Abide In My Love

In the bustling city of Abuja, the honking of cars and the vrooming of bikes sang a wake up song to the indigenes of Nigeria. I was laying flat on my bed as the roster's crow penetrates my ear forcing me to rise up and work. Stepping into the bathroom, I brushed, and bathed and went straight to the kitchen, scanning through the pots they were all empty, the pot of egusi soup I left in the freezer empty, "Oluchi, Oluchi, where's the egusi soup in the freezer naw", I called out to my younger sister, entering her room, I found her fast asleep with a dark tall guy who seems fast asleep, the smell of alcohol and cigarette filled the room, clothes scattered on the floor, I closed my nose with one hand and shook Oluchi vigorously with the other she tried to open her eyes and stretched her body moving the blanket down her body revealing her bare upper body, "Oluchi where's the pot of egusi soup in the freezer", I could hear her curse underneath her breath then began mummuring, after several attempts to speak clearly she gave up and gave into the sleep that was consuming her, I could feel the throbbing headache she could've been feeling after taking so much alcohol the previous night. Frustrated, I dragged myself out and went back to the kitchen to drink garri with salt as I've been doing since my sister decided to finish the little food I manage to keep anytime I return from hustling. Hanging my waist purse, I walked through the busy street to my spot in Bwari market where I do my Pos business, having no sale during late afternoon, I told my neighbor who was selling fruit to help me watch over my stand, crossing the road to buy water, I began struggling with the zip of my purse and like a dream someone from behind me who was pretending to price a middle age woman goods, after looking into my purse unhooked my purse and dragged it and fled into the crowed, my andraline began rushing, blood was flowing to my head like water, my head was messed up, not thinking straight I stood there praying silently that it was all a dream I looked down my waist and my purse was still not there, the next thing I saw was total darkness, I couldn't feel my body. After wandering in the darkness of my mind, I saw a sharp bright light, I shut my eyes due to the intensity of the light and tried severally to open my eyes, my eyes adjusted to the light and I could look around my surroundings, I laid on a small bed like one of a student with a drip connected to my hand, the yellow walls made the room sunlight coming through the window reflect directly to my bed, outside my room, I could hear the noise of both patients and practitioners, sirens of ambulance going in and out of the hospital none stop, I sat up and opened the curtain to reveal the quiet garden, as the breeze blow and hits the trees,they sway in unison, I dragged the drip stand with me and went to the garden. I sat down on one of the wooden benches kept between two beds of well trimmed bushes, the breeze hits my face sending shivers down my spine as images of the previous day floods my mind, why would GOD let them the only means of living away, I worked two jobs a day to start that business, all my molding of blocks, my washing of clothes, my packing of sand, all in vain. How will I pay for my handouts, l could barely pay my tuition fees, watin man go do for better life abeg, this thing don tire me. I wish I could return back to the days where I could lay my head on my mother's lap while she stroke my head "it will all go away son, change is the only thing that's constant, pray and leave the rest to God", pfft God, which God, the God that let my mother get murdered while returning from her trip to her maternal land, or the God that watches my sister and I suffer, God who's mercy full and Good but yet he had decided who he would bless and who he would favour, a tap on my shoulder snapped me out of my reverie, looking back was, a young girl, in her late teens mumbling some words but with the severity of my muddle I couldn't make out what she was saying, she was pointing back to my room and giving me to faint push on my shoulder, and I thought I was to return to my room. I emerged from my thoughts, the doctor who was then standing by the window, came towards me signalling me to sit, "how are you feeling today?" "better, I think", "good then, you are free to go, you just had a panic attack with constant hydration and complete meals you will be back to normal, just go to the receptionist and make payments for your treatment", payment kwa, hey what will I do, I changed into the worn out clothes I was brought with. As I approached the reception, senerous of what can happen was countless, "good morning madam, I was told to come and pay up my bills, please how much is it?", the receptionist looked at me up to down severally before asking me in a nonchalant way "what's your name?", "Paul" "when were you brought here?", "yesterday", "what room?", "room1024", she printed out a paper and gave to me; items. amount 1. Bed - 10000 2. food - 2000 3.medicine - 3000 Total - 15000 My heart skipped a beat, I looked up at the receptionist and back to the paper, how will I get 15000 naira from, "please can you direct me to your managers office", she pointed to the left which led down the hall. As I approached the office I took a very deep breath to put my mind at ease, I entered and greeted the woman, "good morning ma" "good morning, how may I help you" "ma I was rushed to your hospital yesterday due to