https://penastory.com/2016/10/31/fallen-hero-alabi-ayomide/

When I was young, I never understood why people cried so much when they lost a friend or relative. After all, when someone dies he or she is going to rest in a better place or so I thought. I never actually felt concerned about it because I had never felt the pain of losing someone so dear and of great importance to me until the 23rd of June 2013 when it happened at 8.45am. On this fateful day, I was on my way to my diploma lesson at University of Lagos (UNILAG) but for some reason I decided to go to the hospital to check on Aunt Choosy who was admitted earlier but gave up the ghost that morning. I couldn’t believe it because I never, not even for a second believed that people who God probably took a lot of time to create could actually die.

Aunty Choosy was an easy going person, easy to talk to but at the same time very strict when it came to education. We usually called her Aunty Iron Hand. At a point, I saw her to be this very wicked person who was always picking on me, nothing I did no matter the score I had in my exams if it wasn’t 58/60 and above, it wouldn’t please her. Little did I know she was only looking out for me but no one understood why she was my favourite aunt and neither did I. All I could say was that I was afraid of her.

The midterm continuous assessment results were out already and I was so excited to see my scores and eager to show Aunt Choosy so I called home from the boarding school but no one was answering, I called Aunt Choosy’s phone too but it was switched off. I became extremely worried. “What could have happened?” I asked myself. Several hours passed and still no response from anyone. “OLADIMEJI OLUWAFEMI your mum is on the phone,” the house master shouted repeatedly till I got to him. I ran with so much excitement, “Maami what happened, I have been calling your phone all day. What’s wrong?” I asked.

“Femi, Aunt Choosy had an accident but not to worry she would be fine.” Maami said, paused to let the news sink in and then continued, “she just needs to undergo surgery.”

“Okay I hope she gets well soon,” I replied in a faint voice.

Two days passed I didn’t hear from Maami or anything about Aunty Choosy. I became afraid so I called again. “Maami, what’s wrong? Is Aunt Choosy okay? How was the surgery?” I asked continuously but I got no response. “Maami are you there?” I asked again.

“Femi I am here, well Aunt Choosy’s surgery was successful but there’s a little problem Aunt Choosy is in a coma and the doctors have been doing all they can to revive her but not to worry she will be fine,” Maami said.

Thirteen days passed and Aunt Choosy was still in a coma, she couldn’t eat or drink water. “Wow!! She’s indeed a fighter,” Doctor Maxwell said as he placed his stethoscope on Aunt Choosy’s unconscious body. “There is no way she won’t get well,” he added. We were so over joyed with the news but little did we know that the joy was going to be short lived. The next morning we all rushed to LUTH because Aunt Choosy was finally leaving the intensive care unit to a normal ward to recuperate.

“Maami, how long will Aunt Choosy stay in the ward before I’ll be able to see her?” I asked because I needed to see her before going for the diploma lesson.

“Well we can’t say for now but don’t worry you will see her soon.”

Suddenly, we saw the doctors and nurses running back and forth the intensive care unit, ‘what could be happening’ I wondered. I decided to peep since the door to the ICU was left wide open. I noticed that Aunt Choosy’s monitor went from beeping at intervals to beeping continuously nonstop. Then I saw the doctors trying to revive her and tears rolled down my face as I walked towards the waiting room hopelessly.

“What’s going on with you, why are you crying?” Maami asked anxiously but I couldn’t answer. Shortly after, Doctor Maxwell walked in with a gloomy look.

“I’m sorry but we lost her,” he said in a mild tone. The entire waiting room was filled with noise from weeping as Aunt Choosy’s lifeless body was moved to the morgue. I became academically lost without Aunty Choosy, she was basically the only one who believed in my dreams of being a pilot. But here I am studying accounting which I am not doing so well in. She left the entire family behind way too soon.

Every morning I wake up and pray to the heavens for just a minute to tell her how I feel about the whole situation and another minute to say goodbye to my hero properly. For thine is the kingdom the power and the glory forever and ever. Amen.

Source: PenAStory - www.penastory.com