The Night Shifts, Episode Seven
Binta sat on the floor and refused to move an inch. She insisted she must see her husband, but no one paid her any attention. Everyone who knew her thought she was blabbing. She continued talking and people were watching her like a mad woman. Indeed, she was mad that night because what was happing scattered her head greatly. Her heart was beating ‘kpim kpim kpim’ as she continued to think of who might be with her husband and what they might be doing. Many people at the hospital had closed from work, allowing those who are for night shift to take over. But the receptionist was to work even during the night.
However, as the night wore on, everywhere at the hospital became really silent as the grave yard. Occasionally, nurses moved from ward to ward to check on patients who needed medication or close attention. Binta was not sleeping, but she had become really tired of sitting on the floor. She had also become ashamed to stand up because she had said she would not stand if she did not see her husband. She was ashamed became no one paid her any attention. She just sat there like a sack of ‘akpu.’ But she noticed an opportunity and she decided to exploit it. She saw that everywhere was quiet and everyone appeared to be minding their business. Even the hospital receptionist was asleep at that moment. The time was already 11pm and most people were tired and worn out.
“Now that the receptionist is asleep, let me enter the hospital building and look for my husband. No one is watching, let me enter. They think I will give up on my ambition to see my husband tonight. I will show them that I don’t give up easily. I will teach everyone in this hospital a lesson.” Binta said as she sneaked into the hospital building swiftly like a spider.
Binta knows where her husband’s office is. She has visited her husband at the hospital severally, so she was able to find her way to her husband’s office. She knocked repeatedly at the door and found out that the door was locked tightly.
“What this means is that my husband is not in this office. But where would he be if he is not in the office? Where did he go to? Did he go to be with any woman? Did he go to a hotel to stay with anyone woman? Does my husband now have another woman apart from me? Why is he not in his office?” Binta kept asking herself questions upon questions without finding any answers.
“Let me check ward by ward to see if he is attending to a patient.” Binta said as she moved away from the office door and started entering one ward after the other. Patients that saw her thought she was a nurse, so they had no reason to panic or to raise an alarm. After entering the first and second wards, she arrived at the particular one where Dr Nath was staying and enjoying with Chi Chi. The door was locked, unlike the other wards which had their doors open.
“This is suspicious. Why is this door locked when others are open? My husband might be here.” Binta said in her heart. She put her ear on the keyhole of the door to see if she could hear any voices from inside the ward. She heard her husband’s voice. She also heard Chi Chi’s voice because they two of them were not asleep yet. They were still up talking and laughing like a happy couple enjoying their wedding night.
“My instincts were right. This is exactly what my heart told me. I said it that my husband must have found another person who is giving him courage to challenge me at home. I was right all along. I was totally right. Someone is trying to spoil my business. Not only that, she is trying to snatch my husband. I will know who that person is this very night. This very night, the person will have to fight me.” Binta said. The problem is that she has no way of opening the ward door. She started thinking of how to get into the ward without creating a scene. Binta decided to take things easy.
“Let me knock at the door. They might open it.” Binta said in her heart as she lifted her hand and knocked at the door gently.
When Dr Nath and Chi Chi heard the knock at the door, they stopped talking. They listened and then Dr Nath spoke.
“Who is there?” Dr Nath asked. Binta knew that if she talks, her husband would know he was the one knocking and he will not open the door for her. She didn’t know whether she should talk or she should kick the door and open it by force. She decided to kick the door. She retreated backwards like a he-goat preparing to give a head boot. She advanced forward and kicked the door with force and it opened. She came face to face with Dr Nath who was wearing only boxers. He and Chi Chi just finished eating apples and he was resting after the enjoyment. Chi Chi was still on the bed, but she covered herself with bedclothes. By looking at them, Binta knew Dr Nath and Chi Chi had eaten apples. She became so sad heartbroken.
“So, this is the night shift you have been coming for? You are here eating apples with another woman. You have the guts to cheat on me? You have the audacity to cheat on me when I’m still alive? Have you forgotten what I’m capable of? You came here to eat honey with another woman while you abandoned me at home? What is it that gave you that courage? How dare you cheat on me? Are you out of your mind? Am I not beautiful enough?” Binta continued questioning Dr Nath who haven’t said anything yet.
To be continued…..
