Toriperisc:
Miracle episode 2

One year passed, two, three, four, till sixteen years later but Jaja was still in Coma. At that time, he was now 26 years old but still unconscious and hadn’t shook his body for once since the day he was brought in. David and his wife were 16 years older, so was Kiki. That family went through a lot of trauma, pains and heartbreak all through those years but still had to keep their faith alive that someday their beloved son and brother would come back to them in full consciousness. It wasn’t easy for that grieving family but it’s refreshing to know that they hadn’t completely lost it due to what they were going through.

Jaja’s case has been a prayer point for well wishers and relative all through those years. Some of his friends even thought he was dead because they hadn’t see him for over 16 years. David went silent on his son’s condition when he got tired of explaining to people what was going on. Also, he realised that the media were using insiders to get details about his son’s condition so they could run a story on it for the general public. He didn’t want his family’s business out in the public so he decided to go mute on the matter.

While life was horrible for the grieving family, a certain lady named Solange was very excited to graduate from nursing school after so many years of applying and getting rejected. On the day of Solange’s graduation, she was awarded the best graduating nurse and given instant employment in one of the best hospital in town; which happened to be the hospital Jaja had been admitted in for the past 16 years of his life. The excited young lady in her mid-twenties couldn’t wait to take over the world and help as many sick people that she could.

It wasn’t even up to a week since Solange started working as a nurse in the hospital and she was noticed by almost everyone due to her outstanding work ethics and character. Due to her optimistic nature and attitude, the head of operations appointed her to Jaja’s case to be his private nurse. Her duties included bathing him, cleaning him up and also giving him his injections.

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The very first day Solange set her eyes on Jaja, she was somehow drawn to him in an unexplainable way. For unknown reasons, she felt obligated to his betterment and well-being. Initially, she wasn’t aware of what happened to him and also wasn’t aware of how long he had been admitted to the hospital. It was during one evening when she was at duty that a senior college of hers gave her the gist.

“Solange, I heard you have been appointed to Jaja in ward 18? That’s a huge one for you” a senior colleague said, “Yes I have, but what do you mean by ‘huge one’?” she innocently inquired and her colleague smiled faintly. “That gentleman has been in Coma for 16 years now. I started working here 10 years ago and he came in before I did. It’s really sad and I try to avoid that room due to the goose-bumps I feel whenever I enter there. I just pity for his tired family” her colleague revealed.

Immediately those words sank into Solange’s head, her heart shattered into tiny pieces. She felt highly devastated and couldn’t explain why her heart was in pains for a man she barely knew and hadn’t met before in her life. After what initially seemed like a casual conversation turned sour, Solange sadly walked back to her unit. All through the remaining hours of that day’s work, she couldn’t concentrate due to the sad energy in the atmosphere.

After about an hour later, it was time for Solange to take Jaja’s medication to his room. When she arrived at the room, her body instantly became cold and numb. She managed to administer the treatment she came to do and sat close to the bed afterwards.

For about 20 minutes, Solange just stared at Jaja without uttering a word. She watched him as he lay helplessly on the bed. After sitting close to him for a while, she managed to say something. “Hello, can you hear me? I don’t know if you can but I want you to know that I will be praying for you. It’s been a very long time you have been away from your family and loved ones, I know we just met not too long ago but I genuinely want the best for you. I believe you would wake up very soon. So many nurses have come and gone, with you still being here but that wouldn’t be the case for me. I believe you will leave here before I do because I won’t leave till you do. I join your family, loved ones and doctors to root for you to come back to this world because your presence has been greatly missed by those that love you. I believe you have been with God long enough so I guess it’s time to come back home. It’s time for me to get off duty but I will see you tomorrow OK. Bye bye!” she warmly said and gently rubbed his hands. That day was the beginning of something hopeful and all we can do is keep our fingers across and hope for a miracle.

The next day, Solange was super excite to arrive at the hospital because she had someone she felt obligated to talk to everyday. The first thing she did was to clean Jaja up and apply the necessary cream that needed to be applied to prevent bed sore. After cleaning him up, she gave him food through pipe and made sure he looked neat and fresh.

When David arrived that day to check up on his son, Solange wasn’t present but David felt a huge difference in his son’s appearance but didn’t know who to give the credit for such good job. All through the time David came visiting, Solange didn’t meet him because she had other things to do in other wards. Till the man left, he didn’t know who was behind his son’s sudden glow up. Other previous nurses did a good job when grooming Jaja but Solange’s own was remarkable and different; you could tell she did it with her whole heart

Everyday, Solange would read the Bible and other uplifting religious books to unconscious Jaja. She would interact and talk to him as though she was having a conversation with someone that could reply her back. She bought nice robes for him that would be more comfortable than that ones the hospital provided. Each time Jaja’s parent or sister came around, they usually noticed one new pleasing thing or the other. It got to a point where they couldn’t hold back their excitement any longer and had to ask one of the doctor’s what was going on.

“Hello Doctor, how is everything over here?” Jaja’s mum asked one day she visited with her husband and Kiki. “Well, we are doing great; we are only waiting for a miracle soon on your son’s behalf” the doctor said and everyone sighed in agony. As they talked about Jaja’s condition, Kiki chipped in; “Yes, I have been meaning to ask, my brother looks extremely nice and well taken care of these days, what’s the secret?” she asked and her parents concurred. The doctor smiled warmly and reminded them that the hospital was known for outstanding care and quality experience but they still insisted that something was just different this time around. Due to the fact that the doctor wasn’t aware of what Solange had been doing in secret, he waived the topic by telling them that Jaja was in great hands and nothing more.

In order not to push the conversation any further, Jaja’s parent and sister let the whole thing slide, but they still knew deep down that something was just different. Too bad they were never fortunate enough to meet Solange whenever they came around.

Day after day, Solange continued in her good deeds towards Jaja and as time went by, she began to put him in serious prayers and even fasted severally because of him. For some reasons unknown, Solange carried Jaja’s case on her head as though she had known him a long time ago. She was the friend he never had and that last straw of hope to prove that humanity still exist.

Whenever Solange was in for night duty, she would read the Word of God (Bible) to him and other interesting books that were uplifting. Whenever she read, she would laugh and make gestures as though she was talking to a person that could hear and respond to her. Maybe Jaja could hear her because he was definitely still inside that body that seemed lifeless and numb.

Most days, Jaja would move his body slightly and Solange will jump up in excitement just for that happiness to come crushing when it dawns on her that there was nothing more to it. However, it gave the optimistic lady hope that someday, he would open his eyes and come back to a world that was slowly forgetting about him. Solange told her superior about the movements and they informed his parents about what seemed like a good news. With all that were happening, everyone’s dead faith began to revive little by little because it seemed like there was light at the end of the dark tunnel.

Tbc