Save a life, feel alive 2
851 Words
He didn’t remember how they got to the hospital.
Couldn’t recall how fast he had driven or what the journey even felt like.
They were here now.
That was all that mattered.
He found himself pacing the hospital hallway.
It had been hours since the doctors had taken the young man into the theater for surgery. Not a single update had come, but still, he waited. Why? He had no idea.
He kept pacing.
Running his hands along the cold, white walls.
He wanted to call someone.
He couldn’t leave the boy alone.
The thought of the young man having no one there for him made his heart ache a little. There had to be someone he could call… anyone.
Suddenly, a thought struck him—and he sprinted toward the exit.
He hopped on his bike, and within minutes, he was back at the scene of the accident.
It looked different now.
The sun was up, beaming harshly as it always did.
The road was busier.
The upside-down car was now an unrecognizable, charred wreck.
Police officers and a few sharply dressed men stood scattered around the area.
Passersby paused to gawk, then carried on with their lives.
He was a man on a mission.
He hesitated to stop but forced himself to.
He needed to find something—maybe a phone, an ID card, an emergency contact. Anything.
Maybe those men in suits were his family. They looked like the kind of people who had Ferraris lying around in their 12-car garages.
He just hoped no one would accuse him of foul play.
He approached the nearest police officer and gave a small salute.
“Yes? How may I help you, Mr. Man? Can’t you see the caution tape?” the officer asked, his voice stern.
On a regular day, he might have clapped back, but not today.
Today, he would humble himself—for the boy’s sake.
“Good morning, officer. Abeg no vex. This morning, as I dey go start work, na so I see this car wey get accident. I wan pass, but my spirit say make I check am. When I check, I see person inside. Na so I carry am comot. E no even reach one minute before the motor just blow like say—”
The officer’s eyes widened.
“Ehn?! Mr. Man, are you sure of what you’re telling me?” he interrupted, trying to maintain his composure.
“Ah, officer, I go lie for you? No be joke o. I carry the boy go General Hospital sef,” he said quickly.
“That’s enough. Come with me,” the officer said, cutting him off again and turning on his heel toward the group of sharply dressed people.
He paused for a moment, thinking maybe it was too late to run.
But no—he was a man. And he would act like one.
As they got closer, it became clear these weren’t just well-dressed people—they were worried well-dressed people.
Among them, a woman stood out. Grief and anxiety draped over her graceful frame. She had to be the mother.
He felt slightly relieved. He had found the family.
Most of them were on their phones—either making frantic calls or furiously tapping their screens.
The officer stopped in front of a tall, intimidating man. He looked just over forty, though he might have been older. The man was on the phone. He caught the end of his conversation:
“…and if you receive any news, be sure to let me know immediately. Keep calling. Bye.”
The man ended the call and turned to them.
“Any news?”
“Yes, sir. I believe this man here might have some information about the whereabouts of your son,” the officer replied, stepping aside.
“You found my son?” the man asked, skipping all pleasantries.
“Yes, sir. I believe I did. I left him at the hospital, where they were performing surgery. I came back to find some form of identification—maybe someone to contact.”
By now, the small crowd had gathered to listen in.
“Take me to him,” the man said without hesitation.
It was another command—but he didn’t mind.
He knew what it felt like to almost lose a child.
He wouldn’t wish that on his worst enemy.
“I’ll ride my bike. You can follow behind.”
---
The boy lived.
He was reunited with his family.
And the man? He smiled.
He had been relieved of this heavy cup.
He’d go back to work now—he had lost a lot of time, and even more money.
But he didn’t care.
Today wasn’t like every other day.
Today wasn’t one of those days he felt like a robot, moving from one point to the next,
smiling with colleagues,
answering “How madam dey?” with “She dey o, she dey house,”
pretending he wasn’t dying inside.
No—today was different.
Today, he saved a life.
And by the grace of God…
He felt alive.
- Writer
