The desperate billionaire

Chapter3:The Decision That Changed Everything

I did not sleep well that night. My mind kept going back to the story I heard on the radio about the rich man who was dying. Every time I closed my eyes, I saw a picture in my head of a man lying in a hospital bed, weak and afraid, waiting for help that might never come. I tossed and turned on my small mat, and even though my body was tired from working all day, my mind would not let me rest.

When morning came, I was still thinking about what I should do. I got up and did my usual morning work, fetching water, preparing breakfast, getting Amara ready for school. But my heart was not in what I was doing. My hands were moving, doing all the tasks I do every day, but my mind was somewhere else, thinking about that man and the voice in my heart that kept telling me to help him.

After Amara left for school, I went to visit my mother who lives three houses away from mine. My mother is a wise woman who has lived many years and seen many things in life. When I have a problem or a difficult decision to make, I always go to her for advice because she knows how to look at things clearly and tell me the truth, even when the truth is hard to hear.

I found my mother sitting outside her house, sorting beans and removing the bad ones from the good ones. She looked up when she saw me coming and smiled, but then her smile faded when she saw the worried expression on my face.

"Aisha, my daughter, what is troubling you?" she asked, putting down her bowl of beans and giving me her full attention. "You have the look of someone who is carrying a heavy load in her heart."

I sat down beside her on the ground and told her everything. I told her about the news I heard on the radio, about the rich man who needed a kidney, and about the strong feeling in my heart that was telling me I should go to the city and get tested to see if I could help him.

My mother listened quietly without interrupting me, nodding her head slowly as I spoke. When I finished talking, she was quiet for a long time, just looking at me with those wise eyes that seem to see right through to a person's soul.

"Aisha," she finally said, taking my hand in hers, "I raised you to be a kind person, to help others when you can, to show love even to strangers. But this thing you are talking about is not a small thing. This is your kidney, part of your body, something you need to live. If you give it away and something goes wrong, who will take care of Amara? Who will work to feed her and pay for her school?"

I knew my mother was right to worry. These were the same questions that had kept me awake all night. But I also knew that if I did not at least try, if I did not go and get tested, I would never have peace in my heart.

"Mama," I said softly, "I know it is dangerous. I know it sounds crazy for someone like me to think about doing this. But I cannot explain the feeling in my heart. It is like God himself is pushing me to do this, like this is something I am meant to do. If I am not a match, then I will come back home and continue with my life. But if I do not go and find out, I will always wonder if I could have saved a man's life and chose not to because I was afraid."

My mother looked at me for a long time, and I saw tears forming in her eyes. Then she pulled me close and hugged me tightly, the way she used to hug me when I was a little girl and had scraped my knee or was scared of the dark.

"You are just like your father," she whispered into my ear. "He also had a heart that could not see someone suffering without wanting to help. That is why I loved him, and that is why I am proud of you, even though I am afraid for you. If you truly believe this is what you must do, then I will not stop you. I will take care of Amara while you are gone, and I will pray every moment that God will protect you and bring you back home safely."

With my mother's blessing, I felt stronger and more certain about my decision. I went back to my house and started making preparations for my journey to the city. I had very little money saved, just a small amount I had been keeping hidden in a tin under my bed for emergencies. I counted the money carefully and realized it was just enough to pay for the bus fare to the city and maybe buy a little food while I was there.

I went to tell Mama Njeri that I would not be able to work for her for a few days because I had to travel. She was not happy about this because she needed her farm work done, but she did not ask me too many questions. Then I went to Amara's school and spoke to her teacher, explaining that my mother would be bringing Amara to school and picking her up for the next few days.

That evening, I sat Amara down and tried to explain to her in simple words that I had to go away for a little while. I did not tell her the real reason because I did not want her to worry. I just told her that I had to go to the city to help someone who was sick, and that her grandmother would take care of her until I came back.

Amara looked at me with her big innocent eyes and asked, "Mama, will you come back? You will not go away forever like Papa did, right?"

My heart broke when she asked me this question. I pulled her onto my lap and held her close, breathing in the sweet smell of her hair, feeling her small warm body against mine.

"I will come back, my precious daughter," I promised her, praying to God that I would be able to keep this promise. "Mama will always come back to you. I love you more than anything in this whole world