Tales of A Single Mum

Episode Seven

...I was getting ready for the first work day of the new year when there was a knock on the door. It was a nanny from my son’s day care. She was carrying my son one-year-old son who looked very pale.

“Good morning ma. Andre has a fever ma.” She said handing him to me. I touched his brow and he was burning hot.

“I just dropped him off thirty minutes ago and he was fine” I said instantly worried. “What of my daughter? Is she okay?”

“She dey for class ma. Make I go check am?” the lady asked.

I accepted her offer to help check on my daughter and she left only to return ten minutes later.

“Mummy Zion, I don bring am come o. she dey vomit for class.” I opened the door, and there was the minder with my daughter, her uniform covered in vomit. I couldn’t believe it was happening all at once. Zion’s forehead was burning up. I thanked the minder and dropped Andre on the bed so that I could take off Zion’s uniform. I laid her down next to her brother and gave them both a wash cloth bath.

While my mind was racing, I knew I had to get them to the hospital immediately but I didn’t have any money. I had watched my mom who was a chief matron at a hospital in Enugu, bring down a fever a thousand times as a first aid measure before taking a patient to the hospital so I knew what to do in the interim. I filled a bowl with water and dipped a wash cloth in it and touch my son’s body, just as I started, I heard another knock.

“Mags what is wrong with the children? Please open the door.” It was my aunty Nwando.

‘’I don’t know aunty. One of the nannies from the school brought them home and they are both burning up. Zion is vomiting as well. Aunty, I don’t have any money. I haven’t been paid at the office. What am I going to do?”

“It’s okay don’t cry, let me see what I can do, I will be right back.”

Aunty Nwando left me for about an hour that seemed like eternity and then she was back in my room.

“I could only raise three thousand naira from the school just take it and run to the clinic. I will give you directions. They will be well don’t worry. I would have followed you but I have a meeting with the teachers this afternoon.”

She helped me dress up the kids and put us on a motorcycle heading to the clinic. The health centre was packed with sick people. I found a vacant seat in the reception area and waited patiently for our turn. My belly churned and I remembered I hadn’t had anything to eat refused to spend a dime of the money in my purse for fear that it would fall short.

About an hour later, a nurse called my name and I went over to meet her. She was scribbling on a notebook.

“Have the children eaten today?” she asked without looking up at me.

“Good afternoon, yes, they have. But my daughter threw up a number of times this morning.”

“My guess is typhoid. If I’m right, they’ll be staying at the hospital on admission.’’

“Typhoid?” I repeated alarmed.

“yes so many people have it now” She answered. “Please wait in the reception area.” I got up to go back to my seat.

‘’ First you have to buy a family card for one thousand five hundred naira. The tests for typhoid and malaria cost one thousand naira each.” She said looking up for the first time. I stared at the purse in my hand. The money my aunt had managed to scrape together would not suffice. It couldn’t pay for all the tests and the card let alone the cost of admission if it came to that. I felt totally defeated. I stared at my sick children and fought back tears. I knew I would have to go home with the kids as they were to source for more money.

‘’ Why are you crying mummy? Zion asked wiping my face with her very hot right hand.

“Nothing princess.”

“I’m hungry can I have biscuits?”

“Okay Come on let’s get you home”

As I walked out of the hospital gate with my son on my back and holding my daughter’s hand, I could hear the nurse calling after me but I didn’t turn back, I just kept on walking until I found a motorcycle. As I got into my house, I froze as I noticed a candle had been lit in my room. I heard aunty Nwando’s voice and I was instantly relieved because I knew she was the only other person with a key to my apartment. My aunt was talking to someone whom I couldn’t see from a distance but then as I got closer to the door, I heard her voice and my heart beat raced as I ran the last few steps to my house crying and screaming her name.

“MUUUUUMMY!” I pushed open my front door and leapt into my mother’s arms. My mother held me and began to cry as well, smiling amidst her tears.

“See my baby” she said. Wiping away my tears. Aunty Nwando laughed.

“Big baby with her own babies. It’s okay, I’m here now. There they are! “She said enveloping the kids in a big grandma sized hug.

“Andre, Zion, Grandma is here. Don’t worry Nwando has told me everything. I will get your tests done to know what’s, wrong then I’ll treat you and nurse you back to health.” She kissed both of them on their foreheads.

“I have bread, bananas oranges and dried fish.”

“Mummy what of your job at the hospital? How about daddy who will take care of him.”

My mom laughed softly.

“They need me at the hospital but my child needs me more right now, as for your daddy he will still be sitting in his favourite chair eating his groundnuts and drinking coffee even if I’m gone for a year. I have found one small house boy to stay with him”

Tears filled my eyes again. My mom had quit her job and moved just to be with me. I could not imagine a more selfless sacrifice.

“Mummy you don’t know how much this means to me.”

“A mother’s work is never done. Biko now that I’m here we will buy a small generator and television so that I can be watching my wrestling and Nollywood films.

“Yes mummy” I said laughing, my relief was almost palpable as I hunted through my mom’s things for some tasty dried fish.

Namaste!