My friends have urged me to narrate my ordeal about my personal experience of Ebola scare. I've been hesitant because am not all that good in narrative writing. However, i have made up my mind to try and share it. This is a personal account of what i passed through. It's not fiction.

Stepping into the room, i saw my roommate fully kitted. He had his shirt buttoned up to the collar like one of those ancient pastors coupled with hand gloves and stockings. I've had a very long and hectic journey thanks to the deplorable Enugu-Port Harcourt express road, but I still had the strength to hail my man. 'O boy how far naaaa?' This one wey you kit up like dis..wetin dey do you?? I was hit with a very cold reply... 'I dey oo'. I greeted the other guy in the room with a handshake, but my offer for handshake from my roomie was practically ignored as his hands were tightly folded. I now became worried as much as confused. See me see wahala.
'I don't know what is wrong with your man oo', the other guy said. 'He's having fever'. Hmmm! In my usual manner, I tried to throw in some jokes to kick him up and that got my roomie smiling casually. This is unlike him though. This was happening on Monday night 1st Sept during the craze of Ebola virus disease especially in Lagos and PH. Behold! My roommate had been in Lagos the previous week for an interview and just came back with cold and fever....Early signs of uncle Ebola.
The fever was getting more serious and I had to run around to make sure he gets something to eat...upon say I dey broke that period. 'O boy you don go carry Ebola for Lag I asked jokingly. We laughed over it. The next day, behold, rashes everywhere on his body. Only God knows what went through my mind. The heart is actually deceitful...o di na Bible. Ikwu ezioukwu I became worried. He couldn't come out of the room for sometime and people started becoming curious and worried as well. 'Charles, is Edu still sick?' Doctor Emeka (my neighbour) asked. I replied yes. 'Since when has he been sick? he continued. Then I dropped the unintended bombshell..... Since he came back from Lagos, I said innocently. 'Lagosssss...he shouted. This got other peoples' attention. That was how everything changed and the journey began.

People started ignoring me. It started jokingly but it became serious. Some people started calling me 'primary contact'. Most of the guys in my block couldn't shake me anymore. Only God knows how it feels to be stigmatized. News started filtering out throughout the postgraduate hostels (that's where I stay). Some people were even planning to call one of the emergency lines. Few guys actually made the matter worse for me. If they see me on the road they will make a funny detour and wave hello to me. Moreover, our room had become an isolated centre. One guy, Chima, jokingly got Ariel detergent and Hypo to disinfect all the places I'd been in contact with (was that actually a joke).
At that point I had been affected psychologically and at the same time surprised at how gullible some people can be.
On Thursday morning 4th Sept I went downstairs to the buttery to buy bread. 'Charly!! How far? Long time. You've been scarce. Did you travel Typical of her. She's one of my friends from the next block. I tried to answer all her questions as briefly as possible while avoiding facial contact. Not because of anything though....I had not brushed my mouth. Lol! 'I heard Chinedu is sick. How is he? Has he gone for test Haba! Who told you? I asked curiously. Hmmm....she continued, I heard he's sick. Pls you people should go for test oo'. Nooo...don't worry, I refuted. He's getting fine. I tried to be confident as I can. See this girl oo...I said to myself.

I spent virtually the rest of the day in the graduate school's seminar room. As I packed my laptop bag to leave, I felt a niggling pain on my joints. I discovered I was having muscle aches. As I stood to leave, my eyes turned me. Maybe I was hungry. Before I could get home, It was evident I had feverrrrr. Grrrr!!! By now, my roomie has improved but not totally OK. I shrugged off the idea of the fever as one of those effects of stress. Was I actually stressed? I doubt.
**to be continued

My trip to Calabar had already been scheduled. I wouldn't let any fever stop me. The truth is that i just needed to escape the claws of stigma from my fellow graduate students in block B....no ill feelings though. On Friday morning however, there was no atom of fever....did I say atom?? Actually, I had a little fever and aches but I was forming superman. I've never been the sick type. Then that evil thought came....Your roomie has transmitted whatever he has to you"" Akuko...
I never knew AKTC buses had good buses with good air conditioners. The AC didn't help my condition. I got to Calabar late and the fever soared at night. Now, there is no forming of Superman. I had to complain. I needed an analgesic or is it called anaesthesia?? I think it is analgesic. I got one and I was able to sleep. Did it work? Story for the gods.
I went about the programme I came for in Calabar on Saturday. I felt better throughout the day till about 6pm. The fever and body aches resurfaced in it's fullness. I seriously became afraid. My heart was running helter skelter. I called my roomie to ascertain his condition. I didn't tell him I've been 'sick' to avoid panic. I just needed news to assuage my fear and worry.
Sunday morning 7th sept came like a flood.
Smartly dressed in my finely-starched and ironed white shirt firmly tucked in my navy blue pants and black shoes, I entered the church as one of those good boys. Having been part of their band in that church, I went to the band stand. Most of the guys where happy to see me. I was happy to see them too especially Esther whose smile gets me elated. Surprisingly and disappointing as it was, i didn't get that smile from her. Poor me....looking for a girl's smile in church. They asked me to handle the bass guitar for them, which i happily did. During the service, the fever started cranking up. I tried to hold it down but it kept doing strong head. I had to bend to its will. I left the church not even seeing Esther as I planned.
Walking past an Alumaco window, which serves as mirrors for ladies I saw what sent spikes through my veins. Behold.....rashes all over my face. Whattt I quickly rushed home and made for a mirror. I was totally covered with rashes. I removed my shirt and observed my hands....all filled with rashes. I checked other parts of my body and horribly there were rashes...red rashes for that matter. Chaiii!!!! Ebolaa.

I could audibly hear the pounding of my heart doing abt 5000 beats per minute. The fever became worse, the fear became grave, the thoughts ran into millions. E don be for me. With my hands shaking I went to doctor google.com to read more about the symptoms of Ebola. I've had about 3 of the symptoms vis a viz body aches, fever and rashes. Nnaaa!
The scare and fear was damn too much albeit my belief that I can't have Ebola. I chatted up my roomie through Whattsap and he was optimistic as he always is. He will always say he's fine even when he no dey feel well. I still didn't tell him my ordeal.
That day turned to be the most scary days I've ever had. Jesus! I quickly rededicated my life to Christ to avoid stories that touch the heart. What I passed through that day can only be imagined. I was very afraid for myself as much as for many people I had come in contact with. This continued for a couple of days and I decided to call one of the Ebola numbers for an official report..

But then I came to myself....I can't have Ebola. I have Christ and His blood flows in me. The sickness of the Egyptians is not my portion. I became strong in the spirit and began to say to my self....YOU DON'T HAVE EBOLA.
whatever it was I didn't care again. I became very positive. I had allowed fear to take hold of me. I knew I have to come out of the shackles of fear and have faith. It wasn't easy though but I pulled through.
I overcame the STIGMA AND SCARE OF EBOLA.
All the rest that happened that period are bygones. Today am strong, no aches, no fever, no rashes...it's been more than 40 days.

Ebola kills but fear kills faster

glad u overcame ur fear

Thank God for you! Can't imagine going through that ordeal around September lols

missuniverse:
Ebola kills but fear kills faster

glad u overcame ur fear

Exactly. You are on point

candy:
Thank God for you! Can't imagine going through that ordeal around September lols

Thanks dear. It wasn't funny tho