C2 Chapter two.

AARAOLUWA

In loving memory of Miss Aaraoluwa Johnson, nurse, a daughter, a sister and a future wife. Cause of death: working too hard in the hospital as a nurse.

That can be written on my graveyard right??

I had arrived at the hospital at exactly eight am in the morning. The familiar smell of the antiseptic filled my nose, White Walls, nurses moving around the hospital, and families waiting in the reception. Some of them knew the fate of their loved ones in the hospital bed,but all they could do was hope for the better.

I started work immediately, following the doctor on duty into each patient's ward. Taking the drugs prescriptions and delivering them back to the patient's ward.

It was already around past two pm in the afternoon when one of my colleagues, Nurse Salewa informed me that I was needed in the doctor's office. I gave her a tight smile and then made my way over to where I was needed.

I sighed as I sat down on one of the blue,plastic chairs at the front of Dr.Muyiwa's office. She was one of the active doctors in the hospital I was working at. I was stressed as fuck!

You know this song we usually sing when we were in our primary school. I can't remember the lyrics vividly but something about being a particular profession in our country. I was in my Primary five when my teacher asked me what I wanted to become.

Immediately she asked I grinned at her and said I wanted to be a doctor. Every child wanted to become a doctor back then. Lol. Then fast forward to when I was in my final year in junior school, my class teacher asked me the same question and I said the same thing.

Though at a point I hated hospitals and I feared injections. Imagine a doctor who feared needles! I was not sure what profession I wanted to go into but I knew it had to do with the sciences.

"Aaraoluwa," Dr Muyiwa called my name with her head poking out from her office. She had a warm smile on her face which made me smile back at her. She was one of those free doctors who you could talk about anything to. I believed that been friendly was part of her job. Including mine.

I mean, why would you be working in a hospital and not be a friendly person. Who does that? It reminds me of one time when I just resumed my University as a fresher and we were to perform some tests. So I made my way to the clinic and started moving from one lab to another.

I finally finished my tests and it was time to check out of the hospital. So there was this young nurse who was sitting behind the wooden reception desk, I asked her for an information about something and she snubbed me.

I didn't want to take it personal cause maybe she didn't hear me. But she fuckingly did! I tapped her to gain her attention and she then she gave me the stink eye. Bro, I vexed but me being the shy person I am just got sad and asked another person.

"You can have your seat" the woman smile warmly at me as I sat on the black iron chair. Her office was painted cream with bookshelf's all around filled with different types of books. The air conditioner in her office made her office cold, but manageable.

"I called you here to inform you about something."

I nodded my head, "yes ma." Was I in trouble?

"Mr Adebayo Folorunsho, you know him right? One of the sponsors of this hospital, he said he needs someone to watch over his mother since she just came back from her treatment in Ukraine"

"Ohhh." I didn't know what else to say na.

"So, since I trust you enough, and with the time you have spent working here, I know you know what you are doing," She paused as he brought out a file from one of her drawers.

"I want you to start working there. You will be the nurse treating her from next week. Mr Folorunsho said something about accommodation, but everything you need to know is written in this file." She handed me the file.

She picked me? Out of all the nurses here? Me?

I grinned as I collected the file, "thank you ma."

She talked about the payment, even though it was written in the file. The pay was even more than what I got paid here in the hospital.

"I know you will do a good job that's why I'm putting her in your care." She adjusted her glasses.

"Thank you ma. I won't disappoint you. I promise."

"Congratulations." I shook her hand grinning from ear to ear. I left her office and then made my way to pack my stuffs and go home.

The money I'll receive at the end of this month would do a lot of things.

"Maami!" (Mom) I shouted excitedly as I entered into the house and dropped my bag on the black three-seater.

"Kitchen!" She yelled back. I entered the kitchen and met her diving some onions.

"Good afternoon ma." I knelt down, but not fully

"How are you my dear?" She asked as she pouted the already diced onions into the hot palm oil on the gas. "How was work today?"

I told her everything that happened at work today including the new offer as we prepared our dinner. Though she was not my real mom, but she treated me like as if she gave birth to me and her children treated me like I was their elder sister.

I hadn't even changed from my attire. "Ma, I want to go and change my clothes I'll be down soon." I informed her before leaving the kitchen not waiting for her reply.

Her kids had already arrived from school like about thirty minutes after me. They were sent to their rooms to change out of their school clothes and do their homework, but not before each of them gave me a hug.

Fiyin was in JSS2 while Kelvin was still in Primary Four. Both of them are both smart kids, sometimes they act like they are even smarter than their age. Their father came back from work and Mrs Bolaji served the food and called all of us to the dinning table.

We ate our dinner in silence but not before their father, asking me about how my day at work went.