards and teachers definitely loved me. I carried on the feat to my university. Class guru! Top of the class…straight A’s.” he sighed. “Wow! So, what happened?” she asked. Jerry stared at her. “What do you mean?” “Microfinance Bank?” she asked. He smiled. “Life happened.” “I think you should quit.” She replied. “Try to chase a better future, Jerry. I am not saying that Microfinance banks are not good, but this one in our hood is really obsolete. No one patronizes them.” She added. He sighed. “I would work on it.” “You should.” She replied.
****
Nora
read from a novel as she watched the time. She had given Jerry up until
midnight to return her sister and she wasn’t kidding. She had the phone number
of the Estate police on speed dial. If she didn’t see Toni at midnight, she was
going to create a scene in the neighbourhood. She had also hoped that Toni
would have cleared up her emotions with Jerry by now and that her sister could
now face a new life and possibly, a relocation. She heard a car drive in. Toni
was back. She smiled and closed her eyes as she pretended to be asleep. She was
in the mood to play with her sister.
****
****
The
door opened and Toni walked in with Jerry. Toni sighted Nora on the chair and bent
over her. She then stared at Jerry. “You are lucky you made it here before
twelve.” “I am fifteen minutes early.” He replied. Toni nodded with a smile. “I
have the herculean task of carrying her upstairs, but never mind, I am
capable.” “I could help you.” He replied. Toni smiled. “No. Thank you. You
should be on your way home
now. Thank you for today.” “We would see Alien World next time.” He replied. “You made us see that depressing movie.” He said with a smile. Toni shrugged. “Maybe next time, we don’t see a movie.” “Hmmm…good idea. We should do something spontaneous. Something more fun than the movies. Horseback riding?” he suggested. Toni stepped away from Nora. “I don’t want us to wake her, you should go now. Horseback riding sounds like fun anyway, I mightconsider it.”He nodded and walkedaway. He stopped at the door and stared at her. “You were right.” “About?” she asked. “I didn’t say it the right way.” He replied. Toni stared at him. “Say what?” He blinked and clenched his fists together. “I love you.” Toni’s shoulders fell. Nora’s eyes popped out. “Yes, Toni. I love you.” He affirmed. “That’s it. Goodnight.” Toni watched him as he closed the door and she took a deep breath. “Would it have killed you to tell him that you loved him too?” Nora asked. Toni stared at her sister. “I thought you were faking to be asleep.” “Well, now you know.” Nora replied. “Why didn’t you tell him how you feel?” Toni stared at her. “How would you know how I feel?” Nora shrugged. “Did you go through my diary, Nora?” Nora nodded. “I don’t have to lie. So, what are you going to do about this? You possibly can’t fight it.” Toni took a deep breath and took a seat. “I don’t know.” “Did you tell him?” Nora asked. Toni shook her head. “Come on, Toni. You were supposed to. That would have created the gap.” Nora replied. Toni shrugged. “I…I just couldn’t.” “Well, you have to find a way to.” Nora replied. Toni relaxed in her seat. “He is a really good guy. He used to be a paramedic, he used to be your type of person in High school and university.” “What do you mean by my type of person?” Nora asked. Toni smiled. “Class guru.”“Then what is he doing at the microfinance bank?” Nora asked as she rose to her feet. “He should be in some prestigious place.” “What are you doing as a customer care representative?” Toni retorted. Nora smiled. “Service to humanity. I am charitable like that.”
Toni laughed at this. Nora smiled faintly. “Let’s go to bed, darling. I am tired.”Toni nodded. “Thanks for waiting up for me.” “You are all I have.” Nora replied as she took Toni’s hand.
****
“So, you are telling me that she wore something simple?” Emeka asked with a smile. Jerry frowned. “That was the least of my problems last night.” Emeka grinned. “Whatcould be worse than you showing up like her father?” “I ran into a patient at the Mall. His son called me Doctor!” Emeka gaped. “Wow!” “That is not wow! That is trouble!” Jerry replied as he poured himself some tea. “I had to come up with something.” “Dude! You should have just told the truth!” Emeka yelled. Jerry stared at him. “You dey mad? How would I tell her? Is that even the right avenue to tell her something I have been hiding?” “That was your best opportunity to throw the can open and forget it. She would either forgive you or not, and it is not something that can’t be forgiven.” Emeka retorted. Jerry shrugged as he took a seat. “Well, I didn’t and that is that about that.” “Man, I don’t know if I am comfortable with this. I am beginning to feel sorry for you already.” Emeka replied. “Why?” Jerry asked as he sipped his tea. Emeka took his seat. “You love this girl. She might just like you back and when we keep a lie for too long, it always has a way of hurting the ones we love when they realise. She would feel she was not worthy of the truth.”
