So, This is Love? Episode 11 – Judith Onyoyibo
Mike and I met for about four times more till I stopped hearing from him.
I tried calling him for days but he didn’t take any of my calls. I was frustrated.
Since I started seeing him again, I didn’t meet with any other man and I limited my intake of drùgs and smokes. I was gradually getting better without even trying.
I called some more but got blocked instead. No explanation, no nothing.
I fell into depression again. I locked myself at home from morning till night. I rarely left my house except to go buy some smokes or groceries.
I became a complete shadow of myself. To make matter worse, I became terribly ill. It started from mere cough till I started vomiting and coughing out blood. I lost so much weight and became a shadow of myself.
I went to the pharmacy to get drugs but it only suppressed the symptoms for a while.
I had nobody to run to. I haven’t retrieved my sim so I couldn’t place a call to favour.
One Saturday night, the situation got dire. I couldn’t stand. My head kept pounding like someone was drumming on it. The pain in my chest was severe.
I couldn’t stand nor move my body.
I just laid on my bed with tears in my eyes while waiting for death to do its worse.
I fell asleep after a while. I woke up a little bit relieved although the migraine was still there.
“Why not call Stephen?”. A voice whispered to me.
I quickly brushed the thought away because of how I treated him the last time we met.
On a second thought, I decided to try my luck since he was the only one I could think of at that moment.
I searched for his business card he gave to me. Luckily, I found it. I dialed the number immediately.
He didn’t pick. It was understandable, for it was past midnight. The time was 2:12am as at when I called.
I tried my luck for the second time and he took the call.
“I’m sorry for calling so late. This is Janet..”
He cleared his throat immediately. “Are you okay Janet? Is everything okay? Are you in danger?”.
I broke into tears.
“OMG! Are you home?”. He asked with so much concern.
“Yes”. I managed to reply.
“I will be there, give me 30mins”.
“No! You can’t wait till morning please. It’s already late”. I said.
“I don’t like the way you sound. For you to call me by this time, it means something is terribly wrong. I can’t live with myself if anything happens to you “. He said.
I broke into tears again. Never have I seen someone try to risk their lives for me. I was so emotional.
“You live opposite my uncle’s house right?”. He asked.
“Yes 😭”.
“See you in 30mins. Please just manage yourself till I get there okay”. He said before ending the call.
I cried till he drove to my side. He called me at exactly 2:52am that he was already outside my gate. I managed to go out and opened the gate for him.
On our way to my room, I fainted.
I woke up the next morning in the hospital.
He was the first person I saw when I opened my eyes.
“You are awake already”. He said with a broad smile.
I tried standing up but he quickly stopped me.
“You need adequate rest. Don’t try to stand, you are not strong yet”. He said tenderly.
“Thank you”. I murmured.
“I should be thanking you for reaching out to me. It must have taken you a lot of courage to do that”. He said smiling.
“What kind of man is this God? How can he still be smiling at me after how I embarrassed him the last time”. I said in my mind.
“Are you always this nice to everyone?”. I asked.
He started laughing.
“Are we having an interview right now?”. He said still laughing.
“What did the doctor say is wrong with me”. I deflected.
“You have chronic tuberculosis and typhoid”. He said, this time with seriousness.
“I’m hungry”. I said.
“Forgive my manners”. He said.
He went to the table that was close to my bed. He started dishing custard from a cooler into a plate. He added enough milk to it and some sugar. Alongside the custard was akara (bean cake).
He brought them in a tray. I tried standing up and he quickly rushed to assist me.
“Did you make this yourself?”. I asked.
“I actually pleaded with my sister to help me”. He said smiling.
“Have you slept at all?”.
“Nahh! I’m good though “. He said.
“Allow me feed you please”. He pleaded.
I obviously won’t be able to feed myself because of the drip that was fixed on my left hand. I reluctantly permitted him to feed me.
Stephen stayed with me in the hospital till I got discharged. He never left my side unless when he went home to bath or get me food and other miscellaneous.
He fed me through out. Assisted me in doing almost everything. I can’t even list it all.
When I got discharged, he wanted to take me to his house till I got better but i insisted that I could manage alone at my place.
He would drop by at my place before going to work and when he closes from work. He never came empty handed.
All these he did even without making advances at me nor tried to take advantage of me.
“So, this is love?”. I wondered because I have never experienced something like that in my entire life.
To be continued
