Tragedy Strikes

Tunde had gotten himself in a pickle.

After closing from work early and on his way back home, Tunde was attacked by armed robbers. It seemed like their prior aim was to rob him of all he had there. They had made away with his car and all the valuable assets in it, with a handful of punches, they bundled him into a nearby farmland and gang beat him. 

They left him in more or less a lifeless state. The seldom movement of his head was amongst others a sign that strength though diminutive, was still in him.

About half an hour later over their departure, the owner of the farmland where Tunde had been left in an unconscious state, came by his farm to round up for the day. As he ventured far into his farmland, he came to find an unknown figure, Tunde almost unconscious. He reached out to him in his blood-filled state and tried to get out of him any information that would be relevant in assisting him. 

The farmer seemed to be aware of the fact that he must have been ambushed and robbed. Upon searching all through the unknown figure and all his surroundings, the farmland owner didn’t see anything that could be accounted for a useful. He was beginning to lose hope on getting him somewhere safe before something bad would happen to him or even worse the bad-minded individuals who left him in that state return.

“DI-VIN-E HOSP-IITA-LL.” Tunde found energy to say.

Tunde could sense there was a presence hovering all around him and could feel the ransacking of his body. He left himself in the belief that there could be someone who cared to help him.

Those were the only words that Tunde could manage to utter in his terribly bruised state before he fell into an unconscious state. 

The farmer heard him even in his low tune. Knowing the place as it wasn’t too far from his farmland, he carefully lifted Tunde unto the back seat in his truck and with the little petrol he had left in it, he drove down to the hospital.

When the young farmer brought Tunde into the hospital, the nurses and medical personnel easily identified him as the Doctor-in-charge and attended to him immediately.

With immediate effect, his family was notified – Katherine.

“I’m sorry Madam. Your husband now has a complex-fractured spine and his nervous system has been severely damaged as a result of the beatings and injuries he sustained from the assault.” said Dr. Samuel, Tunde’s assistant.

“Oh really?” Kate said not hiding her lack of interest and sympathy.

Deep within herself, she was overjoyed at the news of her miserly spouse’ ill condition.

Dr. Samuel quite surprised at Kate’s indifferent reaction to the news thought to make her understand better the gravity of this medical condition. The doctor seemed to be ignorant of the weight of indifference that existed between his friend and his friend’s ill-minded wife.

“To be a lot clear on his condition, Tunde is now paralyzed from his waist down to his feet and as such risks the chance of him ever using his hands or feet again, Madam”

“Good.” Kate replied with a smirk. “I need you to help me finish the job.”

“Whaattttt??!!!?!.” Dr. Samuel exclaimed in total shock.

“Do you know the gravity of what you are asking me to do?” he asked in a much lower tone, fearing that someone might over hear their conversation. “5 million naira.” said Kate in a desperate tune.

“Madam are you asking me to completely incapacitate my colleague and friend and if that isn’t enough, you ask that I kill him?? I could lose my medical license and sent to jail. Presume I get through with this your crazy plan and get myself caught. Do you know what that would do to me, my reputation, and my family?” said the doctor trying to decode the intentions of the woman before him and the possible effect upon his life as a whole.

“15 million naira! That should be a more than enough enticement.” Kate replied, now getting impatient. “I would pay you the whooping sum of 15 million naira if you do as I have said” she added with a mischievous smirk all over her face. 

“You’re sick Madam and require urgent attention. Even if you bribed me with the whole world, I would never involve myself in such a despicable act! For crying out loud he is your husband. Anyways that’s your business!” “If you dare tell me such again I will involve the authorities. Excuse me.” Dr. Samuel said storming out of the office.

“Just look at him. A Spineless and foolish man! Na because say you see person way one give you 15 million naira na! Mtcheeewww! (He is acting this way out of pride, after all it is not every day that someone gets to have a 15 million naira proposal.” hissed Kate in pidgin dialect.

Deep down, Kate was happy about the whole situation. Tunde was hospitalized for over a month plus, after which he was fit to be discharged. Kate was forced to buy a wheelchair for his locomotion.

She had heard of similar situations before and knew he would not live long. She just pretended to care for him so she can be allotted a large share of his will alongside her daughter, Mirabel. All she did were in the best interest of her wallet.

“Daddy is on his way back okay? Make sure you complete all your assignments before I get home.” Tunde said speaking to Oluwole on the phone.

“Yayyy! Okay daddy. Love you.” replied Oluwole on the other side of the line.

“Love you too, Tim.” Tunde replied, as he terminated the call deep in thought.

Throughout the journey back home, he pondered on what to tell the little boy. He loved him so much, he did not want to see him get hurt by the news and the sight of his present condition, but what choice did he have?

That night, Tunde came back a different man, a different father from the one who had left weeks ago. To Oluwole, it was just his dad returning from one of his long business trips.

“Daddyyy!!” Oluwole exclaimed with joy on seeing his loving father in Kate’s car. 

Katherine came out of the car, went towards the trunk and brought out the wheel chair. She helped Tunde into it and rolled him inside the house. 

“Omo mi” (My child).” Tunde replied as Oluwole ran to meet him. “How are you my boy?” he asked with a pleased face.

“I have been doing fine daddy!” Oluwole said, playing around his dad’s wheelchair with smiles on his face.

Soon the sound of Mirabel’s cries were heard. 

Kate went in and carried her and placed her on Tunde’s laps. Little Mirabel looked up at his face at regular intervals whilst playing with his fingers. She was the blue-eyed child of Kate while Oluwole was the blue-eyed child of his father.

“How are you daddy?” Oluwole asked. “Mummy said you went on a long trip and got sick.” He added.

Trying to carefully pick his words, Tunde replied – “Daddy is fine, now!”

“Are you sure?” came the next question by Oluwole. “My health education teacher taught us that it was only sick people that sit on this chair daddy”

He held the arms of his father. He knew something was certainly not right. Tunde was dumbfounded, he did not want to hurt his feelings by saying the wrong words.

“Oluwole have you completed all your homeworks?” Kate said trying to change the subject and remedy the awkward situation.

“Daddy?” Oluwole said ignoring Kate completely.

“David!! I asked if you have completed your homework!” Kate roared now.

With tears forming in his eyes, Oluwole ran to his room and jammed the door. He started to cry as he was afraid that something bad had happened to his loving father. He prayed amidst his tears.

That night, Oluwole refused to eat anything. He shut himself out in his room refusing to talk to anyone, including his dad whom he thought to be a liar at that moment. He cried all night such that when he got out of his room the following morning, he looked so pale and tired.

Tunde was placed on a mobile bed and a caretaker was assigned to him. Oluwole went to school as usual, just that sleeping during classes now became a new norm for him.

“What’s wrong with you Oluwole? What’s going on?” his social studies teacher enquired of him one. Oluwole never replied her or any of the teachers who cared to ask. He just stared blankly at them with his head hung up in his palms. 

It was only his favorite teacher - Mrs. Sharon; that was able to break him.

“Talk to me Oluwole.” she said.

“My da-dd-yyy!” Oluwole stuttered with tears filling his eyes once again.

“What happened to him?” she asked softly.

Instead of giving her an answer, he ran quickly to the toilet to continue his wails.

Had the universe and all good things in it finally turned their backs completely on young Oluwole or was this just a passing phase?