“I am protecting her.” Jerry replied. Emeka hissed. “From what?From who?Look, thatis just a sillyline to use. She doesn’t need you to protect her from anything. Itis notlike you are an assassin and you need to really protect her so she is not killed by a gang. You are a doctor. You save lives.” “How many have I saved? It’s like I am carrying a curse. Ever since my first case, it has always been like this. I can’t get over it.” Jerry replied. Emeka nodded. “I know how you feel.” “You don’t! I was just a surgical intern and they placed a woman’s life in my hand. She had kids! They were crying for their mommy and she died in my hands.” “You are a doctor. You might have been an intern then, but still, lives will go. You just have to let it go.” Emeka replied. Jerry shook his head. “I don’t know about that.” “How long are you going to carry this cross around? Liquor has been your friend since then and it is pointless that you continue like this. People lose their first patients.” Emeka replied. “You never forget your first, Emeka. You never.” Jerry replied. Emeka sighed. “So, do you think running away will save you from it? I was not the best student in the University, but I know that it has always been my passion to save lives and I am doing it in the best way I can. You are a good man, Jerry. Find that joy in you and rekindle your passion for the profession.” Jerry took deep breath. “You know I am just glad I am out of the hospital for now. I am just happy I can sleep and not worry about killing someone’s son, daughter, wife, husband, brother, or sister.” Emeka smiled faintly. “And to think that the director has cut your suspension off…” “What?” Jerry shouted. Emeka nodded. “You are to return to the hospital tomorrow.”
***
Nora stirred her coffee as she read from the dailies. She had left Toni in the room, it was her guess that Toni must have stayed up for a very long time as she didn’t wake up when Nora did. Honestly, she couldn’t sleep much either. She had been thinking about this new step in Toni’s life. Toni was in love. Jerry was in love (at least she had heard him say it). It should have been simple if the circumstances were a lot different. She sipped some coffee. Toni had been stable for a while so she didn’t see the need to check her into the Hospital anytime soon. She, however, did pray that Toni wasn’t ruminating on her new emotions and discarding their plans for her to go into chemotherapy. Surgery was also an escape route but it did come with a lot of negatives for her sister. Nora knew she didn’t want Toni to go through another near death experience for a brief period of normalcy. She turned her heart away from the thoughts and focused on the newspaper, but then, the dailies too could be really depressing… from rape cases to strike actions by the working class and disappointments in the sports world. What really could make onesmile? She thought as she folded the paper and rose to her feet. She turned in fright as she stared at Toni. Toni was standing before her motionless and without the wig. She looked frail. Her eyes were sunken. Her sister had been crying. She knew it. “What is it, Toni?” Nora asked. “I want a surgery.” Toni replied.
TO BE CONTINUED
now. Thank you for today.” “We would see Alien World next time.” He replied. “You made us see that depressing movie.” He said with a smile. Toni shrugged. “Maybe next time, we don’t see a movie.” “Hmmm…good idea. We should do something spontaneous. Something more fun than the movies. Horseback riding?” he suggested. Toni stepped away from Nora. “I don’t want us to wake her, you should go now. Horseback riding sounds like fun anyway, I mightconsider it.”He nodded and walkedaway. He stopped at the door and stared at her. “You were right.” “About?” she asked. “I didn’t say it the right way.” He replied. Toni stared at him. “Say what?” He blinked and clenched his fists together. “I love you.” Toni’s shoulders fell. Nora’s eyes popped out. “Yes, Toni. I love you.” He affirmed. “That’s it. Goodnight.” Toni watched him as he closed the door and she took a deep breath. “Would it have killed you to tell him that you loved him too?” Nora asked. Toni stared at her sister. “I thought you were faking to be asleep.” “Well, now you know.” Nora replied. “Why didn’t you tell him how you feel?” Toni stared at her. “How would you know how I feel?” Nora shrugged. “Did you go through my diary, Nora?” Nora nodded. “I don’t have to lie. So, what are you going to do about this? You possibly can’t fight it.” Toni took a deep breath and took a seat. “I don’t know.” “Did you tell him?” Nora asked. Toni shook her head. “Come on, Toni. You were supposed to. That would have created the gap.” Nora replied. Toni shrugged. “I…I just couldn’t.” “Well, you have to find a way to.” Nora replied. Toni relaxed in her seat. “He is a really good guy. He used to be a paramedic, he used to be your type of person in High school and university.” “What do you mean by my type of person?” Nora asked. Toni smiled. “Class guru.”“Then what is he doing at the microfinance bank?” Nora asked as she rose to her feet. “He should be in some prestigious place.” “What are you doing as a customer care representative?” Toni retorted. Nora smiled. “Service to humanity. I am charitable like that.”
