Experience To Remember #7

Hi readers!

Thanks for following this series. So sorry for the break in posting. However, this is possibly going to be the last episode I’d put on the blog. Check out the first six parts by clicking on writing in the blog’s archives. Putting together a more detailed form of the story in a book which you’d be able to get from Okada Books soon. Do check out my book ‘Musings and Personal’ on the site. Thanks for reading!

literary-posts_1.jpg.jpeg
Lifeofdammy.com

“What is she doing here?”

Wings flapped and murmurs followed.

“Her life has ended.”

“What?!”

The mixture of surprise and anger in his voice rendered them silent.

“But her time is not up yet. Send her back! Now!”

His voice thundered and the walls of the building vibrated.

“Yes sir.”

They scooted off to perform the order.

“Lara!”

“Omolarami!”

She continued walking as her mother ran after her.

“Mother!” She called.

“Why are you going there?”

She gazed at the garden before her and looked back at her mother.

“I’m going to play there.”

Her mother grabbed her hand.

“No dear. You can’t go yet.”

“Come with me my child.”

She interlocked her fingers with hers. Lara looked back at the garden. It looked so lovely and inviting. A mist descended on them as they walked away from the garden.

“Omolara.”

She felt fingers stroking her head. Her stomach felt hollow and pain washed through the walls of her abdomen. Her nose registered the smell of chloroform and other disinfectants synonymous to hospitals.

“Omolara why?”

“Why did you do it?” She queried.

Her mother started to cry and her eyes got teary too.

“I’m sorry mum.”

“Whatever the matter could have been, you shouldn’t have tried to take your own life.”

“I’m sorry.” She repeated and burst into tears. Her mother came to her side and hugged her.

“I can’t bear the thought of losing you.”

She hugged her mother back.

How could she have decided to end her life.She wondered.


She heard sobs coming from the other side of the room. A curtain demarcated the room into two.

“Who’s that?”

“Oh there’s another patient next to you.”

“What’s wrong with her?”

“It is a he.”

“Wow and he’s crying.”

The nurse shrugged and adjusted the drip which had its content flowing into her system.

“He had a serious asthma attack.”

“He? But why is he crying?”

“Only God knows. I’ll be back to check on you later.”

She carried the tray on the bedside table and shook her buttocks out of the room.

The other occupant of the room proved to be annoying as he cried spontaneously and he often talked to himself. When she couldn’t take it anymore, she pulled the curtain aside.

“Hey! I’m trying to sleep.”

He looked at her in confusion.

“Are you talking to me?”

“Of course I am. Can you please stop making noise? I’m trying to get better here.”

“Oh really?” He rolled his eyes.

“Whatever happened to you?” She asked.

“It is none of your business.”

She hissed and got back in bed.

“Unless you’re willing to share, kindly minimise your noise.”

She pulled the curtain back.

“What’s your name?” She heard him say.

“It is none of your business.”

“Touch.” He chuckled lightly.

“Alright we got off on a bad start. I’m sorry I’ve been disturbing with my noise. Just can’t help but bemoan my fate.”

She pulled the curtain back again and smiled at him.

“Apology accepted. Sorry I might have sounded harsh. Been under pressure myself.”

“My name is Kayode.”

“I’m Omolara.”

“We’re both Yoruba I see.”

“Yes. So what’s your story?” She asked.

“It is quite a long one.”

“Well, I’m not getting discharged till tomorrow.”

“So I heard. You tried to end your life, I’m trying to save mine. Life is pretty ironic.”

“Do you care for some candy?”

She proffered some to him. The nurse had sneaked in her favorite for her. He shook his head in refusal.

“Some times, I muse. I wonder why we don’t get to choose if we want to come to life or not and in what form we want to come to life. What if I wanted to be a duck?”

She laughed at the last statement.

“Why a duck?”

“Well, their lives are pretty simple. Eat, drink, sleep and quack.”

“I see.”

“All my life I’ve been trying to find an identity. One that best describes who I am. By the way, I am an only son and my parents are used to dictating my life for me. Do this, read that, learn this, apply for that. Quality education I had but with hardly any friend to point out. I attended a males only secondary school and had little experience with girls. Always kept to myself, my parents won’t let me make friends and I didn’t exactly get along with those they approved. On and on till I got admitted into a university, changed. Met new friends, stumbled on alcohol and weed. I’ve always been asthmatic although I made use of drugs that usually suppressed it.”

“Wow.”

“I have a girlfriend who I really love and I hope still loves me. She’s quite the soft one and I can’t bear to see her hurt. She wasn’t aware of my other life. All she saw was this brilliant, handsome and outspoken boy. She doesn’t approve of my smoking.”

“Smoking is bad for the health.”

“So they say. Smokers are liable to die young. Non-smokers are also liable to die young. Smoke you’d die, don’t smoke you’d still die.”

He burst into laughter and she had to join in.

“Had an attack while she was in my place and she brought me here. Told her everything and she left in anger. So that’s my story. My own experience.”


To be continued?

Do tell a friend to tell a friend to tell a friend to check this blog out.

Thanks for stopping by ❤

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *