REBORN - 1

Sometimes I wish I had the power to rewind things and change some events in my life. There are times I blame myself for the decisions I proudly made back then. Well, forget all that, it’s all in the past, let's focus on what’s ahead of us.

My story isn’t just a normal one, it’s a story you won’t easily hear nor forget. Ignore all the bad things you’ll read about me, for no matter how it’s going to sound, I am or shall I say, at least, I was a good man. I once loved and loved back. As a poor man, I only had three true friends, my wife, Abby and Me.

LET THE STORY BEGIN.

A week had gone since Abby got admitted to the hospital. It wasn't the first time she was admitted, Well, I can't recall the total times, I only know that she is a strong girl. She always found out a way to beat cancer and come back home with me. Since her mother’s death when she was three, Abby meant the world to me. She comforted me like no one ever does. I don’t know how she did it age five, but she is not only a daughter but a mother, a wife, and a guru too.

I entered her ward around 06 am of October 22, this is after I had spent half an hour at the entrance gate dag dancing with the mosquitoes. Since she got admitted I always made sure that I reached the hospital before she woke up. I didn't want to let her get the feeling that she was alone. In fact it was that was the least I could do for her.

It didn’t take long for her to open her eyes after I had entered the ward and sat beside her bed.

             “Mornings dad”

            “Morning honey,” I said while touching her hair softy with my right hand.

             “Have you been here long?” She asked with a smile while still lying on the bed. 

             “Of course, why even ask! I spent the whole night besides you.” I bragged and she looked straight in my eyes and ask.

             “Really?” 

             “Of course, are you doubting me!” I replied while acting serious.

Abby thought for some time then signed me with her head to move close to me so that she could whisper in my ears.

               “ What time did the last nurse enter this ward?" She whispered, actually she talked just as before while believing that she was whispering. Whispering to her meant saying something to a person with a mouth and ear being zero distance. 

                 “Well….well….the last nurse did you say!” I stumbled.

                 "Yes," She replied while getting up to sit on the bed. 

                  "An hour ago I guess..” I replied while not looking straight in her eyes.

                   “Got you……” She shouted while laughing.

                    “No…. I think she I had fallen asleep by the time she came in” I joked.

                  “Okay, you want to act smart! Let’s all do so." She looked at me and continued asking "You say that I am also your mom right?"

                   “Of course honey.”

                    “I know that kids never lie to their moms. Now tell me, when did you arrive from home?”

                     “Twenty minutes ago mom, now please don’t punish me!” I joked imitating her voice.

                      “I must punish you. You must have breakfast with me today”

                      “No….no….no…no. You know that I have a big stomach. I might swallow all your meal at once if we eat together, Are you ready for that?"

Abby smiled at replied, "No thank you, sir."

Well, she was a funny companion she was the one sick, but it was her that made me smile. Every moment around her was a blessing. The funny thing is that she sometimes hid me when she was in pain and told the nurses because she didn't want me to get too worried about her.

Well, I escorted her to the bathroom where she brushed her teeth, then returned to her ward and had her breakfast.

It was not until she had finished getting her breakfast when she started complaining about severe pain in her spine.

          “Lie down honey, ill go get a doctor now," I said while helping her lie straight on the bed. 

I then opened the door and rushed out to find a doctor.

I was lucky to meet a nurse in the corridor. I just decided to hold her hand and walked her fast towards Abby's ward since she acted not understanding a word I was telling her. I don’t blame her, I had panicked, I my self didn’t understand the word I said. Anyone with a loved one in a critical condition would understand what I mean.

Getting to the ward, we found Abby shaking from top to bottom, she was starring at me without saying a word. I ran to her and turned to the nurse who was still wondering what she saw. 

              “For God’s do something, can't you see she is in pain” My voice was harsh and so was my face. The nurse then runs to call a doctor while I turned to Abby and tried to calm her down. She just stared at me wanting to speak but failed.

                “Its okay honey, dad is here, everything is going to be alright, nothing is going to happen to you. You trust me, right?” I tried comforting her. I knew she trusted me, and that did hurt a lot because I couldn’t do anything to ease her pain.

The doctor opened and the doctor entered a rush along with the nurse.

                  “ Please excuse us, let us handle the situation from here." The doctor said as he took the stethoscope from his neck and checked Abby's heartbeat." 

                  “Save her life doctor, please I beg you. She’s the only one I got”

This time the doctor didn’t reply, it was the nurse who held my hand and escorted me out of the ward.

