DOKITA

EPISODE 6

As a matter of necessity, Bunmi had to eat this morning. She just hoped she wouldn’t have to throw up at work due to her morning sickness.

It was because of this pregnancy she was rushing to get married. At least, before she would start showing. When Fola found out, she knew he was going to be heartbroken. But she would rather cross that bridge when she got there. And to think she had gotten pregnant for his friend- Kehinde Amao of all people!

Now, she was hooked and she just had to marry him. She had never intended to, and still couldn’t bear the thoughts of being a single mother. Abortion wasn’t even in the picture. But Fola…he was the love of her life.

Kenny had only played on her emotions.

She remembered the incidents that led up to this uncanny situation.

While waiting for house job placement and being on a ‘break’ from her relationship with Fola, she had made friends with Kehinde. In all sincerity, he’d been the one advocating for her friendship at all cost. And to make matters worse, his house was only a stone throw away from hers. They had initially been friends, way before they got admission into medical school and had attended the same secondary school but because of his womanizing habits, she had kept him at arms’ length.

Just in their class alone, he had dated 4 girls, 2 of whom had all but engaged in ‘mortal combat’ over their acclaimed boyfriend. She remembered one incident vividly between Tola and Chinwe.

Tola had made rice, plantain and stew for Kehinde and they had planned for him to come over to her hostel that afternoon. Chinwe, on the other hand, had planned a surprise lunch for her supposed ‘boo’ and was taking the ‘semovita and efo riro’ to his hostel when she met him on the way to Tola’s hostel.

He kept trying to round up the discussion and make her go but Chinwe had been excessively chatty. Unfortunately, Tola had come out, since Kehinde had told her he was almost at her hostel about 20 minutes prior.

Then drama ensued between the supposed girlfriends of a guy who really didn’t care about any of them.

‘Tola, what’s up now?’ Chinwe had asked with rotatory motion of her eyeballs and arms akimbo.

Tola completely ignored her.

‘Kehinde, please let’s go inside. All these boyfriend snatchers everywhere!’

‘Tola weren’t you the one I greeted? Why are you so mannerless?’

‘Oh, I’m the one that’s mannerless ehn? Is it because I chose to ignore you?’

‘Please!’ Tola clapped her hands twice, ‘Leave Kenny alone. There are enough guys in class to go round!’

Bunmi had been passing by and just had to shake her head. To think these ladies were medical students!

‘Ah, o bad gaan o!’ she had soliloquized

And here she was. This pregnancy was what was classically referred to as the pregnancy of shame. Wait till Fola found out who she was getting married to, and worse still, that she was already pregnant for him.

The wedding was, thankfully, in a month’s time.

The patient before her was complaining of hearing voices.

Bunmi wasn’t in the mood for stress today. A quick Psychiatric referral would do.

If she wasn’t in a foul mood, this would have been ample entertainment!

Maybe he was even deluded. She couldn’t care less.

She called in the next patient.

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Linda had resolved not to sleep.

She had done beyond sleep. She had slept so much that she had to be woken up when it was time for ward round, and only to be asked if she had any complaints.

She had felt embarrassed to be the focus of attention of over 30 individuals. Consultant, Senior Residents, Junior Residents, House officers and medical students.

Was she sedated?

Apparently not. She thought.

The stimulus for her sleep must have had a great amount of potency. And only one thing could stimulate sleep so much: the desire to read!

So she picked up her Histopathology textbook and began to study Renal Pathology.

Lasted only for a few minutes before she remembered that she would be discharged in 2 days and then, she could go back to her normal life.

Mama had come down to school from Calabar.

She had been so scared.

‘Nkem! Kedu?’

‘Your papa tell me say you talk say them keep you for bed. And I dey always think before say doctor no dey sick!’

‘Mama!’

‘No vex. I just dey joke. I bring yam and garri come for you’

Linda smiled. ‘Thank you mama’

‘Ehn, for this school sha, them too dey stress una. See as my pikin lean!’

‘Mama, no worry. My body don dey beta’

‘Ehm, biko that boy nko? Felix abi wetin be im name?’

‘E no go bad if you marry doctor too o. Una two go dey do things together; build hospital…’

‘Mama!’ Linda cut her mother short once again

‘The boy na my friend.’

‘Ok na. Linda, but you know say you don reach to get boyfriend abi na wetin una dey talk. You go soon finish school o, begin dey prepare! All your friends for village don marry’

‘Mama! I still get like 2 years for school abeg’

‘Na true. Face your school work sha o. Because you know say me and your papa, na ordinary farm work we dey do and money no too dey. Na only God dey help wey we fit send you to school reach this level.’

‘Yes mama’

She remembered her most recent Pathology results and sighed deeply.

She intensified her reading.

Nothing would make her fail this time.

Not even an appendectomy!

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