Tears welled behind my eyelids and trickled down my cheeks…it literally streamed out of those hyacinth-blue eyes, faced with the reality of mama being in the world-beyond, all by herself; in the cold hands of Death.

…My pillow was the one to suffer every night; first the ever-streaming tears trickling down my face always ended on the blue-floral pillow case and then when I turned to the side of the bed; the side meant for mama and saw no one….i grab my pillow so fiercely, squeezing out every iota of foam in it…. Then as expected…i’d throw it on the cold-floor …

I stared vacantly into space; my mind numb… and started recalling the myriad of events that had happened in quick succession—



“Susan, please your mother’s case isn’t something new under the face of the sun, there’s a 60 – 40 chance she’d be alright..” I recall myself wearing a smile for a split-second after Dr. Maxwell had finished assuring me of “no-harm”

Something made me gain consciousness, it was a sound I wasn’t sure of…I checked my phone on the right side of the bed….i didn’t realize I’d screamed ‘8 missed calls’ until I heard the echo coming back to haunt me…”Dr. Maxwell this late”.. I said after checking my phone…. *Bad news* was the first thought that came to me after I glanced at the clock right above my queen-size bed… *but really who calls someone around 5:30 AM if it’s not for bad news*…the thought still came knocking… and then came the *60 – 40 chance of survival* thought….all manner of thoughts and counter-thoughts were just parading my head… In a bid to end the war going on in my head, I picked up my phone and tried to place a call through…completely cognizant of the fact that there was no credit on my phone…I still pressed the call button holding onto the assumption that some mysterious-supernatural being has recharged my phone

…..”your account balance is too low for this call, please recharge and try again..” due to the sad-expected notification I got from my service-provider.. i carried a grumpy face and went down on my knees, by the side of my bed and did the needed….mama had always taught me to pray when I’m in need of help….i recall her saying “Susan..anytime you are down, frustrated and it seems the whole-world is crashing before your very eyes….there’s only one person to turn to..and that is..” I clearly thought it was one of those her rhetorical questions…. So I remained adamant…but after 5 mins of prolonged silence between the both of us I quickly chipped in Jesus-Christ.

I loved short prayers…so I did one…2 – 3 lines….”In Jesus name i…” before I could conclude the “RITUAL” of the Christian-faith prayer my phone rang…it was Dr. Maxwell.

“Miss Susan you have to come over to the hospital – your mother is requesting your presence” that was all he said and he cut it… *was it network problem or….* for some weird reason I suspected bad-omen….but I waved it aside …since he had said mama needed my presence….



…….’Mama’! I ran into her ever-warming hugs…..I would pay to get those hugs if there was a price-tag!

5 – 10 mins of tight embrace…no one was willing to let go….

Mama’s effusive manner made me believe “all-was-well”

“errhmm….Susan what am about to tell you is very important” Dr. Maxwell cut in while me and mama were still clutched in each others’ arms ….. I’d watched lots of Nigerian films and I knew what usually happens when a doctor says ‘what am about to tell you’ ….my ears twitched … my heart raced…the big-bang news!!

Part II - https://lightspeaksblog./2017/03/09/susans-episode-part-i/ <-- Read more here