The desperate billionaire

Chapter 6:The Questions That Made Me Doubt

I sat down on the chair the nurse had pointed to, placing my small bag carefully on my lap. My hands were shaking slightly, so I clasped them together to keep them still. The nurse pulled out some papers and a pen, and she began asking me questions.

"What is your full name?" she asked.

"Aisha Mwangi," I replied.

"How old are you?"

"I am twenty eight years old."

"Do you have any children?"

"Yes, I have one daughter. Her name is Amara and she is five years old."

The nurse wrote down everything I said, and then she asked me more questions. She asked about my health, whether I had ever been seriously sick, whether I had any diseases running in my family, whether I smoked or drank alcohol. I answered all her questions honestly, telling her that I was healthy and strong, that I had never smoked or drunk alcohol in my life, that I worked hard every day in the farms and carried heavy loads without getting tired easily.

Then she asked me the question I had been expecting but still dreading. "Why do you want to donate your kidney? Do you know Mr. Adrian Thompson personally?"

I shook my head. "No, I have never met him. I live in a small village very far from here. I heard about his condition on the radio, and something in my heart told me I should come and see if I could help."

The nurse stopped writing and looked at me carefully. "You do understand what kidney donation means, right? It is a serious surgery. There are risks involved. And you would be giving away a part of your body to someone you do not even know."

"I understand," I said, even though I was not completely sure I understood everything. "But if God gave me two kidneys and someone else needs one to live, then I should share what I have."

The nurse was quiet for a moment, just looking at me with an expression I could not read. Then she said, "I need you to wait here for a moment. I have to speak to the doctor."

She got up and walked away, leaving me sitting alone in the corridor. Other nurses and doctors walked past me, all looking busy and important, carrying files and charts, talking to each other in medical terms I did not understand. I felt very out of place, like I did not belong in this world of educated people and modern medicine.

After what felt like a very long time, the nurse came back with another woman. This second woman was older, maybe about fifty years, and she was wearing a white coat with a name tag that said "Dr. Sarah Chen, Nephrologist." She had kind eyes behind her glasses, but her face looked tired, like she had been working for many hours without rest.

"Hello, Aisha," Dr. Sarah said, sitting down in the chair next to me. "My name is Dr. Sarah Chen, and I am the doctor taking care of Mr. Thompson. I understand you want to be tested as a possible kidney donor."

"Yes, doctor," I said respectfully, feeling intimidated by her important title and professional manner.

Dr. Sarah looked at me thoughtfully, studying my face like she was trying to read something written there. "Aisha, I have to be honest with you. Many people have come here saying they want to donate a kidney to Mr. Thompson. Some of them want money, some of them want fame, some of them want to be in the newspapers. Mr. Thompson is a very wealthy man, and unfortunately, there are many people who try to take advantage of situations like this."

I felt my face grow hot with embarrassment and hurt. "I do not want his money," I said quietly but firmly. "I am not here to take advantage of anyone. I just want to help if I can."

"I believe you," Dr. Sarah said gently, and I could see in her eyes that she really did believe me. "But you need to understand something important. Even if you are tested and you turn out to be a match, Mr. Thompson might refuse your kidney. He is a very suspicious man who has been hurt and used by many people in his life. He trusts almost nobody, and he will probably think you have some hidden motive for wanting to help him."

Her words made me feel sad. What kind of life must this man have lived, I wondered, to become so suspicious of everyone, even someone who just wants to help him? In my village, when someone is sick, the whole community comes together to help. Nobody asks why or suspects bad motives. We help because that is what human beings are supposed to do for each other.

"I understand, doctor," I said. "But I have come all this way, traveling for eight hours on a bus, leaving my daughter behind. Can I at least be tested? Even if he refuses my kidney in the end, at least I will know that I tried."

Dr. Sarah smiled at me, and it was a warm genuine smile that made me feel less alone. "You are a brave woman, Aisha," she said. "And you have a good heart. Yes, we will test you. But I must warn you that the tests will take several days, and you will need to stay here in the city during that time. Do you have somewhere to stay? Do you have money for food and accommodation?"

I had not thought about this. In my rush to come to the city, I had not planned for how I would survive here for several days. I looked down at my bag, thinking about the little money I had left after paying for the bus and the matatu. It was not enough to pay for a hotel room or even a cheap lodging house.

"I do not have much money," I admitted, feeling ashamed. "But I will manage somehow. Maybe I can find some work to do, or maybe I can sleep at the bus station."

Dr. Sarah shook her head firmly. "No, you will not sleep at the bus station. That is not safe for a woman alone. Listen, there is a small room in the hospital that we use for relatives of patients who come from far away. It is not fancy, just a simple room with a bed, but it is clean and safe. You can stay there while you are being tested. And I will arrange for you to get meals from the hospital cafeteria."

Tears came to my eyes when she said this. I had expected everyone in the city to be cold and unfriendly, but this doctor was showing me kindness I did not deserve. "Thank you, doctor," I whispered, my voice breaking with emotion. "Thank you so much. May God bless you."

Dr. Sarah patted my hand gently. "Come with me," she said. "Let us get started with the tests. And Aisha, whatever happens with Mr. Thompson, I want you to know that what you are trying to do is something very special and very rare in this world."