panic attack", "where you not treated well?", she looked away from her system to me, "yes ma'am I was is just that em..em, the am.. amount I am supposed to pay I don't have it and the people that brought me has all gone", there was silence for more than 20 seconds, "young man what do you want me to do then?", she removed her glasses and began looking into my eyes like she was searching for answers in them, "ma, sincerely I don't have anything, and if you even let me go and work I don't have any work to do that will produce the money even in the next two months, I-i don't know if I can work as one of your staff to finish up the payment ma", I concluded and another wave of silence washed the air, making me more anxious than I first entered, "am glad you are being sincere, that's a start, well we can fix you in the cleaning department but we will give you where to sleep and feed you until the end of this month", "thank you so much ma". I laid on my mat in the hospital and starred at the ceiling, I wondered where my sister was, if she knew I was in the hospital, since our mother died we both have drawn s bit apart, I thought it was how our different ways of grieving but months passed and it was still the same, she kept late night, getting drunk bringing different men home, not like I delt with mine differently, I too had my own grieving, I fell into depression, denounced GOD and let my current predicament way me down. I tossed and turned but I couldn't sleep, I stood up and went to the garden, it was a lot peaceful than when I last visited. The air was cold and cooled all my nerves, I saw a piece of paper on the floor with the inscription : ABIDE IN MY LOVE John 15:10 If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love; even as I have kept my Father's commandments, and abide in his love. Come to me those who labour and are heavy ladden and I will give you rest, search for me and the kingdom of GOD and every other thing shall be added unto you. I tossed the paper aside , like the answers to your problem could be in a piece of paper. The movement of buckets and broom restrained me from sleeping further "sleeping beauty rise up and shine" a male voice spoke to me, I slogishly stood up and followed him, he handed me a brush and bucket with mop and pointed towards a room I dragged the bucket behind me, after I was done with that room I went to to the ER then the injection room then the delivery room, and am done for the day, this might be easier than I thought, if I could have my peace of mind free food and accomodations I can live here, I will work hard so the manager can retain me, I smiled to myself before I dozed off. It's been two weeks since I started working at Bwari General Hospital, and am convinced I will be retained, as I dragged my bucket out of the delivery room heading to my next station before I go for my break, doctors ran towards the entrance, the sound of the siren from the ambulance became louder, some nurses where carrying stretchers while other went to assist in bringing in the injured paitents, I tried getting a glimpse of the commotion but I couldn't, I didn't bother cause they will be brought into the ER my next station, I rushed inside the ER and stepped to a corner and watched as the patient were brought in some with clothes covering their body showing they are already dead, then I saw someone that took my breath, Oluchi, she was covered with bandages on her head and her upper chest, blood dripping from her stretcher and that was it my breaking point I ran towards her stretcher as I kept calling out, "my sister, my sister, Oluchi, what happened to you, she's my sister" they entered into the room and left me outside crying my sister. "Your sister and many others were involved in a gas explosion, her skin was badly burnt and she's on oxygen, she needs immediate treatment but first you have to make a deposit of 500 thousand naira", the head nurse words kept ringing in my head as I walked down the street, "deposit of 500 thousand naira", "she needs immediate treatment", what will I do, is this how my sister will die before my eyes, she's all I have. As I walked down the street I made a turn to the left going to our house to look for what to sell, I saw a man coming down from his new SUV and headed into the hotel, his keys fell, I went to pick it to call the man but an idea pops into my head why don't I drive away with it and sell it. I made sure the coast was clear before I entered the car drove off, almost immediately someone shouted theif and I drove as fast as I could but to no avail I cannot fail, my sister will die, at this point the rate at which my andraline pumped I drove like an actor in the movie fast and furious taking a right turn, police officers where already in my front, I reversed and hit another police car taking a I turn I drove at full speed the police cars gave way and the next thing I heard was pffffff crrrrrcr my tire was out and I had lost. I was handcuffed and taken to police station. I was kept in an interrogation room with one source of light a table and two chairs, for hours I waited for someone to come in but no one did the only word that was in my head was "abide in my love, abide in my love", "come to me those who have labour and are heavy ladden and I will give you rest", I held my head as the voice became louder and louder before someone came in and for a moment there was silence "why did you steal my car?", I burst into tears, then there came a whisper "ABIDE IN MY LOVE".