             “Please calm down sir, we are going to do our best to make sure she is fine again.”The nurse said before shutting the door on my face.

It is during that moment that I did something I never did for so long. I prayed. I hadn’t prayed since my wife passed away. I was stupid enough to get angry at God for taking away my wife from me. Now, I realized how stupid that was, perhaps if had remembered God early Abby’s condition couldn’t have worsened. This time I prayed and repented at the same time. I was so confident that God was hearing my prayers. I knew that he was there watching.

It was not after ten minutes had passed that the door opened and the nurse stood by it.

         “You can come in..” She said, and even before she finished her sentence I was already inside the ward. I found the doctor standing beside Abby. Abby’s eyes were shut. I didn’t know what to think, I couldn’t allow my conscious to have the idea that she could be dead.

           “When is she going to wake up doctor?” I asked with a panic voice.

The doctor looked at me for a while then slowly said, let us go talk outside.

             “Is my daughter okay, doctor?” I asked with a serious tone with my eyes straight on his.

             “Yes Suleiman, she is okay at least for now, I have given  her sleeping pills to ease her pain.”

My heart calmed down a bit

              “Now let’s go talk outside,” He said while starting to walk towards the door.

I looked at Abby for some time then followed the doctor outside.

We walked near his office then he suddenly stopped walking and turned to me saying.

              "Look here, Suleiman. I can't hide it from you. You have to understand it…”

My heart pounded soon as he started talking. I wished to tell him to stop talking but I couldn’t have the courage anymore.

             “ You are aware that Your daughter has Brainstem Glioma, and for more than a year we have tried to give her required treatments. Everything seemed okay until today when…”He stumbled.

            “What happened doctor?”

              “Am afraid cancer is spreading to the Central nervous system, her tumor is getting more serious and if don’t act fast we may……”

                “Enough…” I silenced him. 

                  “Nothing will happen to my daughter so long as I am still alive. Just tell what is needed to save her life,” I continued saying.

                   "Radiation Therapy needs to be done as soon as possible if we want to save her life." 

             “Doctor please tell me what I need to do, instead of mentioning those physicist terminologies;” I said while trying to control my temper.

              "Okay the process is very expensive and currently in the country, there is only a single machine to conduct the therapy. With an emergency case like yours. You will need $15,000 that is equivalent to  Tsh34,530,000/=”

As soon as I heard the term dollar my heart weakened, when the converted amount was mentioned it totally collapsed. The only question that rotated in my mind was “How am I going to get this amount of money?” I wasn’t poor, but it was undeniable that I was broke. I had spent most of my money curing my late wife. I recently skipped work and spent most of my time with Abby whose Cancer usually makes her spend most of her time in a hospital bed.  

The only amount of cash I had in the bank was Tsh2,000,000/=. I gave my self that with time I could borrow the remaining from a bank or even close relatives.

                     “How long does she have doctor?” I decided to ask softly.

The doctor looked at me for a while then nodded and inhaled and exhaled slowly the said.

                      “Only God has the correct answer to your question Suleiman, but as for her condition, the way I see it.” He kept quiet and looked at me and said “ I think surviving the next 48 shall be a miracle”

 With his reply I found myself sitting on a brown bench beside the place I stood.

                     “You have to act fast Suleiman. Abby’s future now depends on you.”

The doctor then walked to his office and left me sitting on the bench speechlessly. I knew that getting a loan from a bank would at least require a week. I took my phone and searched for people who I thought could urgently help me with the remaining cash, but amongst the 300 numbers in my phone book. I only came up with two of which I wasn’t sure of either but decided to give them a try. The first number wasn’t reachable; the second number was picked but the person hadn’t such an amount. I hanged up the phone with a smile, it’s then I understood why motivation speakers always insist on being careful with a chain of friends around you.  I nearly went mad, I went over some online loan branches but since I had never taken a loan before, the only loan I could get was Tsh10,000/=. I smiled while appreciating how stupid I was, 

"What kind of father was not doing anything when my daughter needed him the most, I mean why didn’t I prepare early, Why hadn’t I worked up day and night to for my family’s financial safety? WHY WHY WHY????

WHAT’S ABBY’S FUTURE? WILL SULEIMAN GET THE NEEDED CASH?

DON’T PLAN TO MISS THE CHAPTER OF THIS HEART TOUCHING THRILLER.

GOD BLESS YOU.

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