The wind blew across the window, hit against my skin and the cold that followed jerked me up from my sleep. It was the 25th day in December which everyone knows to be Christmas. I stood up from my bed feeling a little dizzy, didn’t get much sleep from the previous night. Christmas days were days when you usually go out in New clothes and shoes and you ate chicken and rice. I guess age just made things different. Being a medical student is harder in the cold season where you have to choose between your bed and your books or patients. Of course the latter comes first, not like there’s a choice anyways. Bathing was something scary but thankfully, I made it through the ice cold water bath without getting frozen.
I got dressed up, reached out for my prestigious white coat, and my bag after hurrying through a breakfast of tea and bread. Walking down the hall way to the clinic, it was a bit quiet and deserted, most people had gone home for the break. Why I had to be on the ward on a Christmas day is a story for another day.
I was almost outside the hall when I saw the only person that had the ability to make my heart beat continuously although she was totally oblivious of the effect she had on me. To make matters worse, she smiled at me and started walking towards me. I tried hard to maintain my balance as she stopped in front of me. Kemi is my classmate and friend.
“Jibola, Merry Christmas” she said. Her voice always had a way of caressing words.
“I wish you the same Kemi” I said.
We stared at each other for a while, she, as if inspecting my face, me, out of my undying love for her.
“your face looks dry” she said when she finally talked. It was then I remembered I forgot to cream my body, not that I did mind, but it is harmattan, I should have.
Before I could say Jack Robinson, Kemi had reached out to her bag, pulled out a small container containing something that I assumed was cream, and started rubbing my face for me.
Gosh, my heart froze completely. If only she knew. But I managed to stay still through the whole process. I said thank you when she was done.
“you look better now” she said when she was done
“Thank you darling” I said because she was truly one
“welcome baby” she replied in her usual playful manner
She asked where I was headed and I pointed to the clinic
We said our byes and I proceeded in my journey.
At the clinic, I walked by the pediatrics ward where I saw variety of happenings. The place was bubbling as people, NGOs and some Christian organisations came to celebrate Christmas with the patients.
I used to love Christmas but at the moment I’d rather be somewhere I can bury myself in on a Christmas day, or saving lives.
I entered the O&G ward, being there helps me take away some memories although sometimes one can’t escape some other unavoidable scenarios. At the ward, pregnant women were on the bed. I saw a teenage mother I have gotten accustomed to, she called me, I went close to her and asked how she was doing before heading to feed my eyes and probably learn something. An alarming situation caught my attention and I moved closer to check what it was.
A heavily pregnant woman was told she could not give birth through normal vaginal delivery due to some complications but she was refusing to let her husband sign and allow herself to be operated. Her husband pleaded with her but she refused vehemently.
“madam, you might lose your life if you insist on giving birth through normal vaginal delivery” the doctor said her
She insisted with tears on her face, she was afraid of being operated. She was wheeled to the labour ward for delivery. I stood outside and listened. After trying for a while she became very weak she couldn’t go ahead. “we have to take her to the theater now or else she would be gone. And right now we have just a 50/50 chance of her making it out alive. ” The doctor said to her husband once outside.
As they wheeled her to the theatre, her husband a young man held her hand and said at the verge of tears “please don’t go, please stay alive for us. I can’t live without you, can’t take care of the baby alone, please stay alive for us.” They probably were newly wedded as it was their first child.
I am a doctor in training, in my penultimate year, I have learnt empathy doesn’t help anyone become a good Doctor. But the scenario was just too familiar, I couldn’t help but remember my mum had been in the same state 10years back having her last child, of course they both died and I am yet to forgive God for that. I tried to fight back the tears welling in my eyes, but I couldn’t, it just kept escaping.
God if you have any heart at all please save this one I said as I watched her being wheeled to the theater. She didn’t look like she was going to make it.
I wiped my tears and continued my ward tour. I’ve learnt to be strong, can’t stay broken, my mum’s death taught me that. I watched the man paving restlessly about, wanted to go to him, but I decided against it.
Just before the operation, the doctor came out with that face that said “I’m sorry…” you know what follows. But I got a glint of hope when the doctor said she needed blood.
Thankfully her husband had the same blood group as her, and the blood was gotten and screened in no time.
“let’s pray it works fine for her” she said and headed back to the ward
in another one hour the baby and her mother were wheeled out of the theater, alive.
I was glad, very glad.
Christmas was going to mean something different for me hence forth. I finally breathe and let out my reservations and anger and I thanked God and told him I was sorry. Maybe he really did care. No, he certainly did care. Maybe I won’t be able to explain some things, but maybe I don’t have to worry about them anymore. Because someone did care.
The man kissed his wife on the head and lifted up their baby in admiration. It was a baby girl.
But what if his wife passed away, thank God they can smile on Christmas day. Someone else was wheeled out from another ward, dead. Maybe we can’t explain everything. As long as we are alive we are debtors to Thanksgiving.
I remembered Kemi and my love for her. Life is too short to hide feelings. Whatever her answer may be, I’ll try anyway. I had seen enough for one day I said to myself as I picked up my bag and headed to the hall. No more self punishment on Christmas. At least I can celebrate the birth of Christ with a loved one if Kemi is willing to go out with me. Just like Christmas brought dusk for me some years back, the present one has brought Dawn. A light I’ll forever walk in.