Ina sonki 5 by Munu Ogheneochuko
Ina sonki
(Episode 5)
The power in the helm is the power of your faith.
The journey from Port Harcourt International airport to 7/9 Old Aba Rd, Rumuomasi 500102, Port Harcourt, where First Rivers Hospital Limited was located was tiring. All roads connecting the airport to other parts of the town were jammed packed with cars and motorcycles. The journey of two hours took four hours and those four hours were like four months for him. He kept telling his mom he's anticipating seeing Rachel's smiles.
"Her smile is so so so beautiful mama," He said.
His mother smiled.
"Her smile is like yours mama...very hopeful and live. It comes from the bowel of her heart mama".
His mother smiled again. She silently longed to see the girl her son spoke so much about. Abubakar went on and on about his friend Racheal. He was so glad his mother followed him. They chatted, laughed and talked about many things they wouldn't ordinarily talk about.
The conversation between mother and son kept Abubakar sane all through the journey to the hospital. The drivers kept admiring them then from the fore mirror of the taxi.
*****
The smell of drugs mixed with disinfectants, body odours and sweats fustigated Abubakar. He quickly ran out immediately to throw up.
" You can't be doing like this Abubakar" his mother warned him.
" But mom the place is choked up" he murmured.
"It is not about been choked up and you know" His mother warned him again.
He knew. Nobody knew him better than his mother. She has watched him grown and have been there for him all his life. She knew how much he hated the hospital, taking drugs and even using a strong disinfectant. He had Osmophobia. Aside from the smell triggering him to vomit, they also give him a serious migraine.
"If you don't want to see Rachael, we can start leaving" His mom added.
"Not at all mama," he said confidently. "My Osmophobia isn't that bad"
'Yi sauri! Yi sauri! Let's go inside'. His mother ordered.
The mother waited for him to tidy up the corner of the hospital before they proceeded to inside the hospital.
They were lots of patients and people waiting in a long queue to be attended. The hospital was choked up to the brim. They patiently waited on the queue, with Abubakar swallowing saliva all through. A nurse with well starched and ironed clothes attended to them.
"Good day ma and sir" the nurse greeted them.
"Good day dear" Abubakar's mother responded.
"How may I help you ma?" The nurse asked smiling.
"We are here to see Racheal, one of the corpers involved in that fatal road accident" Abubakar replied
The nurse kept quiet for some seconds, trying to remember any patient with that name involved in an accident.
"Hmm..." She shook her head for some seconds.
"Tell me she is still alive," Abubakar said bending down to look at her face.
"Calm down man! Let me confirm" the nurse said calmly.
The nurse asked him for her surname but he couldn't remember. He struggled to remember but then he couldn't just remember.
"How are you related to her?" The nurse asked him suspiciously.
Many bad things in time past have happened to patients in different hospitals.
Visitors come in to look for them, only to poison them, strangle them, inject them or even cut off some private parts of those in the mutuary. These things have been on the media for a long time and all medical personnel and hospitals have been warned nationwide to improve their security.
"She is my friend" Abubakar answered.
He was already getting pissed off by the long security questions, interrogations and the offensive odours. His head has started to ache him and he's pretty frustrated of swallowing saliva here and there.
The nurse even looked at him more suspiciously. She requested for any means of identification from mother and son.
Abubakar took some time to find his in a backpack. His mother showed hers too. The nurse suspicious looks suddenly changed to surprise.
"Are you people by chance related to Honourable Ibrahim in Abuja?"
"Yes!" The mother said quickly. She' was frustrated too.
"I'm his son" Abubakar added "and this is his wife" pointing to his mother.
"Oh, your father is a good man and I pray the Lord will continue to bless him." The nurse said.
"Do you know he was the one who helped me get this job?" She asked them.
Both mother and son were surprised.
"What a small world!" Abubakar's mother exclaimed.
"You can say that again," the nurse said standing up.
She quickly took them to see a doctor with a note. Immediately the doctor read the note, he wasted no time in taking them to see the Racheal they sought to see.
"Doctor is she okay?"
"Doctor was her burns severe? "
"Doctor, can she walk?"
"Doctor, has she been eating?"
Abubakar flooded the doctor with questions but he didn't answer. He pretended not to hear her.
"Doctor, talk to me" Abubakar held one of his arms fiercely.
His mother cautioned him to leave the doctor arm.
"You will see her soon for yourself," the doctor said.
They followed the doctor quietly till they got to the last room. Both mother and son's heart panted as the doctor opened the door.
It's a small neat air-conditioned room. The room smelt not bad still Abubakar felt throwing up.
They were surprised to see an elderly man in his 50's with a beautiful woman he assumed to be his wife and a teenage boy in the room. The person on the bed was facing the wall and well covered with a white wrapper.
" You have a visitor sir," the doctor said to the elderly man and left.
"I'm Rachel's father, how may I help you?" The elderly man asked.
Clearly, that was Rachael father, the woman her mother and a young man he assumed to be another family member.
