'GBEGE' TROUBLE!

I stood at the reception looking hastily at the time and wondering why I hadn’t seen him yet. Atleast to say goodbye. Doctor has been so good to me and after the dream I had of him, I longed for him more and more. I tapped my foot impatiently and was startled by a voice behind me, turning sharply I stare at the person who addressed me.

“Aren’t you going home? Or do you want to live here?” The nurse asked.

“I dey sorry ma…na my dockitor I dey wait for so.”

“What doctor?” The nurse asks.

“Dr. Gerald…” I reply.

“Why are you waiting for him? You have been cleared so, go home.”

“I must to see am before I comot.” I say stubbornly.

“And why is that? do you have an appointment?”

“I no need aplointimen to see my dockitor.”

“Your doctor? What’s that supposed to mean? Dr, Gerald has no personal patients.”

“Na me be him persina pantient.” I reply.

“Go home and stop crowding the waiting area.”

“You no fit tell me wetin I go do, na my dockitor I dey wait so and if you don talk finish, abeg carry yansh pass dat door.”

“Do you have a crush on him?” The nurse asks in surprise.

“I never crush am before.” I reply.

“Do you like him?”

“I wan marry am.” I reply boldly.

The nurse stares at me in disbelief and laughs out loud, I ignore her and fold my hands still waiting patiently.

“Wait a minute…are you not the one that woke up everyone from their sleep with your dream some weeks back? Wait…I can’t believe it….do you mean the doki you were calling in your sleep is Dr. Gerald? Oh my God…wonders shall never cease.”

“Madam nurse…I never give you word ooo, why you dey laugh for me na?” I ask, building up in anger.

The nurse continues laughing till tears fall down her cheeks.

“Abeg ooo…you patients will not kill me. You have been discharged for hours yet you sit and wait for a man that will never be yours.”

“Who talk am? Na you be God? You know wetin God don plan for pesin so?”

“My dear…take my advice, drop those fantasies of yours. Dr. Gerald has all the nurses on this block moaning after him…all of them are clean girls ooo with taste, education, class and quality, not people like you and yet, he doesn’t look our way.”

“Na una problem na…una no fine like me.”

The nurse grips her stomach and laughs loud, tears spill from her cheeks and fall to the ground, another nurse rushes to meet us.

“Can I join in? It’s obvious you’re having fun.” The nurse says.

“Nurse Lilian…” The nurse who I had been speaking with, spoke with laughter in her voice. “This girl won’t kill me, she is in love with Dr. Gerald.”

“What???” Nurse Lilian exclaimed and joined her fellow nurse in laughter.

“My dear, some people just don’t get it. Look at the rag of a girl who wants the Doctor for herself. Someone who, all of us put together never hooked. Can you imagine?”

“Hasn’t she been discharged? Isn’t it time she left the facility?” Nurse Lilan asked.

“Yes ooo, but she’s waiting for the love of her life.” The Nurse replied laughing.

They burst out laughing. I stood there, feigning nonchalance at their words when deep down it was eating me alive. What did they mean by all what they said? Wasn’t I beautiful enough? I turned to stare at the laughing nurses again and somehow, reality dawned on me, they were clean looking ladies, had lovely accents and they had many things I didn’t. The first nurse mentioned education, was it a criterion? Do I need an education to have doctor Gerald all to myself? What of taste? Am I to be tasted too? I really didn’t understand.

“Nurse Lilan let’s get back to work and leave the girl to her dreams, look at someone with no scruples, no taste or class…hmmm wonders shall never cease.”

The nurses left me at the entrance, laughing and snickering. I wasn’t about to give up, I didn’t come to Lagos to get intimidated. Minutes after they left, Dr.Gerald walks into the waiting area. I see him and run to him with joy written on my face.

“Dockitor.” I say.

“Hello Senorita, what a pleasant surprise!”

I smile sheepishly and bat my eyelashes.

“I heard you have been discharged, congratulations.” The doctor said.

I smile again and looked at him with sultry eyes. Dr.Gerald seemed confused, he stares at me again, smiles and says;

“Okay dear, I have to get to work.”

I stand rooted to the spot ‘what was I to say?’ My mouth couldn’t form the words but my heart could and as the nurses had said, ‘nothing moves this man’ I might as well as find my way out of this place. The doctor turns to walk away but was halted by Musa one of the messengers.