Toni laughed at this. Nora smiled faintly. “Let’s go to bed, darling. I am tired.”Toni nodded. “Thanks for waiting up for me.” “You are all I have.” Nora replied as she took Toni’s hand.
****
“So, you are telling me that she wore something simple?” Emeka asked with a smile. Jerry frowned. “That was the least of my problems last night.” Emeka grinned. “Whatcould be worse than you showing up like her father?” “I ran into a patient at the Mall. His son called me Doctor!” Emeka gaped. “Wow!” “That is not wow! That is trouble!” Jerry replied as he poured himself some tea. “I had to come up with something.” “Dude! You should have just told the truth!” Emeka yelled. Jerry stared at him. “You dey mad? How would I tell her? Is that even the right avenue to tell her something I have been hiding?” “That was your best opportunity to throw the can open and forget it. She would either forgive you or not, and it is not something that can’t be forgiven.” Emeka retorted. Jerry shrugged as he took a seat. “Well, I didn’t and that is that about that.” “Man, I don’t know if I am comfortable with this. I am beginning to feel sorry for you already.” Emeka replied. “Why?” Jerry asked as he sipped his tea. Emeka took his seat. “You love this girl. She might just like you back and when we keep a lie for too long, it always has a way of hurting the ones we love when they realise. She would feel she was not worthy of the truth.”
“I am protecting her.” Jerry replied. Emeka hissed. “From what?From who?Look, thatis just a sillyline to use. She doesn’t need you to protect her from anything. Itis notlike you are an assassin and you need to really protect her so she is not killed by a gang. You are a doctor. You save lives.” “How many have I saved? It’s like I am carrying a curse. Ever since my first case, it has always been like this. I can’t get over it.” Jerry replied. Emeka nodded. “I know how you feel.” “You don’t! I was just a surgical intern and they placed a woman’s life in my hand. She had kids! They were crying for their mommy and she died in my hands.” “You are a doctor. You might have been an intern then, but still, lives will go. You just have to let it go.” Emeka replied. Jerry shook his head. “I don’t know about that.” “How long are you going to carry this cross around? Liquor has been your friend since then and it is pointless that you continue like this. People lose their first patients.” Emeka replied. “You never forget your first, Emeka. You never.” Jerry replied. Emeka sighed. “So, do you think running away will save you from it? I was not the best student in the University, but I know that it has always been my passion to save lives and I am doing it in the best way I can. You are a good man, Jerry. Find that joy in you and rekindle your passion for the profession.” Jerry took deep breath. “You know I am just glad I am out of the hospital for now. I am just happy I can sleep and not worry about killing someone’s son, daughter, wife, husband, brother, or sister.” Emeka smiled faintly. “And to think that the director has cut your suspension off…” “What?” Jerry shouted. Emeka nodded. “You are to return to the hospital tomorrow.”
***
Nora stirred her coffee as she read from the dailies. She had left Toni in the room, it was her guess that Toni must have stayed up for a very long time as she didn’t wake up when Nora did. Honestly, she couldn’t sleep much either. She had been thinking about this new step in Toni’s life. Toni was in love. Jerry was in love (at least she had heard him say it). It should have been simple if the circumstances were a lot different. She sipped some coffee. Toni had been stable for a while so she didn’t see the need to check her into the Hospital anytime soon. She, however, did pray that Toni wasn’t ruminating on her new emotions and discarding their plans for her to go into chemotherapy. Surgery was also an escape route but it did come with a lot of negatives for her sister. Nora knew she didn’t want Toni to go through another near death experience for a brief period of normalcy. She turned her heart away from the thoughts and focused on the newspaper, but then, the dailies too could be really depressing… from rape cases to strike actions by the working class and disappointments in the sports world. What really could make onesmile? She thought as she folded the paper and rose to her feet. She turned in fright as she stared at Toni. Toni was standing before her motionless and without the wig. She looked frail. Her eyes were sunken. Her sister had been crying. She knew it. “What is it, Toni?” Nora asked. “I want a surgery.” Toni replied.
TO BE CONTINUED
The Beautiful Stranger - EPISODE 6 - The Achievers Foundation Blog
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