In A World Alone E-Book

Silk Smith

• Herausgeber: COMMUNE WRITERS INT'L
• Kategorie: Gesellschafts- und Liebesromane
• Sprache: Englisch

Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2023

Beschreibung

It all begins with mama’s death; a sharp awaking that would become a rude realization to Chibuike. This event leads him to the very beginnings of his life as an apprentice with nothing but dreams of a better life. Not just for him, but for his mother who is accused of being a witch disseminating her entire family.

Serving the lascivious Oga CY who had now set his sights on the same girl that Chibuike also had his interest in; Beauty – the stage is definitely set. The showdown is real and for the first time in his young life, he comes face to face with the voracious evil of man. He will be beaten to an inch of his life.

Chibuike seemed doomed. Falling out of work, purpose and dream into depression at the same time the claimed love of his life, who seems to be the reason for the entire calamity befalling him, is beginning to realize her dreams. He is in a World alone.

Leseprobe

IN

A

WORLD

ALONE

-----BEGINNIGS-----

SILK SMITH

IN A WORLD ALONE

WRITTEN BY

SILK SMITH

[email protected]

COPYRIGHT (C) 2023

ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without written permission from the author or publisher.

Published by:

COMMUNE WRITERS INT’L

www.communewriters.com

[phone]

6, Amusa Street, Agodo-Egbe, Lagos

Published in the Federal Republic of Nigeria

PROLOGUE

The room felt anaemic, so pale and moody, regardless of the modern aesthetics. The smell of antiseptics, drugs and bleach, still finds its way into your nostrils, despite the air fresheners hooked to the vents of the air-conditioning unit.

Hopeless; that’s how he felt. No matter what he does, it always ended in doom, frustration and depression. If you do it right, the result still comes out wrong. In retrospect though, did he do something wrong?

He took in his surroundings once again; maybe this time, it would make sense. Yet there’s no justification – Mama doesn’t deserve this. She’s had enough suffering for two lifetimes.

By her bedside was a state-of-the-art electrocardiogram, while the sound of beep-beep could be heard as the LCD showed a zigzag pattern representing her heart rate. Beside the EKG stood the intravenous poles. That was what this spirited woman has been reduced to - a line and the sound of beep-beep-beep.

On the wall, painted sea blue and cream was a 30-inch flat-screen television which was never on, overlooking the big hospital room. Over to the next plane from the TV, was a fancy table. Behind it is a cosy two-seater sofa that makes you sink into it the moment you sit.

To the left of Mama's bed, towards the door lies a small white bookcase. It housed a couple of books but seems more like a decor than a bookcase. It was used to hold beverages and other provisions.

Beside this bookcase is the black duffle bag he used to pack his clothes on the day of the incident. He threw them in mindlessly as he was in a hurry to join the ambulance. Some of those clothes now lay on the carpet, a sign that he touched them just once which was also the only time he’s had his bath, even though Mama had been moved from the E.R.

Mama was flown from Nigeria to Nanavati Artemis Hospital, New Delhi, one of the best centres for cardiovascular-related diseases. They are world-class in the field of medicine and this is one of the signs that India is gradually becoming a force globally.

He is also a global force and couldn’t be ignored; his money speaks. Mama was transferred here by air ambulance in no time from St Nicholas hospital in Lagos. All the doctors at St Nicholas had to do was to refer her and necessary arrangements were made at the snap of a finger.

But medicare is no magic. Two days had crept by and the doctors are still trying to figure out how to handle her arrhythmias. At least, they now know it's tachycardia. This is a type of arrhythmia where the rhythm of the heartbeat is dangerously high. It’s like having your heart beating like the drum of a hard-rock band.

Initially, the doctors thought they could regulate her heartbeat by vagal manoeuvres but for this type of arrhythmia, it simply would not work. Instead, an implantable cardioverter-defibrillator would be the best and long-term solution.

Since money wasn’t an issue, he gave them the go-ahead. Only for her to be diagnosed with hyperthyroidism again.

“We’ll handle that, then we’ll see”, the chief surgeon had told Chibuike.

Chibuike was glued to her side. No one could tell him anything. Like a stubborn ram, they had to drag him out of the theatre when they had arrived earlier. He wasn’t raving, he just seemed silently resolved to be by his mother’s side no matter what. That resolve still burn but the strain was now drawing tired lines across his face.

Maybe it wouldn’t have been that bad if the recliner beside Mama’s bed was giving him enough rest. He also wasn’t eating well. Although he had a long list to choose from, the hospital grub couldn’t supply the necessary nutrition. Following the international standard of hospital food, no one could be blamed; he was served good hospital meals.

There is a better chance of solving Chibuike’s sleeping condition in the hospital than sorting his feeding. The marriage of a restaurant and a hospital can never be a happy union; it is nothing but a marriage of convenience.

But who cares? Every relationship in his life seems to have a glitch. So, his appetite wasn’t a thing to think about. Far better things mattered.

“Aargh”, Mama moaned as she gained consciousness. She felt weak in areas she couldn’t state; an accurate guess would be her entire body.

With the speed of lightning, Chibuike was up. He heard her make an almost inaudible sound and in no time, he was over her like a hawk. As he shouted, “Nurse! Nurse!!”, she became fully awake.

Two nurses attended to her. Chibuike’s joy spiked as he watched her gradually open her eyes and asked for water. Taking two sips at the advice of the nurse, Mama tried to reposition herself on the bed. With that successfully done, she then attempted to sit up. We all waited, nimble with eager anticipation.

Everyone knew she didn’t have the strength for it but the look on her face warned off any attempt to stop her. As she was about to collapse on the bed, Chibuike guided her back into a lying position.

Completely wiped out from this herculean task, she drifted back to sleep, as expected. The extreme exhaustion was due to the inadequate flow of blood to her brain, making simple tasks seem like hiking on Mount Kilimanjaro. After such exertion, it was certain that she was going to need some days to gather strength for anything.

***

“Chi…” Mama called.

She was sure Chibuike was in the room, without opening her eyes.

With springs in his steps and gratitude in his moist eyes, he was by her bedside. Even after five days, her test results were still unstable. Recent tests showed that aside from her cardiovascular problem aided by hyperthyroidism, she had problems with her liver.

“But how can she have liver problems too? It’s not possible!”

“Sir, it is possible. It is probably caused by all the toxins in the herbal medicine she confirmed to often consume”. Dr Siddhartha Naresh, the Head of Hepatology said.

The only good news that was being repeated severally was, “Mama is a strong woman and for that, her resilience is a major factor in her regaining any similitude of good health”.

At the moment, that strength was on display. Chibuike cranked the lever on the bedside so it enabled her to lie at an angle of 45°. Her smile showed she was pleased with her positioning.

Snatching his hand from her face, she placed it on her chest. She looked at him fondly; he was all she had, all she was proud of, her contribution to the world.

“It is upsetting that I will go to my God without seeing my grandchildren. I just thank Jesus that I am not dying all by myself, alone in that big house.”

Mama started slowly after a couple of attempts. What she said hit a nerve and Chibuike swallowed hard. His hand was on her chest, and he could feel the heartbeat – the irregular beating and a fast uneven-paced movement.

Staying away had hurt him terribly and it wasn’t because of her, never! It was more of the things she represented, things he wasn’t man enough to face. His heartbeat went a notch or two higher.