S2 W3. Visiting

"I'm here for a 4:30 appointment please" I refused to look the nurse directly in the eye

"Can I have your health card ma'am" I dug it out from my purse and slid it to her. I hear her get at it with the keyboard as I studied a non existent something on the counter top... I felt dizzy. I guess I should have eaten on the train. "Ok....." the typing paused for a moment....I looked up for a bit. "You're all set, shouldn't be long" She slid the card back to me, but I felt her stare boring holes. "Er... are you ok Ma'am?"

"I will be I guess... thanks." I turned around quickly before she could ask any more questions.

Probably too quickly because...... I kinda ran into the floor.

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I saw her falling. Just as I was entering, she was collapsing.

"OH SHIT!" I was there faster than  I realized, hopefully I didn't knock anyone down.

But then the nurse was there shoving me away. Telling me "Please step back Ma'am"

"Excuse me she's my SISTER!" This tout better not ask for ID.

"Well at this point ma'am, being a sister wouldn't help, so please STEP BACK!" She had already motioned for other nurses. I stepped back, but I managed to get a closer look at Suni, Gosh. She was a mess, and her hair. Lord Jesus.

Arinze came out.

"Ah Thank God.. ." I stepped towards him "She just fell down" He was throwing out orders that sounded like Spanish..."What's wrong with her?"

He  stopped abruptly "Yale!" The sharpness in which he said my name, I actually jumped. "Please. She would be fine..wait here"

"Are you serio-" He didnt wait for me to finish. The had gotten Suni on a wheely thingy and he was on their heels as they whisked her off.

"Babe.... what happened...?" He was so perfect with his timing. I melted into his  embrace. "It's ok babe.... Ho-oly... was that Suni on the grungey?"

"She just collapsed o.." he ushered me to the waiting area. I'm sooo happy this man was here. He started rubbing my shoulders and it calmed down.

"Arinze is soooo rude."

Shafa laughed... "Why?"

"He's just rude" I let out a frustrated hiss.

"Soooo sensitive!!"  We sat silently for a while observing the people in the waiting room, and just waiting. There was a little girl in a cast that kept running around, so cute. She kept saying "Ima pwincess" the mom kept rolling her eyes and saying "Yes you are" it was sooo cute...

"Oh by the way...." Shafa broke into my boring trance. I looked at him "Guess who called me today..."

"Who?"

"Your dear cousin, Ronke"

"Are you kidding me? For what? Why?"

"That she misses me and would like to chill soon." he gave me the what-a-weirdo-ba? look.

"That IS odd...I haven't spoken to her in a lonnng time, since she mentioned Toba's... shenanigans we haven't had a real full out conversation... hmmmmmmmn!!" I gave him a suspicious look.

"Dont look at me o, lo0k at Ronke. Me maa I'm finding the whole thing verrry questionable."

"What did you say?...Did you agree to link up?"

"Is that a trick question?"

"No....did you?"

"I said for sure that I'd give her a call when my schedule frees up....why? You want me to go." he laughed out loud like it was a ridiculous idea.

"Yea...you actually should."

"You can't be serious...." .

"For Real..." He looked too confused " Why are you confused? It's just Ronke now..and besides I want to know what's up...."

"Wow...."

"What you thought I'd be like No... or something?

"Actually I don't know what I thought...."

At that point Arinze came out then and beckoned for me and Shafa to come over.

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 "She in bad shape." He was talking and walking. "Malnourshed, her blood pressure is low...its just...not good." He made turns and got the door of what I figured was Suni's room. "We are going to keep her for the night, she's stable now though"

"The Baby...."

"Is Fine. Thank God, pretty starved..." he shook his head like he couldn't understand. Well neither could I. "I've gotta keep your visit short cause I  need her to rest...." He opened the door for us "10 minutes."  Why in the world was he all of a sudden so..........hiss. I soo don't like you now Arinze. I nodded cordially and walked in.

I started crying again.

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" Arinze called you ba?" That's the first thin this IDIOT told me!

"I will kill you once you're strong enough Suni I swear!" I was still crying.

