Keziah paced around the waiting room, murmuring intermittently. It was 1.30 am. The hospital was deadly quiet except for the nurses and doctors moving around silently to attend to their patients. A couple sat down, the lady leaning on the man. Keziah was nervous and afraid. The only thing she could do was murmur some prayers.
She was fast asleep after a hard day's work when the bed shook continuously. She dreamed it was an earthquake, grounds trembled and split into large gulfs. She sighted her husband, Ifeanyi, on the edge of a gulf, one hand raised, screaming for her help. She ran towards him and tried to pull him out but the quaking became stronger. She could not reach him.
Keziah stirred awake immediately, glanced beside her to see Ifeanyi shaking under the duvet, his hands gripping his chest. She rolled to him and held his hand.
"Obi m! What is it? Talk to me. Please. Di?" She whispered loudly.
Ifeanyi couldn't say much. He slipped into a coma. Keziah roused her neighbours who helped to convey her husband to the hospital at 12.30 am.
She murmured prayers, asking God to heal Ifeanyi. She vowed to be more committed to Him if He spared Ifeanyi's life. An older nurse, whose hair was a mixture of grey and brown hair, came close to Keziah. The smell of antiseptic and drugs wafted from her.
"Young lady, why don't you take a seat? All this pacing will wear you out and when your husband is out of surgery, you will be quite useless to him." She said gently.
Keziah broke down and sobbed. The nurse held her and drew her down into a seat. Her touch was comforting. She gave Keziah her shoulders to cry on for a few minutes. "I am so sorry…"
The nurse shook her head. "I understand, my dear girl. No need to apologise. Is there no one here to support you?"
"Just my neighbours and they have returned home. They have to work in the morning. It would be stressful for them. I am just grateful they were awake to help me."
The look of concern and pity on the nurse's face was touching. Keziah wiped her face with her hands. "I don't want to disturb your work. Go on and attend to your patients, I'll be fine here."
The nurse nodded once and stood up. "Your husband will be in surgery for a while, so stay strong. I'll be back to check on you."
Resting her elbows on her knees, Keziah cupped her face and continued murmuring prayers. It was 4.30 am. The nurse returned as she had promised.
"Nwa m, your husband will soon be out. From what I was told, the surgery was successful. He was very lucky. If you had wasted any more time, he would have died."
Tears pooled in Keziah's eyes from relief for the good news. She held the nurse's hands. "Nne, thank you so much. I almost gave up hope but I prayed."
"It's his heart. He's too young to be hypertensive. There's a time for prayers and a time to be proactive. Manage his diet well and take care of him."
Keziah locked her fingers together and placed her hands on her chest in surprise. "Hypertension? How come?"
"I have told you. Manage his diet well. I am a widow because I was not as lucky as you. I did not realise I was losing my husband till he had a heart attack right there in the car and drove into a tree. He died on the spot. I was left with two children at a young age."
Keziah was speechless. She hugged the nurse tightly and murmured, "I am so sorry for your loss, ma. I can't imagine how hard it was for you then."
After a few moments, the nurse gently removed her hands. "Thank you, Nwa m. My children are all grown up now. They are my comfort."
The nurse walked away just as the doctor came to inform Keziah that she could see her husband.
Thoughts of the nurse flipped through her mind. The woman comforted and motivated her with her life's story when she had no one to turn to.
The End.