Sister Deborah

EPISODE 15: WHAT TRUTH?

All of a sudden, the ward’s door opened and an elderly man dressed in a native attire called ‘agbada’ rushed inside, accompanied by an elderly lady behind him. The doctor and some nurses followed suit.

Both elderly folks rushed to the bed, afraid.

“Doctor, what happened to my daughter?” The man’s baritone voice boomed.

“Please, calm down, sir.” The doctor said to him, and when she noticed that he’d relaxed a bit, she said, “Sir, your daughter here was involved in a tragic rape incident this evening. She was brought here by her colleagues, but by the time they arrived she’d lost so much blood, so a blood transfusion had to be done. Luckily for her, this young man here volunteered.” The doctor explained, pointing at me.

The elderly man turned to face me and looked at me for a while, with tears welling up in his eyes.

“Thank you very much, my son.”

“It’s my pleasure, sir.”

“May God bless you abundantly.” He prayed, with joy and sadness laced in his voice. “Whoever did something as evil as this to my daughter, it shall never be well with them. It shall never work well for them. I curse whosoever it is with the pains of a father, that their life shall know no peace, and they shall be miserable all their days on earth!”

“Amen!” Divine and the elderly woman chorused.

“Sir, please take it easy,” the doctor tried comforting him. “I’m sure she will be fine.”

Deborah’s father nodded, acting civil, while the doctor turned to the elderly lady beside him.

“Are you her mother, ma?”

“I am her step-mother.” The lady replied.

“In that case, sir and ma, I would like to have a word with the both of you in my office.” She announced. “Including you two,” she pointed at me and Divine.

Instantly, we all followed the doctor as she led the way to her office. On getting there, we were offered seats, but Divine and I insisted on standing, while Deborah’s parents took their seats.

The doctor commenced with, “I have good news and bad news.”

“What is the good news, doctor?” Deborah’s father asked anxiously.

“The good news is that your daughter is responding well to treatment.”

“And the bad news?” Deborah’s step-mother inquired.

“The bad news is; she is in a serious state of coma as we speak, and…” The doctor paused.

“And what, doctor?”

“And there is a huge possibility that she might not be able to walk . . . temporarily.”

“Jesus!!!” Deborah’s step-mother exclaimed out of shock.

“What do you mean, doctor?” Deborah’s father asked, fuming.

“What I mean is, according to the results of our tests, it appears that whoever was involved in your daughter’s predicament had handled her brutally. She appears to have been hit by a vehicle, probably a car or something else that fractured her bones in the process. She would heal with time, hopefully, but I cannot guarantee that she’d walk properly for a while.” The doctor concluded her explanation.

To say we were more than shocked was a complete understatement. I, in particular, could not believe my ears. I was left speechless. Deborah’s father broke down in tears, and the doctor and his wife consoled him.

After a while, we returned to the ward. The doctor prescribed some drugs for me and urged me to take them when I’d gotten home, but I insisted on staying. I couldn’t leave Deborah in that condition.

“My son, you have done more than enough today. I appreciate your good deeds and your concern over my daughter but you need to rest. Remember you donated blood, so you need adequate rest. Please, on my behalf, do return home.” Deborah’s father pleaded with me. I hesitated to leave, but he urged me more. I ended up with no choice but to budge to his demand.

Deborah’s father’s driver drove Divine and I back to our hostels. When I returned home and narrated the whole ordeal to my roommates, they all sympathised with me and encouraged me, which was exactly what I needed tonight. I managed to have my meal coupled with the drugs the doctor had prescribed for me, and just as I intended to go to bed, a message popped in on my phone from an unknown number.

With curiosity, I clicked on the WhatsApp message which reads:

“If you think she is innocent, ask her where she went to tonight when she recovers. I know she told u she went to church, right? Well, look at these pictures and play this video, and you will find out the truth.”