The mother introduced herself and her son and asked if they could see Rachael. The mother and father were overly happy to let them see her.
She was the only survivor of the fire accident. She survived with a thoroughly burnt right hand
Her father gently tapped her and she was amazed to see Abubakar
"You! " she said.
She meant to scream but to her amazement, her voice was calm
"What I have done this time?" Abubakar asked smiling
She smiled too and burst into laughter. Finally, Abubakar's mother saw the smiles and laughter her son spoke so much about.
Truly, they were from the bowels of the heart. She laughed and smiled genuinely so easily.
Abubakar introduced his mother to her and in turn, Rachael introduced her parents to him and her fiance to him.
"She has told me so much about you". The fiance said.
" When she told me you were definitely going to come to look for her, I told her she's a daydreamer'" he added.
Abubakar laughed.
That was Rachael. His friend with big dreams like a child and strong faith that whatever she dreams will always come alive.
"I thought you two were dating" his mother whispered his ears.
"No mama, we are just best of friends" Abubakar laughed.
Rachael excitement from just Abubakar and his mother visit knew no bounds. She shared her testimony of how she was delivered from the accidents by a strange man she has never seen before and after the accident. Abubakar and his mom were in awe. They jokingly asked her to tell them what kind of prayers she prayed. She told them it's simply God's mercy.
"Abubakar speaks so much of your faith, smiles and laughter" Abubakar chipped in.
"Yet he hates me so much ma," Rachael said to say.
"How!" Everyone exclaimed.
"Me?" Abubakar asked.
"How can you say that?" Abubakar asked sadly.
He was sad and embarrassed. All eyes were on him now. He wished Rachael didn't say such words.
"Abubakar, but you told me so when you were leaving camp" she looked at him.
"You said it in Hausa, you said Ina Sonki"
Abubakar and his mother laughed really hard. This time it was Rachel that was embarrassed. All eyes were on Abubakar and his mother to find out why they were laughing.
"Those are strong words, my dear"
Abubakar mother tapped her on her shoulder.
"It simply means I love you?" Abubakar said.
Rachael blushed.
She looked at his mother to be sure if that was the meaning.
She noded.
"Does that mean you deleted all our pictures together" Abubakar whispered in her ears.
He knew the answers from her silence.
Rachael, the woman with the heart to love as a child yet strong to do mean things.
No matter what, no matter their different religions, different tribes, different cultures, he was glad their parts cross. He loved her and he was not going to let go of their friendship no matter what.
He was glad for the gift of NYSC.
The end!
(Episode 5)
The journey from Port Harcourt International airport to 7/9 Old Aba Rd, Rumuomasi 500102, Port Harcourt, where First Rivers Hospital Limited was located was tiring. All roads connecting the airport to other parts of the town were jammed packed with cars and motorcycles. The journey of two hours took four hours and those four hours were like four months for him. He kept telling his mom he's anticipating seeing Rachel's smiles.
"Her smile is so so so beautiful mama," He said.
His mother smiled.
"Her smile is like yours mama...very hopeful and live. It comes from the bowel of her heart mama".
His mother smiled again. She silently longed to see the girl her son spoke so much about. Abubakar went on and on about his friend Racheal. He was so glad his mother followed him. They chatted, laughed and talked about many things they wouldn't ordinarily talk about.
The conversation between mother and son kept Abubakar sane all through the journey to the hospital. The drivers kept admiring them then from the fore mirror of the taxi.
*****
The smell of drugs mixed with disinfectants, body odours and sweats fustigated Abubakar. He quickly ran out immediately to throw up.
" You can't be doing like this Abubakar" his mother warned him.
" But mom the place is choked up" he murmured.
"It is not about been choked up and you know" His mother warned him again.
He knew. Nobody knew him better than his mother. She has watched him grown and have been there for him all his life. She knew how much he hated the hospital, taking drugs and even using a strong disinfectant. He had Osmophobia. Aside from the smell triggering him to vomit, they also give him a serious migraine.
"If you don't want to see Rachael, we can start leaving" His mom added.
"Not at all mama," he said confidently. "My Osmophobia isn't that bad"
'Yi sauri! Yi sauri! Let's go inside'. His mother ordered.
The mother waited for him to tidy up the corner of the hospital before they proceeded to inside the hospital.
They were lots of patients and people waiting in a long queue to be attended. The hospital was choked up to the brim. They patiently waited on the queue, with Abubakar swallowing saliva all through. A nurse with well starched and ironed clothes attended to them.
"Good day ma and sir" the nurse greeted them.
"Good day dear" Abubakar's mother responded.
"How may I help you ma?" The nurse asked smiling.
"We are here to see Racheal, one of the corpers involved in that fatal road accident" Abubakar replied
The nurse kept quiet for some seconds, trying to remember any patient with that name involved in an accident.
"Hmm..." She shook her head for some seconds.
"Tell me she is still alive," Abubakar said bending down to look at her face.
