The Yoruba major Fulani bride

The first time I saw I saw major Tunde Balogun he was cover in blood Not the dramatic kind of blood I have seen in movies, where a wounded man somehow remain handsome while the blood conveniently stayed on his clothes This was real blood, it has sock through the side of this military uniform and spread across the hospital sheet beneath him.A dark stain cover the left side of this shirt, while another streak run down toward his wrist There were four soldiers around his bed Two stood near the entrance One was speaking quietly with a doctor The fourth one stood beside him looking more frightened than the wounded man himself And the wounded man was sitting upright,angry “ I said I am fine His voice was deep enough to silence the entire treatment room I pause beside the nurse station and look toward’s him A soldier who is bleeding heavily,refusing treatment and still managing to sound like he was giving orders I sighed , of course a military officer I have worked in the military hospital long enough to know that some soldiers believe admitting pain was a form of weakness I pick up his file and work toward him Major tunde balogun His eyes immediately move towards me For a moment either of us spoke He was taller dan I had expected,even sitting down there,there was sitting down there was something commanding about him,his shoulders were broad,his posture straight despite his injuries, and his face was hard in the way someone who had learnt not to reveal too much His uniform was torn around the wound,his booth were still on, there was dirt on one sleeve ,and a small cut above his right eye brow He looks like he has work straight out of a battlefield and into the hospital without bothering to stop and think About what has happened to him Yes he answered; I looked at the file Age Thirty four Blood group O positive Allergies None that I have known of Any medical conditions No Medication? No Pain level I said I am fine I look up from the file, that wasn’t my question His eyes narrowed The pain is bearable, I can manage it That wasn’t my question One of the soldiers lower his head ,I suspect he was trying not to laugh The major notice Corporal” he answered yes sir Is something funny No sir Good I looked at the solider then back to the major Are you always this difficult His eyebrows lifted The room became slience I realized perhaps a second too late, that I ask a senior military officer if he was difficult but I wasn’t going to take it back He studied my face and unexpectedly the Corner of his mouth lift what’s your name “ Layla” Layla what Layla is enough That’s not a complete name It’s enough for your medical record Something flicker in his eyes Amusement Are u always this stubborn Only when my patients refuse to corporate He look at his blood stained uniform ,then back at me and said I am cooperating U have been sitting down on the hospital bed refusing to lie down while bleeding through your uniform I have been through worse That does mean this isn’t serious His expression change the amusement disappear I know was the short answer he gave me For the first time I noticed the exhaustion behind his eyes it was easy to miss because he was doing everything possible to hide it I glanced through the door has the wound been assessed Preliminary assessment the doctor relied we need images and further examination I nodded then I turn back to the major, I am going to clean the wound and prepare u for further assessment No I stare at him No? I need to leave I almost laugh U were brought here with a gun shot I know And u want to leave I have men outside This is not a medical reason to leave His jaw tighten I have responsibilities So does your body His eyes met mine and for some reasons either of us look away I wasn’t sure what I saw in his expression annoyance,curiosity and maybe both then he looked away first Fine I put on my gloves lie down and he did but reluctantly I moved closer and began examining the wound the smell of antiseptic filled the room he flicked slightly when I touched the wounded area u said u are fine I remain him I am he replied U just flick I didn’t U did No I look at him u are a very difficult patient And u talk too much I smile good atleast u can still complain for the first time he smiled properly it was brief, barely there but it change his entire face I look away quickly I didn’t know y maybe because smiling made him look younger less like the intimidating major everyone seems afraid of more like an ordinary man and ordinary men were much easy to understand at least I thought they were I have been working in this hospital now for a year, I came from sokoto from a family that valves modesty traditions My father has raised cows most of his life he wasn’t a wealthy man but he was highly respected in our community he believes a woman strength was in her character,her patience and the way she carried herself while my mom believes in something slightly different she believes women should know when to speak and when to work away between both of them I had become the woman I am quite when I am needed to be stubborn when necessary and very uncomfortable around arrogant men which made major tunde an very unfortunate patient while I clean around the wounded area he suddenly ask Where are u from I looked at him and ask why He said u don’t sound like u are from kaduna I am not Where Sokoto He nodded slowly Fulani” I raised an eyebrow u could tell He almost smile and said the Name My name don’t belong only to Fulani people True There was something about the way he said it that made me look at him again U are Yoruba? I am Ibadan He raised an eyebrow how did u know U have the accent He gave a quiet laugh So now u are analyzing accent I hear a lot of different languages here Do u speak Yoruba? No Hausa? Yes Fulfulde Yes He looked genuinely interested Teach me something he said Why Because u know something I don’t know of I stopped what I was doing u are a major am sure u know many things I don’t know of That wasn’t the answer I shook my head u don’t need fulfulde Maybe I do Why Maybe I have plans to impress a Fulani lady someday I stared at him,and he was smiling and I wasn’t Your wife might not like that The smile disappeared The smile that follows was immediate I hadn’t meant to say it but his wedding ring has caught the light when he moved his hand a simple gold band I had noticed it earlier I just hadn’t mentioned it He looked at the ring then at me my wife and I had been married for years But there was no affection in his voice either was there hatred just strange emptiness I nodded I see u sound disappointed Am not U are I don’t know u well enough to be disappointed He stare at me for a few seconds then he look away fair enough I continue working But something had changed the playful tension was gone now there is a wall between us.