A DANGEROUS IDEA
399 Words
Less than an hour later, Kabir arrived at the hospital.
The moment he spotted Jamal sitting alone in the corridor, he hurried toward him. Without saying a word, he wrapped his arms around his friend and held him tightly.
Jamal had spent the entire day carrying the weight of his problems alone. The simple gesture nearly broke him.
After they sat down, Kabir asked him to explain everything from the beginning.
This time, Jamal told him the whole truth.
He spoke about Aisha's labor pains, the accident, the death of the tricycle driver, the hospital's demand for five million naira, and finally the kidnapping of his mother and younger sister.
Kabir listened in stunned silence.
By the time Jamal finished, both men sat quietly, trying to process the nightmare.
Neither of them could imagine how a poor construction laborer could possibly raise fifteen million naira in such a short time.
Still, they refused to give up.
Throughout the evening, they began calling everyone they knew.
Friends.
Former coworkers.
Neighbors.
Relatives.
Even people they had not spoken to in years.
Some sympathized with Jamal's situation.
Others promised prayers.
A few offered small financial assistance.
But most simply could not help.
By midnight, after dozens of calls and countless disappointments, they gathered everything they had managed to raise.
The total was just two hundred thousand naira.
Jamal stared at the figure on the phone screen.
Two hundred thousand.
Against fifteen million.
The amount felt meaningless.
The little hope he had been holding onto slowly faded.
Exhausted and defeated, he buried his face in his hands.
Nearby, Kabir sat in silence.
His eyes were fixed on the floor.
His expression had changed.
He seemed deep in thought.
Minutes passed.
Finally, Jamal noticed him.
"Kabir," he said softly. "What are you thinking about?"
Kabir looked up.
For the first time that night, a faint smile appeared on his face.
It was not a smile of happiness.
It was the smile of a man considering something dangerous.
Something desperate.
Something that could change everything.
Jamal felt a chill run through his body.
"What is it?" he asked.
Kabir leaned closer.
His voice dropped to a whisper.
"It's risky."
The words hung heavily in the air.
Jamal stared at him, waiting.
Outside, the night remained silent.
Inside the hospital, the countdown continued.
And somewhere in the darkness, a dangerous idea was beginning to take shape.
- Writer