"Calm down man! Let me confirm" the nurse said calmly.
The nurse asked him for her surname but he couldn't remember. He struggled to remember but then he couldn't just remember.
"How are you related to her?" The nurse asked him suspiciously.
Many bad things in time past have happened to patients in different hospitals.
Visitors come in to look for them, only to poison them, strangle them, inject them or even cut off some private parts of those in the mutuary. These things have been on the media for a long time and all medical personnel and hospitals have been warned nationwide to improve their security.
"She is my friend" Abubakar answered.
He was already getting pissed off by the long security questions, interrogations and the offensive odours. His head has started to ache him and he's pretty frustrated of swallowing saliva here and there.
The nurse even looked at him more suspiciously. She requested for any means of identification from mother and son.
Abubakar took some time to find his in a backpack. His mother showed hers too. The nurse suspicious looks suddenly changed to surprise.
"Are you people by chance related to Honourable Ibrahim in Abuja?"
"Yes!" The mother said quickly. She' was frustrated too.
"I'm his son" Abubakar added "and this is his wife" pointing to his mother.
"Oh, your father is a good man and I pray the Lord will continue to bless him." The nurse said.
"Do you know he was the one who helped me get this job?" She asked them.
Both mother and son were surprised.
"What a small world!" Abubakar's mother exclaimed.
"You can say that again," the nurse said standing up.
She quickly took them to see a doctor with a note. Immediately the doctor read the note, he wasted no time in taking them to see the Racheal they sought to see.
"Doctor is she okay?"
"Doctor was her burns severe? "
"Doctor, can she walk?"
"Doctor, has she been eating?"
Abubakar flooded the doctor with questions but he didn't answer. He pretended not to hear her.
"Doctor, talk to me" Abubakar held one of his arms fiercely.
His mother cautioned him to leave the doctor arm.
"You will see her soon for yourself," the doctor said.
They followed the doctor quietly till they got to the last room. Both mother and son's heart panted as the doctor opened the door.
It's a small neat air-conditioned room. The room smelt not bad still Abubakar felt throwing up.
They were surprised to see an elderly man in his 50's with a beautiful woman he assumed to be his wife and a teenage boy in the room. The person on the bed was facing the wall and well covered with a white wrapper.
" You have a visitor sir," the doctor said to the elderly man and left.
"I'm Rachel's father, how may I help you?" The elderly man asked.
Clearly, that was Rachael father, the woman her mother and a young man he assumed to be another family member.
The mother introduced herself and her son and asked if they could see Rachael. The mother and father were overly happy to let them see her.
She was the only survivor of the fire accident. She survived with a thoroughly burnt right hand
Her father gently tapped her and she was amazed to see Abubakar
"You! " she said.
She meant to scream but to her amazement, her voice was calm
"What I have done this time?" Abubakar asked smiling
She smiled too and burst into laughter. Finally, Abubakar's mother saw the smiles and laughter her son spoke so much about.
Truly, they were from the bowels of the heart. She laughed and smiled genuinely so easily.
Abubakar introduced his mother to her and in turn, Rachael introduced her parents to him and her fiance to him.
"She has told me so much about you". The fiance said.
" When she told me you were definitely going to come to look for her, I told her she's a daydreamer'" he added.
Abubakar laughed.
That was Rachael. His friend with big dreams like a child and strong faith that whatever she dreams will always come alive.
"I thought you two were dating" his mother whispered his ears.
"No mama, we are just best of friends" Abubakar laughed.
Rachael excitement from just Abubakar and his mother visit knew no bounds. She shared her testimony of how she was delivered from the accidents by a strange man she has never seen before and after the accident. Abubakar and his mom were in awe. They jokingly asked her to tell them what kind of prayers she prayed. She told them it's simply God's mercy.
"Abubakar speaks so much of your faith, smiles and laughter" Abubakar chipped in.
"Yet he hates me so much ma," Rachael said to say.
"How!" Everyone exclaimed.
"Me?" Abubakar asked.
"How can you say that?" Abubakar asked sadly.
He was sad and embarrassed. All eyes were on him now. He wished Rachael didn't say such words.
"Abubakar, but you told me so when you were leaving camp" she looked at him.
"You said it in Hausa, you said Ina Sonki"
Abubakar and his mother laughed really hard. This time it was Rachel that was embarrassed. All eyes were on Abubakar and his mother to find out why they were laughing.
"Those are strong words, my dear"
Abubakar mother tapped her on her shoulder.
"It simply means I love you?" Abubakar said.
Rachael blushed.
She looked at his mother to be sure if that was the meaning.
She noded.
"Does that mean you deleted all our pictures together" Abubakar whispered in her ears.
He knew the answers from her silence.
Rachael, the woman with the heart to love as a child yet strong to do mean things.
No matter what, no matter their different religions, different tribes, different cultures, he was glad their parts cross. He loved her and he was not going to let go of their friendship no matter what.
He was glad for the gift of NYSC.
The end!
Wow🔥
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