"Mennn Suni, that hair DOES NOT pass.." I see Shafa and I  were on the same page.

"Tell me something I don't know" she looked better. Even with the tubes connected to her and everything. She was smiling a bit. She looked at me  "Cry Cry, every time its to shed tears.."

"Freak Suni...." I held her hand  while I reached for the baby. "How's my God daughter?"

"Who dash you?" I eyed her and touched her belly, it was hard....like a safe haven.

"Is that the kwashiokwor or my god daughter?"

We all laughed.... she was going to be fine.......Arinze said so. Freaking guy.

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I'm soo happy they came. I'm mad at Arinze though... he didn't have a right yelling my business like that.

I watched the curtains of the room flutter. Freaking hospitals I HATE this place.Every time I enter any hospital, I always think about that one time when mommy was sick in Nigeria. I remember the doctor saying that they had tried everything and nothing was left to do. He had told daddy to start making funeral arrangements. Mommy already looked dead. I will never forget her face. Ashen, sunken and just.... dead. The only way she had let me know she was alive was by squeezing my hand.....

"Are you awake or daydreaming?" Arinze.  I looked at him, and couldn't help but smile. He was simply.... what word can I use now?.. He was simply....dashing in his dress shirt and pants.  He had lost the lab coat and stethoscope...His shirt matched his eyes. 

"I want to go home..."

"I knowww, me too!" he smiled...I think I just became well. I feel healed. God......"Only difference is, I AM going home. But you......" He walked around my bed so he was now beside me, he settled into the chair "..not till you're better."

"What time is it?"

He looked at his watch, Tag Heuer, I noticed it FAST! I see homeboy here is a baller, Well  well..I mean he IS a doctor. "1:23am"

"Long shift..." 

"Welcome to my life...." he laughed and then stopped, maybe he too recognized the dual meaning there "I'm glad you came back....." He looked right into my body with those eyes. "For the baby of course.... It's good you came back.." he adjusted his sitting position "...for the baby." I smiled at his... cuteness. His skin was light.. like not yellow, like light... and his hair.. was "touch me now" kind of hair.... my staring had to have made him uncomfortable because he he coughed and stood up abruptly. 

"I should go..." 

"Why?" 

"Cause its 1:30am in the morning and I should be at home sleeping, not doing overtime checking up on a patient." 

"I'm not just a patient....." I smiled , my lame attempt to be flirty. It was a half joke... 

"I guess so...." I didn't expect him to agree so quickly. The warm feeling around my heart spread....."Good night Suni...." 

"Are you in tomorrow....?"

He smiled.. "I'll come check up on you." He looked at me again... and that warmth spread all over my body "Sleep well...."

And then he walked out.

S2 W2. She's Here...

The old lady sitting opposite me on the train is creeping me out. Given I don't' look too healthy ( I tried to clean up  as best as I could, but for one this bird's nest on my head HAD to go...) but HO-LY.... this is just plain rude!  I didn't know I had lifted my hand to cover my belly until I felt it there. I looked down....I swear I could feel baby getting uncomfortable too by this "let's not blink" game the woman was playing here. I adjusted my sitting position so i angled away from her towards the window. Id rather look at blurring trees than into her criticizing blue eyes. It was just me and her in this seating set... there were about 6 or 7 of us in the  entire coach section, this means she had other  BETTER options for sitting, but no she chose to perch  in front of me and stare me down. SIIIIINNNCEEEE. I looked at my watch, 2:30. Sigh.... 1 more hour. We were scheduled back home for 3:30.... it was about a 20minute ride to the doctors then.... life officially would kick start again.  I felt like I had died for a month. Like I wasn't in this world. Even seeing outside, the train station, having to interact with people again... it was nice somehow to be back. This whole hermit lifestyle wasn't me. I forced myself to be in it, now I have to force myself out of it. If not for me, for  baby..

 "Are you pregnant?" Shu-o! I looked in the direction of the question. Cold lady..... not that I had expected anything else. I was going to retort a very rude answer, but I just remembered my manners.

"Yes." I looked back to the window to kind of emphasize the "and this conversation is over" point.

