Scars (Romola 2)

76: Lying Jide

"So, where's my sister and my mother?" Romola asked.

The nurse placed a hand on her shoulder. "Just rest."

"I can't. We need to get more money." The nurse was still unable to draw blood but had asked her to find something to eat.

"Listen." The nurse tossed the empty test tubes into a small cartoon as she walked towards the door. "You can go back to the waiting room. I'll come back to you in a while. It would be better if the rest of the donors are available then."

The nurse left the room. Romola rose. Her vision blurred slightly but then cleared as she walked towards the door. She took one step at a time, trying to manage the lethargic feelings in her limbs.

She was going to the waiting room. Not to rest. The receptionist would be able to tell her where her sister lay. She took the steps one at a time until she arrived at the reception floor. The male nurse that had answered her the first time stood by the desk and watched her advance.

"Do you have more money?"

"Not yet." She shook her head. A dull pain pounded in her chest. "But I'll donate some blood."

"Blood donation from you will not be enough. You need to find another person."

"I don't have another person." There would be no way to call another person. And there was no way to guarantee that anybody she called would be a good donor for her sister. "Where's my mother? Let me talk to her."

The nurse pointed down the hallway to the door post where a red label marked 'Emergency Ward', "Third room on your right. You need to hurry. Your sister doesn't have much time."

Romola walked down the hallway as fast as she could. She had reached the end of everything she had. Except her blood. If it was blood Sunbo needed, she had more than enough of it. But they needed money. Money to screen the blood. Money to transfer the blood. And money to continue Sunbo's treatment. None of those things were free.

She'd almost reached the door when Jide burst out of the room with an agitated step, looking past her as he took fast wide -spaced steps.

"Jide."

He paused and turned to her, wide and red eyed. "Romola? You dinnor pick your calls?"

She waved his answer off, even as she clutched his arm and rested against it.

Breathless, she said, "How... How is Sunbo?"

"Sunbo?" Jide's eyes dropped to the floor.

Romola detached her arm from him. There was something about the way he stood alert. About the tense set of his jaw.

"Where is she?"

"She who?"

"Stop this." His deflection raised her suspicion. "Where is Sunbo?"

"They took her."

"Took her where?"

His chest rose but he did not say a word.

She shook his arm. "Took her where, Jide?"

"To another room." He shook her hand off his body. "Where you been dey?"

"I went to find money. Someone stole my phone. How is Sunbo doing?"

"Romola—"

"Wait listen to me. We need to go to mummy and ask her who she can borrow money from. Borrow from Iya Nelson too and all of your friends. I will find a way to pay back after Sunbo gets better."

Jide shook his head. "Don't worry."

A snide look crossed her face. "What do you mean don't worry? Sunbo is going to die if we don't find more money for screening or if we don't buy blood."

"We don't need the blood anymore." Jide's eyes glistened with tears.

"What are you saying?" She knew. She knew even before he answered.

"She's dead. They took her to the mortuary."

The depths of her lungs was not enough to carry the power of her screams so her voice broke mid-sentence and blended into a harsh whisper. "No. No. No..."

"Romola, just calm down." Jide tried to hold her.

"No." She took a step away. "No. You're lying Jide."

The sound of blood rushing in her head, overpowered the sound

Of his words but she picked up a few words. "blood... bleeding... Maami... doctor said..."

"You're a liar, Jide. You always lie." She screamed.

The edges of her vision darkened and the darkness spread until all she could hear was the blood pumping in her head and all she saw was a vast land of darkness.

She felt the world move beneath her feet as Jide screamed in panic. "Romola."

That was the last thing she heard.