I woke up with the pressure to pee, so I ran straight to the bathroom, after easing myself of the pressure, I stood Infront of the concave mirror in my bathroom, it felt like seeing myself for the first time in a long time. A lot of memories kept swooshing in and it was like my brain was a hard drive and files were being transferred.
I felt so disoriented that I fainted.
Dupe
Dupe paced Infront of Jumoke’s room door wondering if she should go in, she didn’t want to wake her but she was so curious to find out if Jumoke really could remember a thing from the previous day as she told her last night.
Hearing the bathroom door open and close, she decided to enter the room. As she entered, she saw the note on the bed stool.
She opened it and read it, she started crying.
She felt so much pain, seeing her friend in so much pain. Dupe suddenly hears a crash in the bathroom. She rushed to open the bathroom door to look into what caused the crash. She screamed as she found Jumoke laying on the floor. She obviously fainted.
She ran out for help knocking heavily on the apartment next door. Dare, the guy opened the door
“Please help my friend collapsed in the bathroom, I can’t lift her please hurry” Dupe pleaded amidst tears
The guy hurried followed Dupe back to help lift Jumoke from the bathroom floor.
Dupe hurriedly got water to wet my face with at the same time shaking me to wake up. Dupe was so afraid when the guy ran out of the apartment, was he about to abandon her? She was relieved when he returned with a black bottle, he opens it and placed it close to Jumoke’s nostrils. It had an awful smell. But it did the trick because
Jumoke opened her eyes ask and asked “what is going on?”
Dupe was flooded with relief and happiness that new tears started rolling over and she hugged Jumoke fiercely.
JUMOKE
“What going on, why am I all wet and why is our neighbour here?” I asked everywhere was so cold, I was wet and the Air Con was in full blast.
Dupe released me, “you know who is his,” she asked searching my face.
“Yes, it’s a dare, he lives in the next building,” I said as a matter of fact
“Wait you remember him,” she asked laughing and crying at the same time
“Yes, I do” I answered.
Dare told me to take care and also visit the hospital and left for his apartment.
“thanks” Dupe yelled in appreciation to Dare. Turning back to me “oh, my gosh you do remember”
Yes, I remember everything till the accident and well this last month, but not a thing more.
“Oh my God! Alice, Bayo, my dad” I started crying feeling so much pain knowing that I had caused a lot of pain for the ones I love.
“Jumoke, please don’t cry,” Dupe said wiping the tears from my face, while she was crying profusely
“We need to get to the hospital, I would call everyone on the way,” Dupe said getting up and leaving the room.
I stood up to dress, my heart was broken, I was in another form of pain, I would see remember the pain in Bayo’s face when I didn’t remember him yesterday and to think of Alice, the way I accused her of stealing. This is too much.
We were silent on our way to the hospital and as we arrived at LECC, Doctor Nike and Her consultant Doctor Tunde were waiting for us already. My dad had called in on the way. Doctor Nike and I became close over the years dealing with my mum when she had Reversible cerebral vasoconstriction syndrome (RCVS), which eventually took her life, and that was not because Doctor Nike didn’t do all she could. It was just my mum’s time, I guess.
“Hello Doctor Nike, how are you doing” I greeted
Taken by surprise “I-I-I’m fine” she responded. She turned to dupe with her quizzical brow lifting face.
“I don’t know too; she said she remembers somethings last night” dupe said and continued to fill her in on all that happened in the morning.
After absolving all that information. Doctor Nike turned to me
“First thing, let’s get you into a room and in a patient gown, then we do some test to get more information about what is going on.” She said leading me to a room, she motions a nurse to attend to me and left me in the care of the nurse. She and Doctor Tunde went into a discussion on what might be the prognosis of the situation. I could hardly understand what they were mumbling.
After several tests my dad, Alice and Bayo had arrived.
Seeing them I broke down into fresh sobs
“Bayo” was all I said and he came rushing to my side and hugging me, holding me so tight and I hugged him back, it felt like a long time,
“You remember me,” he said after a while
“Yes, I do,” I said wiping my tears on his shoulder.
I don’t think I have ever seen Bayo cry, but his tears made me cry again he released me and I turned to my dad. He looked older, much older than I remembered. My situation had aged him. He must have been in so much pain. Having lost my mom and a few years after he felt he had lost me. We couldn’t say anything we just cried together.
I raid my head from his shoulder and look at Alice who was already flowing with tears. I stretched my arm out and motioned her to come over and join the embrace.
A few minutes later Dr Nike came in
“Ok, so I have good news and slightly bad news, I would start with the good news.”
We were all afraid of what the bad news was
“Good news, it seems no significant brain abnormalities and everything looks normal, the bad news is we would like to keep you for a few days for observation and eliminating any possible reoccurrence,” she said
“So does that mean I am good,” I asked her impatiently
“Yes, so it seems, for now, I just want to be sure” I was so excited. I started to laugh and cry. Everyone started hugging each other in congratulation. It was a blissful day, we all chatted for the rest of the day and they were filling me in on the things I didn’t remember from the last ten months. After a while, my dad and the rest left, but Bayo volunteered to stay with me.
I am glad he did because we were able to rekindle our love. I love him so much even my brain was trying to make me remember who he was with does dreams, which were memories.
Three days went by and I was discharged with a clean bill of health. Everyone came to say farewell and see me home.
I got into my room and I saw the note, I wrote for myself. Picked it up and I read it.
It is marked the beginning of the rest of my graceful life.
Thanks to the amazing people surrounding me.
PS: JSA is now a global brand, Bayo and I have two amazing kids. Alice is a full-time partner now and so is Dupe our CFO. We spend Christmas with my dad in Nigeria.
We are all doing great.