"You don't look healthy... you shouldn't be this skinny." Ah Ah... see problem o. Now Im being scolded. After being stared down for almost 4 hours.

"I know." I gave her a cut eye... mild one... when I said that. Then continued looking at nothing outside the window.

"You didn't eat either this whole journey....." I turned back to study this odd old lady that was in front of me. She looked annoyed.

"I'm not hungry-"

"I bet your baby feels different" she turned to her big bag and started digging, she brought out an apple and shoved it towards me "Eat"

All I could think of was  when I was little and mommy said "Don't collect food from strangers..." and this was even apple sef. Forbidden fruit...

"No thanks.... I ate before the journey" Lie. And for some reason, she could see it too.  She shoved it closer to me.  Her expression softened.

"Just eat.....for her" she gestured to my tummy with her eyes. What made her think it was a her  anyways..."or if you don't want fruit... even though that should be what you eat..... take a sandwich. The kiosk in coach E is still open"

I needed the walk and space seriously... so I grabbed this opportunity.  "Ok..." I shuffled/struggled out of my seat , trying to get as far away as possible from her caring judgmental odd mother-like stare. I knew i didn't look too healthy but wow..... was it that bad?


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"Is she here yet?" he told me to be here for 4:30... ok so it was only 4:15, but I had been here a LONG time.


"No Yale... " he laughed small "And calling my phone every 5 seconds to find out wouldnt make her appear faster"



"Sorry....." I really fel bad though, cause I knew he was busy... but for some reason I felt he was the only one that could understand my worry. Weird...


"K would buzz you when she gets here... stay out of sight though, we don't want her running away again" he clicked off before I could say anything. I was too worried to ponder on the rudeness of that.


My phone rang just as I dropped it. Shafa.


"Hey babe..."


"Is she here?" I had to laugh at that, cause here was Arinze telling me to keep it hush hush and the first person i blab to was Shafa.


"No.... Arinze told me to f off..." I giggled "He's tired of hearing from me, me ma I'm tired of calling him every 2 seconds. Suni is gonna diieee men! I'ma kill that heifer. Why didn't she call me????"



"Relax, I'm sure she knows what shes doing..."


"Really? She runs off to God knows where, leaves her house everything...and you're telling me shes knows what she's doing? ?


"Shes a grown ass woman Yale..."


"No Shafa, what she is is STUPID! DAFT! LOKO!" I didn't realize I was shouting until I shuttup. The car was so silent....so was the line... "Hello?"


"I was waiting for you to finish bringing down the roof before I answered. Are you done?"


"Leave me jo" he laughed....the low rumble in the tummy, give me goosebumps kind of laugh that I absolutely adored.


"Baby, I have to go now, buzz me once she get's in ok..."


"Kk....heart."

"Haha, Razz child... heart back at you."



A cab pulled up into the front of building. As it pulled to a stop the cab driver literally came out before the car came to a complete stop....he rushed to open the door.  He helped his passenger out and yes at this point I'm squinting cause it looks like Suni, or it could be Suni, I check my watch 4:23,,, Yup! It could be Suni.  Lady thanks cabbie, cabbie still holds her until shes at the door, she looks like she's waving him off....He's shaking his head. She gives cabbie a stern look... as she does this she turns a bit and I make out a profile. It IS Suni.... but shes.....EWW

The gasp I take in almost chokes me. What in the world did she do to her self???? It's taking everything I have in me not to run out of the car and go and meet her....  I blindly search for my phone because I am crying now....Suni Oh! What in the world....


"Hello?"


"Shafa..." I start crying harder now because.....just because. "Shafa she's here.....She looks horrible... "


"Baby baby.. stop crying.. where are you exactly..."


"In the next parking lot behind the tree...."


"Wow some stealth movements huh? " He laughed small but, mannnn, the image of Suni barely being able to walk was making me cry... She did not look right... Like... "Ok.. I'm on my way pleaseeee stop crying...."


"KK hurry, I'm going to meet her now....." Before I cut the line I heard him saying something about "No wait for me remember what Arinze said", but F that... Did he SEE Suni??? Im going to meet her jo.