Mothers' cry (1994 - 1998) - Episode 5

 

General Hospital Ikorodu was filled to brim, the atmosphere was a mixture of happiness and sadness. Some are rejoicing over birth of their new babies while others are agonizing over death of their loved ones.

An ambulance drove in, a nurse brought out a stretcher to move the patient to the ward, blood drizzling from the ambulance and nobody paid any special attention to the almost lifeless body evacuated from it.

Few Doctors on duty were not enough to attend to many patients that have arrived since early hour of the day. A Doctor shouted at a patient not to come inside the visiting room . The Doctor was sweating profusely, power supply to the Hospital has been disconnected by power Supply Company due to its inability to settle backlog of debt.

He looked through his window, he called an old man to know the state of the hospital power generating set.

“Baba, what happened to our generator?”

“Oga, it is faulty since last week and the boy repairing it said we should buy another one because it is very bad”

The Doctor sat back on his chair, he shook his head and hissed. He picked an old newspaper rom his to fan himself.

Another Doctor was accompanying a pregnant woman with her husband to reception, she gave them a note to a private hospital.

“I will be there in the evening”. She made her statement audible for other patients waiting at the reception to hear her.

“Thank you ma” the pregnant woman curtsied

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. The husband was askance.

“Oga, you better be happy that I am referring you to my private hospital for caesarean section, no facility here to do it, no generator to power our theatre, if you love your wife, look for the money”.

Some patients hissed, they have been used to such advice from some Doctors referring them to their private hospitals for treatment on the pretext that general hospital lacked adequate facilities for their treatment. Those with strong financial capacity enjoyed good medical treatment in those private facilities compared to public hospitals that have suffered many years of neglect from subsequent governments. Almost all Doctors operate private hospitals where they referred patients to.

“Mrs. Ireti, let me see you in my office”.

Read " Talent on the Street " by the same author ( taiwo emmanuel )

. The Doctor walked to her office not looking back at other patients that were grumbling over her action.

“She met us here, is it because we are nobody?”

Ireti walked passed them, she ignored their protest. Doctor Florence was her classmate during her secondary school days, she has turned to her personal physician.

“It is time for you to speak out”.

“I don’t want to destroy Tayo’s reputation” she replied.

“Then leave his house or file for a divorce” Florence retorted.

  “I don’t want my son, Wale to suffer, my parents will disown me” tears running down her cheeks.

“It is a taboo to divorce in my family”.

Florence was very angry, she wondered why her friend has refused to abandon family tradition. She tried to convince her to take decisive action before it will be too late.

“If you need service of a vibrant Lawyer, I can get you one on my bill”. She pat back her as she see her off to her car after given her medication.

Florence has mood swing throughout the day, she cannot understand why her friend has refused to listen to her advice to leave her husband. She remembered Ireti’s reaction the first day she told her to leave Tayo, Ireti was rushed to the hospital by Tayo himself, Florence was not on call but she was called by her colleague on call to rush down to the hospital for an emergency because the patient wanted her to attend to her. When she made enquiry about the patient information, she was told that it was Ireti Ade…. She didn’t wait for her caller to finish her statement before she dropped receiver and rushed down to the hospital.

Before she arrived, Ireti has been stabilized by the Doctor on duty, she met Tayo at the reception who tried to explain to her that she fell inside bathroom as she wanted to take her bath, she didn’t fall for his bait. She ignored him to see her friend who has been given a bed in a special ward.

Ireti was on admission for five days before she was discharged. Florence invited her to her personal residence to break bad news to her.

“I am sorry, you lost the pregnant” she hold her hands as both of them sat on a sofa inside Florence’s living room.

Ireti was three months gone before the incident. “Ireti, I know your husband beat you the first day you came to the hospital with a swollen face that you hit your face against wall” she put her head on Florence’s lap, crying profusely.

Florence continued “domestic violence is a monster that will kill the victim one day if the victim refused to speak out or file for a divorce”.

She has seen many women that have died because of assault from their husbands, they refused to speak out or take necessary action which resulted into their death.

“Our marriage is for better or worse, I must respect my marital vow to stay with my husband irrespective of his actions”.

Florence was shocked to marrow, she can’t believe that those words came from her friend’s mouth despite number of years she spent in the university.

“What God has joined together, let no man put asunder, Tayo has hot temperament. I will ask him to see a Counsellor or a Psychiatrist who can help us out”.