OPEN HEART SURGERY

IN SICKNESS AND IN LOVE

He looked at her without admiration, with the emotionlessness of a hot water bottle, making her feel like Lucifer's step sister, and as guilty as sin itself. Nicole should have never talked about his son like that. The ladies had wondered how much of the gossip The General had heard.

Gen. Ikenna only visited on rare occasions, Aunt Rose had no reason to complain because she seldom visited him, but the relationship between the families remained almost perfect, thanks to Zak and Dara who made that possible.

They talked for a few more minutes and Nicole could perceive that The General did not like her. She felt like he just showed up to let her know that.

“I'm sure you're aware of the unrest in town and the security situation outside our walls." The General said. "I came to let you know that the soldiers have been given a new and more unfriendly order."

Aunt Rose lifted the empty saucer before the General. "I hope that doesn't include shooting us on sight?"

“It includes cooperating with the soldiers at all the check point and at all times." The General replied.

“Will they search our bags and belongings?" Nicole asked.

“Dara should be able to explain to you how the security structure works around here." The General said, in a tone and manner that told Nicole she was not worthy to talk to him directly. But what could have changed all of a sudden? He had always been very nice to her the times they had met at his home. What did she do wrong? Could it be what she said about his son? But she had only asked a question and Dara had bad mouthed his son, yet he was still talking and laughing with her.

The General stood up to leave. "What happened to your eyes?”

"I caught an elbow playing basketball." She lied.

The General's smile spoke for itself. He was a walking lie detector. "You should be more careful. I don't believe there're still many men out their wishing to marry a pretty blind woman."

Nicole wanted to disagree with him, she wanted to tell him that love was about feelings and not looks. 'Eyes or not, love would still love'. But she had to save her love quotes and all she thought she knew about the subject for someone who was ready for her lectures. The man certainly wasn't Dara or Tasha, not even Zak and he was not even talking to her, neither did he want her talking to him.

Weeks after The General's visit, Nicole had gone to work, since they had been grouped into teams, each team was allowed to schedule how and when they'd work. This was good news for Nicole because she only had to go to work thrice a week and Mrs. Sambo was also a member of her team.

Nicole had developed a fever that morning and did not really do much, and Mrs. Sambo had hurried to wrap up for the day, so she could drive her home.

Nicole opened the recent call list on her phone, mindlessly, she touched the name 'Zak', and before she could scream at herself, the line had connected. "Please don't pick up... don't…pick..." She muttered under her breath.

“Hello beautiful!" The voice at the other end of the line said.

“Sorry to bother you, the call was a mistake, I intended to call Dara." Nicole said. "So how is work?" she continued, trying to sound as casual and as fine as possible.

Zak was a caring man as well as a fine doctor, from her voice he could tell she wasn't fine, something was bothering her. "Are you okay? Where exactly are you?”

She was surprised at how quickly his tone changed from excited, to serious. "I'm fine, and I'm at work.”

“Wait right there, I'm coming over." Zak had cut the line and the Lincoln had driven out the gates of Graceland Specialist Hospital before Nicole could ask him what he was coming for. She knew why he was coming but he didn't have to, Mrs. Sambo would be done in less than twenty minutes, and it's not as if she was bleeding from her eyes, it was only a mild fever.

It took Zak sixteen minutes to get to the campus and to the faculty of humanities. Nicole had introduced Mrs. Sambo to Zak and Zak to her, as neutrally possible as she could. "I had offered to take her to the sick bay but she refused." Mr. Sambo said, as they walked to the car park at Nicole's pace. "I hear you are General Ikenna's son." Mrs. Sambo continued, displaying her gold tooth with pride.

“I heard that too." Zak humored.

Mrs. Sambo laughed. "You are as interesting as your father, he's a very good man and you look, sound, and act like his son.”

“Thank you very much ma'am." Zak said, as he systematically halted by the Lincoln. "I'm sorry to disrupt your arrangement but please may I go with the lady?”

“What does a teacher know about a fever?" Mrs. Sambo said, c*****g an amused eye brow at Nicole. “Lady please, you may go with the doctor." Her laughter was loud and unapologetic. Zak laughed quietly as well but Nicole just wanted to get home, she was already dreaming of her bed but temperamentally the woman was a sanguine or a talkative melancholy. "Did you know Nicole is the youngest representative and participant in this project of ours?”

Zak was surprised to learn that. "I had no idea." He said with a grin and a sense of pride.

“Nicole darling, be fine, okay?" Mrs. Sambo said.

Nicole let go a weak smile. "Thanks ma'am, I will." She was glad the woman was finally going to her car, at least Zak would drive her home and the dream of Nicole and her bed would come true.

Mrs. Sambo stopped and turned back to Zak, "She's very fond of you Zak, please, do take care of her." She said, and walked away cheerfully.