“Oga make I carry ya car go wash…” Musa offered.

“Oh…yes, thank you. Here are the keys, please make sure the tires are washed with plenty of water, the roads were too bad today.”

“Yes sir.” The driver said and dashes off.

The doctor waves at me and walk into the facility in easy strides, my legs remained glued to the ground. My mind told me to chase him but my feet didn’t budge. Quietly I walk out of the facility but stopped short when I saw Musa preparing to wash one of the cars. I knew it was his car because he had just given Musa the keys a few moments ago. Musa hastily ran with an empty bucket to the tap which stood some miles away. I walk to the car, touching the smooth panes of the powerful vehicle, I had just glided my palms to the back of the car when I realized that booth was open. Realization surged through me and I acted fast, hurriedly I pushed open the booth of the car and climbed into it, pulling the lid down though not slamming it shut but leaving enough air to enable me breathe.

Musa comes back moments later with the bucket of water and instead of washing the car, he cleans it. I hold my breath and pray that he doesn’t open the booth to find me lying in there. Ten minutes later he was done. It was as though my prayers weren’t going to be answered as Musa started opening the doors wide and banging them shut as though he was playing a game, his footsteps neared the booth area and I held my breath but a nurse shouts his name.

“Ma!” He answers and scrambles away, not after he had slammed the booth of the car shut, leaving me in complete darkness and with little air to survive.

“Shio…” I whisper into the darkness.

I think I fell asleep because I woke up when the engine purred to life, smiling inwardly, I felt the car pull away from its parked space and glide away. We really didn’t encounter traffic on the way and I was happy to be with my doctor atlast. The ride took too long and I knew that it was nearing evening. Even though I never knew the exact time we left, I knew we would have left at some hours after noon. ‘Why was the doctor driving too fast?’ I asked myself as my head spun in dizziness. My stomach growled and rumbled and I threw up in the booth of the car, promising myself that I’d wash it as soon as we get to his place. I feel sick and doze off again, waking up hours later when the car slowed down to a stop. I hear voices and smile as I try to stretch my already limp muscles in the booth.

Suddenly, cold air hits my face as the booth opens and the man who opens the booth shouts in shock.

“Who be dis? Wetin you dey do for hia?” The man asks.

I study the man before me who bore no resemblance to my doctor and speak weakly,

“Na dockitor I follow come.” I reply.

“Which dockitor…chei…dis gial wan land me for trouble. Na wia you for see my moto? Abi you be witch?” The man asks in fear.

“Nooo I no be witch oga, na wen Musa dey wash dockitor moto, me come use opportunity, enter am.”

“Dockitor? Abegi…no land me for wahala…comot for this moto kia kia.”

I come out from the car and stare into the darkness of the night.

“Na dockitor I dey find so.” I say.

“Gerrout of hia…dis no be any dokitor place. Na my madam mama I go carry from Lagos ooo, she been dey facility for two years, dis na de first time she dey return. Dem wan start party for inside and if dem know say you enter booth follow me reach house ehn…my own don finish.” The man exclaims.

“Wait ooo…which wan be say, you carry ya madam mama come from Lagos? No be Lagos be dis?” I ask.

“Which kain? Na Sagamu we dey so.” The man says.

“Oga talk true…na wia we dey again?” I repeat my question.

“You don deaf? I say na Sagamu we dey…”

“Senorita oooo….yeeeeeehhh!” I scream.

“Shurrup….oya comot for hia.” The man orders, pushing me away from the car.

“Wetin I do myself now…Lagos wey I struggle come so. For seven years I save money come Lagos, na so e no even reach one day, pesin carry me comot for promise land.” I cry, stamping my foot on the ground.

“Abeg…go outside. No be for hia you go regret ya waka. I no want make my madam see you.”

The man pushed me out to the gate, shoving me outside and into nowhere. I stood there, scared, tired and hungry, all because of my love for Dr. Gerald. I knew I had been stupid, Musa had a lot of cars to wash and I entered the wrong one ‘how was I going to get back to Lagos?’ I asked myself.

The night was cold and unwelcoming, I looked up to see a signboard which read: ‘This way to Lagos’ and a surge of pure hope filled my heart, little did I know that not all places called Lagos were really Lagos. Sighing in resignation, I prepared my mind mentally for the walk back to the city of Gold, murmuring under my breath;

“Lagos na me get am…I no fit to leave am lie lie.”