A CALL AT THE WRONG TIME
374 Words
Jamal remained seated in the hospital corridor, staring at the photograph the kidnappers had sent. His mother's frightened face and Zainab's tear-filled eyes haunted him. Every passing minute felt like a step closer to disaster.
Suddenly, his phone began to ring again.
His heart nearly stopped.
The fear that had settled deep within him returned instantly. His hands trembled as he reached for the phone. Convinced that it was the kidnappers calling again, he hesitated before answering.
When he finally looked at the screen, he saw a familiar name.
Kabir.
Jamal let out a breath of relief and answered the call.
On the other end, Kabir sounded completely unaware of the storm raging in Jamal's life.
He casually asked if Jamal could send him two thousand naira to buy mobile data because he had run out of airtime and wanted to renew his subscription.
The request hit Jamal like an insult.
His emotions, already stretched beyond their limits, exploded.
For the first time, he shouted at his friend.
His voice echoed through the corridor as years of frustration and the pain of the last few hours poured out of him.
His wife was lying in a hospital bed fighting for her life. His unborn twins were in danger. His mother and younger sister had been kidnapped. The hospital was demanding millions of naira, and kidnappers were threatening to kill his family.
And all Kabir could think about was buying data.
There was silence on the line.
Kabir immediately realized something was wrong.
His tone changed.
He apologized repeatedly, explaining that he had no idea what Jamal was going through.
As Jamal calmed down, he briefly explained the situation. He told Kabir about the accident, Aisha's condition, and the hospital.
He deliberately left out the kidnapping.
The burden already felt too heavy to share.
Concerned, Kabir asked where he was.
When Jamal told him the name of the hospital, Kabir didn't hesitate.
"I'm coming," he said.
The call ended.
For the first time that day, Jamal felt a small sense of comfort. It wasn't money. It wasn't a solution. But at least someone was coming to stand beside him.
In a battle that seemed impossible to fight alone, even a friend's presence felt like hope.
- Writer
