I just had to compose and calmed myself from that awkward moment, the feeling was hard but I had to be a man as he is also a man.
Vincent: Victor? Victor? Victor!
Me: Yea… yes?
Vincent: What’s up with you bro? What have you been thinking of that you couldn’t even hear your name?
Me: Nothing… just uhmmm… nothing really
Vincent: My father is here is see you, and where is Mirabel? He will need to see her too
Me: I dunno, she left here briefly and hasn’t come back yet. I think she’d be somewhere around
Vincent: Alright, let’s go look for her Frank; we’ll be right back
Me: Ok
That’s how they left me alone to face Mr. President… {O.M.O – On My Own}. I waited for almost 10 minutes before the door finally got opened by two high ranking army officers paving way for the President himself, His Vice and some other Government officials and some reporters as well.
There standing in front of me, the number one citizen of the Giant of Africa’s Nigeria.
Mr. President: Victor
Me: Good morning sir
Mr. President: How are you? **Offering me his hand**
Me: Fine sir **Shook hands with him**
Mr. President: I heard everything that happened, so I came personally to thank you for your support in rescuing my daughter.
Me: It’s nothing sir, just helped a good friend
Mr. President: How can you say it’s nothing when you took a bullet in the process? You did very well Victor; God bless you
Me: Thank you sir
Mr. President: Your Parents must be very proud of you. Are you a student?
Me: Yes sir
Mr. President: Where?
Me: The University of Abuja, final year
Mr. President: That’s good, what are you studying?
Me: Business Administration sir
Mr. President: Ok **Smiling** we’ll talk more when you get discharged from here; I had to visit you here for it wouldn’t be nice of me if I don’t visit the person that took a bullet in the process of rescuing my daughter
Me: Thank you sir
Mr. President: I heard she’s been here ever since
Me: Yes sir
Mr. President: Where is she? I haven’t seen her yet
Me: Sh…
Mirabel: I’m here Dad
**The President turned around and saw his Daughter. I felt relaxed too, because she came back**
After hugging her Father, she came and sat down beside me with her right hand around my shoulders. The position made me uncomfortable but I’m sure she knows what she’s doing. No doubt everyone present in the room will know something is going on. They talked for a while; the reporters asked the President some questions of which he replied back. They also asked me some questions of which I gave my best in answering them. I’ll be seen on national TV today, big boy. The President told Mirabel to bring me to the house when I’m well enough before he left with his entourage after they all shook hands with me. Mirabel escorted her Father out of the ward or so I thought because she didn’t come back. Both my Parents came in smiling few minutes after the President left.
Dad: The President shook hands with us when he heard that we’re your Parents. My son is great, I’m so proud of you
**Believe me when I say I’ve never in my life seen my Father this happy**
Momma: He even invited us to the Presidential villa
Dad: What’s really between you and that girl?
Me: She’s my girlfriend **No need to lie, I’m no longer a kid. I should be getting married in the next two to three years**
Dad: As in dating?
Me: Yes sir, we’re actually in a courtship
Dad: Without the knowledge of your mother and i?
Me: She knows
Dad: Who?
Momma: Me
Dad: What? When did you plan to tell me?
Me: I planned on bringing her home after we finish school
Dad: But that’s not what we agreed on
Momma: Daddy leave the young man alone, it’s enough that I already know about their relationship
Dad: This is the President’s daughter we’re talking about, what if something had happened; would you have handled it alone?
Momma: **Laughs** since when did you start losing your trust in me? You should know I’ll never put my children on harm’s way. Mirabel’s mother and I have been good friends since we both approved their relationship
Dad: Even the first lady knows? What about the President? Does he know about it too?
Momma: Not yet, but I’m sure he’ll soon know the way things are right now.
Dad: But how could Dorothy do this kind of thing? I thought she was a good girl
Momma: I still find it hard to believe. And she always asks of Victor when she was in Abuja and Victor in school. I spoke with her mother the day before yesterday and she was fragmented and broken.
*The Doctor and Nurse Norah walks in greeted my Parents and examine me. He brought down the drip and changed the bandage*
Doctor: You can give him something to eat; I will discharge him later in the evening
Momma: Thank you Doctor
Dad: Doctor thank you
**I noticed how Nurse Norah was staring at me**
The Doctor left the room while the Nurse followed after she winked at me.
Momma asked what I’d like to eat, I told her to get me any snack and drink. My Dad was talking to me but I wasn’t paying attention. I needed to speak with Mirabel before I leave the clinic. She’s definitely still mad at me even though she acted cool when her Dad was around.
I waited for Mirabel till in the afternoon to come but she didn’t show up.
*Vincent later walked in*
Me: Mirabel went home?
Vincent: No, she’s in Lola’s ward
Me: Ok she’s awake?
Vincent: Lola is dead
Me: Oh no!
*I was touched, I really felt it that I didn’t know when tears pour down my cheeks*
I knew Lola to be a strong girl, very strong and tough. I never pictured her dying, although she was hit straight to her chest; a dangerous point. She was strong enough to live up to three days after the hit before giving up. The news of her death really shocked me; she was truly a great friend. Her death pained me seriously; I just wished she could come back.
******
Vincent: She’ll be buried later in the day
Vincent: She’ll be buried later in the day
Me: What? Why?
