Perspectives

27

Yobanna

My dad was back.

The air around the house had become tighter. The whole place tensed and somehow I didn't want to breathe the same air with him. I always made sure to lock myself up in my room.

I was in my room on one of such occasions, doing some assignments using my laptop when a call came in from Mattew

"Hello, am I speaking to Yobanna, Mr Mattews brother?"That definitely wasn't his voice

"Yeah" my ears perked up on hearing Mattew, it didn't seat right with me.

"His currently in the hospital right now, he was admitted an hour ago, I'm his neighbor"The feminine voice said over his phone.

I jumped up from my bed ready to ask questions but all I got was the name and address of the hospital.

My mum was downstairs, I informed her, at least this was her son, she deserves to know.

I didn't wait for her, I picked a car and drove madly to the hospital.

Mattew rarely fell ill. Heck Mattew never went to the hospital. I tried to steady my hands on the wheel, trying to keep my thoughts in check.

The hospital was around his neighborhood and within 50 minutes I was at the hospital vicinity,too tired and too worried to check out the environment. The most important person was Mattew,I had to see him.

"Good evening nurse,my name is Yobanna,a patient was admitted here two hours ago I think,by name Mattew,do you think I can see him?"

" Mattew Nnaemeka?"She asked and I shook my head in affirmation, surprised that he was yet to change his surname.

"I'm sorry,you'll have to meet the doctor first"She turned her eyes away from me someone else

"oh ,here he comes"

I turned my attention away from the nurse to the middle aged doctor,he looked half caste, with the curly hair that didn't look Nigerian and the amber eyes that didn't give anything away, definitely the least of my problems.

"Doctor what's wrong with him,how is he?" I asked. I hated the looks on their faces,this shit was fucking serious but he just stood there like he had seen worse cases than mine.

"Calm down Mr Yobanna. I guess Mr Mattew is your brother. He actually overdosed on drugs,tramdol in particular and my team and I have been trying to take out the excesses and at the same time keep him alive,his really in a bad shape but we are trying our best"He told me.

Drugs? I knew he smoked,drank a lot,he liked having too much girls around, what if he also had STD,mehn,I really shouldn't be thinking of that.

But drugs, what the hell was he thinking?

"Will he be fine?" I asked the doctor,I always thought i was calm,my emotions all in check but doctors were better at this,the casual looks and hands in pocket.

"Hopefully,it's 60-40 percent chance,it's actually a good one"He assured me and left me there.

My legs wobbled till I was outside,drugs? Mattew? Christ! His life was actually messed up.

And then my dad's familiar black limo that attracted attention drove in, seriously? A limo,my parents were a joke.

My dad stepped down first, wearing the look of a worried father and then my mum,she was genuinely worried I knew, from the way her shoulders were slumped and her footsteps.

She was the first to sight me,she walked up to me my dad trailing beside her.

"Have you met the doctor,how is he? What's wrong?" She asked all at once.