CHAPTER 4
I was scared and worried about what I will tell my parents; how I will tell them,I pushed my own sister and placed her in this condition. I heard rushing footsteps outside I knew it was my parents. My tension raised and I felt tip of sweat over me.
“What happened Anayo, what did you do to your sister?” mommy asked curiously and I could not answered. I stood shaking.
“Have you suddenly gone deft? What happened to Ngozi?” daddy tripped in rather seriously and angrily. Just then, the doctor came out to meet them.
“Are these your parents?” the doctor asked me and I answered, “Yes they are.” The doctor told us to follow him to the office, and we did in curiosity.
“What happened to her?” the doctor asked me. I turned to mom and dad who were anxious to know what happened to Ngozi. “We had a fight and I pushed her, she hit her head on the couch and collapsed.”
“You did what! What came over you!” mom exclaimed in a bid to slap me. Dad quickly held her.
“Let us hear what the doctor has to say.” Dad said patting mom at her back.
“Am afraid” the doctor said and there was tension in the office “her condition is between life and death – she is in coma and I can’t tell when she will come out of it, but not to worry, we shall do our best to make sure she survives it. And you” the doctor said referring to me “beware of the way you handle people, life is very fragile.” The hospital bill was paid. My dad and mom could not return to work because of my action, they took excuses. How could such a little fall put someone in coma, really life is so fragile.
As we drove home in silent, my heart was racing very fast that I felt I could faint any moment from then. The car was parked and we alighted. Aunty Uka had returned to her office.
“What caused the fight between you two?” dad asked immediately we settled at the living room. What would I tell him? If I told them, she slapped me, they would want to know reason, and that would led to me telling them about the sexual relationship between Ngozi and I and I was not ready to let that out.
I thought of an escape story “she refused my entrance to the kitchen and I was so hungry”.
“You were so hungry and you almost killed your sister, now have you eaten!” mom yelled at me. Icould not answer.
“Just pray nothing happens to her.” Dad said sternly.
That night I was so weak fearing what would become of me, how would I live with the fact that I killed my own sister because of another girl? My phone beeped, Ifunaya was calling. “Hello Ifunaya” I spoke into the phone.
“Hello my love, you didn’t show up today as promised, which is unusual of you. I hope all is well.”
I sighed; I should let her know what I have done, no! I had a second thought; she would definitely think I am a woman beater and that I might spoil our relationship. “My sister was rushed to the hospital this afternoon.” I told her the actual story but keeping some facts from her.
“Jesus Christ!” she exclaimed and asked, “What happened?” “I don’t know she just collapsed this afternoon.”
“Did she not eat before attending lecture?”
It was then it downed on methat she had refused to eat breakfast because she was still angry with me and that must have made her collapsed. “No she did not,” I told her.
“May be that’s the reason for her collapse, how is she now?”
“I can’t tell for now but she is in coma.”
“Oh! My God”
“I am scared Ifunaya.”
“Let us just pray she survived it.” We said goodnight.
The following morning mom and dad went to see the priest of our parish. It has been my parents attended mass, dad always claimed busy and likewise mom, we the children had to follow suit. The priest looked surprised to see us.
“You are welcome.” The priest said as he offered us seats. “I am surprise to see your family at mass today, glory be to God. So God finally heard my prayer, I knew you would come back to God. How has work been?”
“Father, work has been stressful has usual.” My father replied.
“How come you find time to attend mass today, something bigger than you must have brought you to church, by the way, where is Ngozi?”
My mom answered “That is why we have come to see you father.”
My dad tripped in “Exactly father, she, and Anayo had a fight, he pushed her and she collapsed and she is now in coma”.
“Glory to God in the highest!” the priest said happily.
Dad, mom, and I exchanged surprising glances. “Father, is like you didn’t hear me correctly, I said my daughter is in coma.” My dad said amidst anger.
“I heard you correctly Mr. Nnamdi. You see, the very day you drove me out of your house because when I was trying to let you see reasons why you should not abandon God and the mass because he had blessed you with wealth, I kept on praying for your family. Sometimes God refused to allow certain blessing come our way.he knows that such blessing would harm us and we may misuse it just as you have done; ever since you got a well-paying job, you and your wife had neglected the mass and has allowed the cares of your job turn you away from God and hardly have time for your children and study them. Nevertheless, God knows how to bring his people back to himself, your daughter collapsing is not an accident, I warned you about it some weeks ago, but you paid deft ear it. Outside that there is an immoral act going on under your noses, but unknown to the both of you because of your over commitment to your jobs.” My heartbeat increased because I know the priest was right about the immoral act going on under my parents’ noses.
“Father what is this immoral act that you talked about?” my mother asked.I prayed that the priest would not mention it, and luckily enough he did not mention it.
“Madam, it is not in my power to tell you.” The priest answered.Nevertheless, the priest followed us to the hospital.
We arrived the ward where Ngozi was, she was lying unconsciously, and for the first time in eternity, the fear of death shook me. “If she died, so all this beauty of hers will be gone, all these features and endowment will be gone, indeed life is just a waste of time. Therefore, someone will just have everything and when he dies, he will live everything. Life is just vanity!” I said within me. Mom sat at the edge of the bed and spoke to Ngozi. The priest also prayed for us and warned us never to stay away from God again;he also assured us that all would be all right.
