THE CLOCK

Episode7:A REUNION OF DESTINY

Akamu solidarity is an attribute worthy of emulation by every land and clime. The people of Akamu had demonstrated it again in Owelle when they came to visit one of their own who was critically lying on a sick bed at St. Monica Specialist Hospital.

Mama's illness had helped to advertise Akamu to the world. Taxi drivers were glad to have quick loading of their vehicles as Akamu people came to Owelle in large numbers to visit Mama. They were in the habit of shouting and saying, "Driver, hospital!" The driver would ask, "Which hospital?" They would answer, St. Monica." As soon as they boarded the vehicle, they would tell the driver that they were strangers from Akamu, and that it was their first time coming to Owelle.

They would then plead with the driver to take them straight to the hospital. So, drivers who plied that route would tease passengers who gathered in large numbers by asking them,

"Are you from Akamu?" At that, the passengers would laugh heartily.

Even in the hospital, whenever a group inquired after Mama Nwankwo, the listeners would ask, "Are you from Akamu?" With time, that expression began to gain ground. It became a humorous term with which to tease people who gathered in groups waiting for a taxi by asking them, "Are you from Akamu?"

Mgbafor's coming was a big relief to Mama and her children. She had expressed her intention to stay and look after Mama for almost two weeks. Mama had then sent Ego and Ogo home to go and tidy up their family house and large compound in after Mgbafor's arrival.

Akamu village. Both of them had travelled back home two days Since Mgbafor came, only Dr. Oluchi had been coming occasionally to inspect the patients in that ward. Mama and the rest of them in that Female Ward Two had been wondering whether the doctors were embarking on a strike because news had gone round that doctors in government-owned hospitals were going on an indefinite strike. But some of the patients had reasoned, and correctly too, that if the strike would hold, it would not affect private hospitals which were not controlled by the government. Mgbator had been eager to see the female doctor whom Mama had excitedly talked about as skilled and being a familiar face. Then it happened in the afternoon of her fourth day with Mama.

"Who is this," Mgbafor screamed as Dr. Nechi Obinna entered in her full professional uniform, a stethoscope dangling around her neck, which had made Medicine an enviable career.

"Oh my God!" Dr. Nkechi exclaimed, recognizing Mgbafor

immediately.

The doctor ran towards the open arms of Mgbafor for a

warm embrace.

"What a surprise, what a pleasure too!" Dr. Nkechi

exclaimed as she embraced Mgbafor a second time.

"No one can explain how certain things happen the way they do."

Mgbafor said, looking intently at Nkechi.

"God works in a mysterious way, His wonders to perform,"

Nkechi said, still overwhelmed with surprise and joy.

All along, Mama Nwankwo had kept watching with utmost amazement. She had always said in her mind that there was something about Dr. Nkechi Obinna that kept probing her memory.

Dr. Nkechi was very happy to see her kind old school mother again. She surveyed her over and over but was not happy at her physical appearance. She knew immediately that hardship and over working had tampered with her beauty which was second to none in those old school days. She was quick to guess that all was not as it ought to be if her old secondary school mother had furthered her education considering her academic brilliance in school.

"Nkechi!" Mgbafor called in amazement.

"Yes senior," Nkechi answered in their old school days'

fashion.

"My dear, please carry on with your duty. We'll find time to

talk later for duty comes before pleasure," Mgbafor advised.

"That's right, senior, that's very thoughtful of you," Dr. Nkechi said with feelings.

While Dr. Nechi Obinna examined Mama Nwankwo, Mgbafor kept on admiring her. She remembered the old boarding school days in Akamu Community Secondary School, A.C.S.S for short.

"What a small world!" She exclaimed within herself. She remembered her unfulfilled dreams of herself becoming a medical doctor. She remembered how after her secondary school education her illiterate parents had forced her into an unprepared marriage. She remembered how she had struggled to resist that tradition that betrothed her to a young boy she neither knew nor understood. She remembered how she was told one evening that her husband had come to take her home in fulfilment of a marriage contract made while she was only two years old. She remembered how her father had told her that the contract was made to consolidate the age-old friendship existing between the families of her husband and his own. She recalled how she had cried her eyes out for being made a sacrificial lamb on the altar of an old-fashioned, barbaric and unjust custom. She remembered all of those things and many more which had dampened her burning zeal for education and the medical profession, and tears rolled down her cheeks uncontrollably

"Senior," Dr. Nkechi Obinna called, tapping her arm very

gently."

asked.