At that instance, Nicole just wanted the ground to open up and swallow her if it would be the only way she could be snatched away from the embarrassment. Why do women talk so much? The voice in her head screamed. High school girls? I can understand. College girls? I can tolerate. Women old enough to be my mother? I just don't get it! Why did she have to tell him that? The voice in her head continued to ask and answer and asked again. Why did she have to betray me? Was that really betrayal? Whatever it was, Nicole just wanted to disappear, disintegrate, dissolve or simple get home and just be alone.

Zak held the front door open with a blank look on his face that could possibly mean a lot of things. She shot a glance at him and stepped into the car. They said nothing to each other until he had driven out of the campus. Nicole pushed her head backwards and closed her eyes, thinking about the coincidental 'Nicole, please let me be your heart surgeon' card, and the human version in whose car she was riding back home. "Do you believe in destiny Zak?" She was asking him the kind of question that comes from nowhere as she waited for an answer. Realizing he might not have understood the question, she opened her eyes and tried to explain. "Do you believe that two people could be destined to be together?" She asked, closing her eyes again.

Zak gently touched her neck with the back of his palm. Her eyes shot open, and he smiled. "You're sick, you need rest." He told her. She let go a quiet and tired laugh, and a slight sharp pain shot to her head. Closing her eyes again, she returned to her comfortable position.

They were in the heart of the town, held by traffic light, "Pure water!" Zak called out, and two boys with crates of bottled water on their head ran to the Lincoln but the faster one was patronized as Zak took a bottle and gave the boy a two hundred Naira note.

Nicole smiled as she recalled how surprised she was when she first got into town on her arrival into Nigeria. People hawked almost everything which included fruits, beverages, toiletries, board games and even wall mirrors especially at traffic light areas, traffic jams and unmaintained roads or anywhere else cars would be forced to drive slowly or stop for a while.

The boy fidgeted with his purse, he had to give Zak his balance before the light which had turned amber would turn green without notifying him, and immediately, it did. Zak took it from the boy and responded to the light. He broke the seal, "here you go." And he gave Nicole the bottle.

From a small kit on the back seat he also handed her some pills. "Take this. You're going to feel better soon." Zak said, and she did as was instructed.

“Thanks." She said.

“I believe we're masters of our destiny. Two people can be together, if they really want to." Zak answered her question in the manner at which she had asked it.

Nicole gazed at him in amazement. She had thought he had pushed the question away. "Are you trying to say that if two people really want to be together, they just hold and swing hands as they walk to destiny?"

“Swinging hands or not, as far as they're going in the same direction and they're happy about it, I believe they're going towards destiny. That's just my opinion”

“Don't you think external factors can influence what two people want?”

“If they don't try, they'll never get to know, what's influencing what." Zak said, turning to her. Nicole avoided his eyes by closing hers since it shut out the lights and lessened the pain in her head. She reclined with a look and attitude that meant 'no further questions'.

Zak was almost at Top View Villa when he decided to ask, "What are the things you want Nicole?" but he got no answer. This was the third time she had slept in his car, the Lincoln was as comfortable as a bed room but he was not sure if it was the Lincoln or the pills, all he could see was how beautiful and sinless she looked, sleeping like a baby angel. He was in love with Nicole and he knew it was no joke because he felt the loving seriousness. But he was not exactly sure how it worked and if it would.

He drove through the West gate and slowed at the check point. The tall and pretty soldier in a camouflage uniform that walked to his car window also had dark shades on. He wound down, as she took off her shades, his eyes met hers. "Good afternoon Sergeant Diana." Zak said.

The pretty soldier looked into the car, "I hope you're not carrying any kind of contraband, Dr. Zak?" Her eyes flashed at Nicole.

“It depends on what you're searching for. So why don't you tell me, I'm I?”

The pretty soldier smiled mischievously. "It depends on what you're carrying Zak. I intend to find out and when I do, I'll let you know if she's contraband or not." She said, and snapped her finger in the air. "Open up!”

The spikes which had raised themselves from the ground and opened their mouths against the tires of the Lincoln gradually flattened to the ground, taking the same color as it, and the rest of the road at the pretty soldiers command. "You're welcome to Top View Villa." She continued, intimidatingly.

“I live here Diana, you only work here, stop sounding like you're doing me a favor." Zak said, refusing to be intimidated by her.

“Why don't we finish up this debate somewhere else, later on tonight?" Diana whispered. Zak turned to look at Nicole, she was still sleeping, and she didn't hear that.

“I'll let you know if we can." Zak replied, and drove away from her. The car was soon on Ezimma Street and he did not need to pump the car horn before the gate slide open as he drove in and parked his car. He sat in silence for a while watching her sleep, he carefully brushed the hair off her face and wanted to kiss her, he had never seen anything so beautiful, so he decided not to wake her.

He lifted her out of the car, her eyes gently opened, she was awake and in his arms, she knew he was carrying her. Although she wanted him to, it would be morally right to protest but she didn't, and even if she wanted to, the pills wouldn't let her. She had slept off again only this time, in his arms.