Vincent: She was a Muslim
Me: Lola was a Muslim? How is that?
Vincent: Yea,,, her Father is a Muslim. He refused to allow his children to be converted to any religion. Lola doesn’t really like being a Muslim; I tried to convert her but her only fear was her Dad.
Me: I didn’t know all this
Vincent: My worry is if she confessed and accepted Jesus before she died
Me: That’s another thing
Vincent: I heard you’ll be discharged in the evening?
Me: Yea
Vincent: That means you’ll attend her burial?
Me: Yea but this is really not cool,,, it’s just too soon
Vincent: There’s nothing we can do about it bro
Me: Please take me to where they are
Vincent: Will they let you?
Me: Sure, why not? Besides I’m no longer on drip
Vincent: Alright
*I was already getting up before Nurse Norah walks in*
Norah: Where are you going to?
Me: To another ward where I just lost a friend
Norah: Ow… really sorry about that but you can’t go out yet
Me: Why not?
Norah: I’m here to give you your last injection before you get discharged
Me: Ok that’s not a problem, it won’t take time
Norah: I will advise you to remain in one position so it’ll function well in your body because it’s not just any injection; so… please
Vincent: Listen to her bro, she knows better. There’s still time
*I annoyingly lay back on the bed*
Vincent: I will be outside **Walks out**
Norah: **After injecting me** Sorry about your friend
Me: **Still feeling annoyed** Thanks
Norah: I know how it feels to lose a friend **She sat down on my bed** I also lost a friend. She was a very good friend of mine. She nicknamed me ‘Noriz’ back in our secondary school days. So believe me when I say I know how you feel right now **she held my hand and started caressing it** I’ll be here if you need someone to talk to.
Me: Thank you but I’ll like to be left alone to do some thinking
Norah: No no no… there’s no way I’m going to leave you like this; you need someone by your side dear **palming my left cheek**
Me: You don’t have to be worried about me; you should attend to your other patients
Norah: I’ve attended to all of them before coming here, I’m attending to you last today because you’re my favourite and my hero and I’m also using this opportunity to spend time with you since you’d be discharged today. Is there anything I can do to make you feel better?
Me: I just want to be alone
Norah: I’ve been through this, leaving you alone won’t do you any good trust me
Me: **Speechless**
Norah: I can make you feel better
Me: **Speechless**
**She slowly leaned forward to a kissing position**
Me: What are you doing?
Norah: Shhhh…. Relax **her lips almost touching mine**
*Not again!*
Me: Stop it! **with annoyance after a slight thought of Lola and Dorothy**
Norah: *Got shocked then adjusted her position**
**Door opens**
Vincent: What happened?
Norah: Just trying to console him about the demise of his friend but he seems to hate consolation **getting up**
Me: I need to be left alone
(They both left the room)
I didn’t know what to even think of, I just felt enraged. My mind wasn’t stable, different things kept scrolling past my mind. Lola’s death was like an evil imagination to me that I can’t believe. She’d be buried today, so I won’t see Lola again. She left when I started liking and understanding her. Just not ok!
I told the doctor to discharge earlier than the time he mentioned of which he did. I told my Parents to go home without me that I’d come home after the burial but they insisted on going there too. I got discharged and joined others at the cemetery where they were to bury Lola. So many people including students showed up on such a short notice. I felt absolute pity on both Cynthia and Mirabel. Even Nancy was very much affected because she really liked Lola from the first time she knew her. Lola was laid down into her grave without wasting time. Many people that knew her cried out that I didn’t know when tears rolled down my cheeks. Lola is gone!
**************
Later in the evening at my Family house that same day, we all sat down in the parlor looking dull but facing the TV. I sadly yet proudly watched myself on TV during the President’s visit; that was what stabled my mind because I focused on the TV that moment. I was like “how I wish I added this and that to my replies” that kind of feeling. We talked and laughed over it.
The President later spoke on Lola’s death; he said the killer will pay dearly.
I remained in the house for two more days before I returned back to school without communicating with Mirabel all through. I attended lectures the following day but Cynthia and Mirabel didn’t show up. I used Nancy’s phone to call Vincent and asked him about Mirabel, he said she and Cynthia went on a mourning trip to Ghana to mourn Lola. Which one is mourning trip again? And she didn’t even inform me about it. I visited my Lecturers one by one in their offices to present myself as I’m back. They all welcomed me with a handshake saying I shouldn’t worry about the lectures, tests and assignments I missed; then I vamoosed from school. By then my wound has healed up a lot. I bought a new Samsung galaxy phone and a new sim then I did a welcome back. My Parents called me that night saying they just came back from the Presidential villa. They happily and joyfully announced to me that the President is now aware of the relationship between Mirabel and I and he’s fine with it. They said the President suspected it when he visited the military clinic. My Dad also said that the President told him to come back in four days’ time to receive an official contract as an Auditor of NNPC; do you know what that means? Enough money flowing in abundance.
I was very happy, I will surely vote for him in the forthcoming genera[l elections that’s few months away same as my final semester exams in the University.
The following day was Dorothy’s trial in court; I couldn’t go there so i went to school and came back to see that judgement has been passed. She was charged with manslaughter, kidnapping and cultism. She was sentenced to be continued…..
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