In just a few days, Amy and George would celebrate their twenty-seventh wedding anniversary. It was not all rosy, but they never doubted their love for each other through the years.
Sitting here now, watching George play table tennis with their first son, she couldn't help but bless the day she found him.
She probably found him, literally because if she didn't make that journey, they would have probably never met.
Twenty-nine years ago, it was a holiday, and Amy visited her old friend Ijay at their home. Amy was in her final year in college while Ijay, now married to Andrew, was working in a brewery in the Lagos, Nigeria. Amy did not call her friend to inform her of that visit. Meanwhile, Ijay and husband planned a trip to the next town that same day.
Amy arrived when her friend and husband were about to go out.
“Oh, my dear beautiful Amy, we were just about going to George's, my husband's schoolmates. Would you mind joining us?” Ijay asked pleasantly.
“Of course not, I am sure it would be fun,” Amy replied.
Andrew drove them to George's home, an hour away. George was a medical doctor with a small general practice close to his home. By the time the guests arrived, he was not home. He was seeing patients in the clinic but had left instructions with the security, they let his visitors in and alerted him of their arrival.
It was a big four bedroom bungalow, roofed with grey asbestos sheets. The security escorted the visitors inside the house. They expected to find the place empty, but there were about four big teenagers in the living room. The teenagers they later found out were George's youngest sibling plus his friends who came to visit.
They were about to sit when George walked in. He was clean-shaven, tall and energetic.
He greeted them as he picked up the plates, cutlery and other items that were out of place. He didn't seem upset at all that those boys could not clean up after themselves. Amy was enchanted. It was love at first sight.
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Almost twenty-eight years later, she still loves him as much as she did that first day, even more.
Today, as she was having these warm thoughts, she heard a cracking sound, and before she could realize what was happening, the chandelier right above her husband’s head broke free and came crashing down on him. She screamed and rushed to him. She woke up, sweating, and screaming at the top her voice.
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“Honey, I'm here. It was just a nightmare, okay?”
She was so relieved and happy to see him lying there beside her.
Still, she was not happy that she had the dream at all.
Later in the evening, George had headaches, Amy insisted they must see Dr. Sunny, George's ex-colleague, and friend.
George promised to go the next morning if there was no improvement. The next day, the couple dressed and drove to the hospital.
No sooner had the couple sat down at the reception, George passed out and was rushed to the emergency ward.
Sitting near the bed looking at her husband, Amy could not sleep. She managed to doze off at around 1:30 AM of the second day at the hospital. In her sleep, she felt her hand being slightly squeezed by someone. She woke up and found her husband smiling at her.
“My love, please take my wedding ring and keep it safe,” he said.
“What nonsense are you talking? It is safe right there on your finger. What kind of drugs do they make you take? Listen to me, this marriage is not over and don't you dare tell me to take out your ring!”
George saw that his suggestion had upset his wife. He tried to wave it aside and found he could not raise his right hand still.
Amy silently sobbed, partly out of relief, and due to fear. What kind of suggestion was that? She thought.
Trying to change the subject, George continued, “Honey, you know that we did a terrific job with our kids, right? They will grow to become self-reliant adults and make us proud. They will succeed where we have failed.”
“No doubt, my love. Just rest and let's get out of here”, she responded. She did not want to encourage the sentimental conversation because it sounded like goodbye and she was not having any of that.
“If I had another chance, I would still want to share my life with you. _ I think such a chance is coming soon_. When last did you and John speak?”
John was their last child.
“I spoke with him last night. He will take the first flight down here in the morning. Just rest now, everything will be alright,” she said.
“Yes, it will, please, could you get me some water my throat feels dry.” He said.
“Sure”. She replied.
She went to the water dispenser to fetch a glass of water. She returned with the water and found he was asleep.
There is something wrong with his posture. She thought.
“Honey!” She called. “Honey!”
She shook him but he was unresponsive. She could not scream. She could not cry. What is the meaning of this? She thought. The night duty medical personnel heard the noise and rushed in, a man and a woman.
The man took her outside the room while the other examined George. He was gone. Amy was numb, she could not think, could not move. She kept playing their last conversation in her mind.
She was sitting in the same position at the reception when John, her last son arrived at 9:14 am that morning.
He had never seen his mother so distraught, her face a mask of pain and sorrow. He knew something had gone terribly wrong. He hoped he was wrong as he sat and hugged her.
“I should have let him speak when he had the chance to do so. He awoke this morning from a coma and was trying to tell me something but I shut him down. He said something about you and another chance to be with me.”
“But what took you so long? You boys left me here all alone.” She cried.
“I didn't want you to be disappointed but my girlfriend was in labor last night and just had a baby at 3 am this morning.”
“A boy?” Her mother asked, and not waiting for his answer, she fell on her knees and raised her hands, “That's my husband reincarnated. Oh thank you, thank you, thank you”
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Well, that's not the reaction I was expecting from her, but whatever makes her happy, he thought.
The mother always admonishes them not to put a girl in a family way unless married in legal means. She calls sleeping with a girl, not your wife an abomination.
There are so many things about life that we do not understand because of our limited perception. One concept that has enabled people to manage grief and loss of a loved one in Africa has been the concept of reincarnation and even though no proof has been offered in its defence, believe in it is still widespread in the midst of the people
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