"Yes my dear, are you through with your work?" Mgbafor

"Yes, senior," she answered, very cautiously not to

comment on the tears that betrayed her emotions.

"Can you still recognize this patient you are treating? " Mgbafor asked, pointing at Mama Nwankwo.

"Well, there is something about her that I find difficult to understand. There is that familiarity that tries to assert itself from my innermost being but keeps on failing to unfold itself. In fact, I know her, but can't remember where, how and when,"

Dr •

Nkechi replied, not wanting to show that Prophet Isaac had hinted her, but wanting to know more about her.

"This is Adabeke, my townsperson, classmate and the

social prefect when you were in your second year in A.C.S.S.

"Ah, Senior Ada!" Nkechi exclaimed. "Please pardon me for my poor memory," she pleaded.

"It's you I'll apologise to for my lack of remembrance.

Something in me had been telling me that I had met and interacted with you before. Oh, what a small world, what a very little world we live in!" Mama Nwankwo admitted.

"I just can't say how happy I am to see you loving and lovely persons, who took good care of me and shielded me with your protective influence from school punishment and cutting of grass," she said, and the trio burst into an uncontrollable and prolonged laughter.

"We are happy too to see you and reunite with you,"

Mgbafor said, embracing her again.

"This reunion, I promise you, will not be in vain. If for nothing else, l'll use my connections to make sure that more expert hands will join with mine to give Senior Ada perfect healing. Thereafter, I'll contact our prominent old girls of Akamu Community Secondary School, as well as influential government officials to make Akamu village feel the pulse of modernity. And for you seniors of Dr. Nkechi Obinna," she said laughing, "I'll make sure that your life will change for the better. We'll discuss many issues of progress later at a more auspicious time," she asserted, and touching Mama feelingly on her arm, wished her well and took her leave.

Akamu Community Secondary School was a boarding school system. It was founded in 1928 by the British missionaries to bring education to the doorsteps of interior rustic communities in and around Akamu. It was a very big school built with burnt Their motto was 'Lux in Tenibris'

bricks and controlled by Reverend Fathers and Reverend Sisters.

out of darkness.

i, a Latin expression meaning, light

Students of Akamu Community Secondary School were known for their intelligence, hardwork and discipline. They were always at the top of other schools in every academic competition.

They had won many laurels, bringing honour and pride to the school. Again, their parents had never regretted sending them to that school. It was with great pride that parents introduced their children by saying in addition to other things that, "She is a student of Akamu Community Secondary School!. Those who had not already sought admission for their children into that school would proudly say, "My daughter will soon enter Akamu Community Secondary School."

The popularity of the school stemmed from strict discipline in all aspects of child education aimed at developing the total child. Students who graduated from that school had always remained 'primus interpares' meaning, first among equals.

They had always been good ambassadors in every position they occupied, and in everywhere they found themselves. Anywhere, anytime, they were always guided by the spirit of obedience, honesty and dedication to duty, which exemplified the discipline inculcated in them while in school. And that day, three of the products of that illustrious school had met and reunited, each of them still upholding the motto and mission of their Alma Mata which was to shed light where ignorance prevailed.

Although Mama Nwankwo and Mgbafor could not realize their esteemed dreams, they however, had never relented in moulding the characters of young people, especially girls, thereby contributing their quota in changing the face of the world.

"So that was the little Nkechi we used to know and pet way

back in school," Mama said.

"I'm happy that she finally made it as she dreamed,"

Mgbafor said.

"You see, I kept on wondering why she had developed so much interest in me. I know that a doctor should love his or her patients, but there was added concern in my case. Occasionally, she would prescribe some expensive drugs and buy them for us without asking us to pay her back," Mama said gratefully.

"My sister, that's God in action. That is why it is good to be good because no one knows tomorrow," Mgbafor philosophized.

"Did I know that the little kindness we show to another could yield such wonderful seeds as I'm reaping now," Mama said appreciatively.

"We've not started reaping yet. Didn't you hear the wonderful words of hope she uttered? And I'm sure those were not empty words," Mgbafor reasoned.

"Not at all, my sister, those words were real. Can't you see that she has already started demonstrating what she said? My dear sister, the ways of God are deep and incomprehensible,"

Mama said.

As the two friends were discussing, there came a sharp

knock on the door and two nurses walked in.