When it was about closing hour,
something happened that made her resumption of work with as much fervency as
she did seem like a mistake.
She was
standing with Mrs. Biodun at the entrance when she suddenly had a fainting
spell and fell. Mrs. Biodun’s effort to catch her saw both of them on the floor.
The other staff ran to them. They helped Mrs. Biodun up.
“Get water quickly,”
she said to them, as she kept touching and calling Mabel’s name.
One of
them brought water and she splashed it on Mabel. Mabel shook her head and opened
her eye. She was surprised when she saw herself on the floor. She tried to get
up quickly but Mrs. Biodun held her back.
“Easy,” she said.
“What happened?”
Mabel asked.
“You fainted.”
Mabel
closed her eye and lay quiet for a while.
“Mabel,” Ephraim
called, nudging her.
“Mmm,” she answered
and opened her eyes.
She
tried to get up from the floor. They helped her up and sat her on a chair. She
writhed and held her head.
“What is it?” Mrs
Biodun asked, holding her shoulder.
“My head is banging,”
she said.
“Do you need to see
your doctor?”
“No ma.”
“Why?”
“I saw him few days
ago when I was feeling like this.”
“Then his
prescription did not work. You need to see another doctor.”
“No. I know why this
happened.”
“Why?”
They
looked at her intently, expecting her explanation.
“I did not take my
medicine this morning,” she said.
“What!” Mrs Biodun
said with her voice raised. “Why?”
“I was in a hurry.”
“Did you even eat at
all?” Ephraim asked her.
She
shook her head.
“Why would you do
such a thing?” Mrs. Biodun asked her. “When you know that working here can be
energy sapping and stressful at times.
“I was running late,”
Mabel said
“And so?”
“I thought I could
manage.”
“You shouldn’t have
even started work this week sef.”
“I will be fine ma.”
Mrs
Biodun turned to one of the staff and told her to buy sausage roll and malt for
Mabel. She left to get it.
“What will you do
about your drugs?” Mrs. Biodun asked Mabel.
“I have them with
me,” Mabel replied.
“You had your drugs here
and you didn’t take them since morning?”
Mrs.
Biodun was visibly angry.
“Sorry ma,” Mabel
said.
“Sorry to who?” Mrs.
Biodun asked. “Who just fainted a while ago? Who is having headache now? Some
people can joke with their lives o.”
“I will take them
now.”
“You can’t take a 2
times daily drug by this time. Since you have skipped the morning dose, leave it
till evening.”
“Ok ma.”
She
turned to the staffs who were watching what was going on and told them to go
back to their work stations and round up for the day. Then she went into her
office. Mabel got up to go to her own table and staggered a bit. Ephraim rushed
to her and helped her to her work station.
“You don’t have to
stress yourself,” he said.
“I need to round up
too,” she said.
“Let me help you
then.”
“Ok. Thanks.”
Mabel
placed her head on the table while she told Ephraim what to do. The lady who
was sent to get the snacks for Mabel came in with it.
“Sit up and eat
this,” Ephraim said to her. “It will help you.”
She sat
up and collected the snacks from the lady.
“Thank you,” she
said.
“No problem,” the
lady said. “Try and finish it o.”
“I will. I am really
hungry.”
She ate
the sausage roll and drank the malt as she kept telling Ephraim what to do on
her system. When he was done, he shut it
down.
Mrs.
Biodun came out with her bag. She asked some of the staff for reports of their
work for the day. They handed them over to her. Then she went to Mabel’s table.
“How are you feeling
now?” she asked Mabel.
“I am much better
thank you,” Mabel said. “Hunger was the major problem.”
“Don’t play this
prank again o.”
“I will not.”
“Even if you are in
a hurry, as soon as you get here, go and find something to eat. Quit playing
iron lady.”
“Ok ma,” Mabel said
laughing.
“Be laughing na. You
think iron doesn’t break abi.”
“So I thought o.”
Mrs.
Biodun pushed her face back and said, “Your face is a mess.”
“I came with my make
up kit,” Mabel said. “I will touch my face mildly before I leave.”
“Please do. How will
you go? I would have dropped you off but I am not going towards the house.”
“I will take public
transport.”
“I will drop you
off,” Ephraim offered as he got up from the chair he had been sitting on.
“Ok.”
“Take good care of
yourself o,” Mrs Biodun said to Mabel.
“I will ma,” Mabel
replied.
Mrs
Biodun told them to lock up and then she left.
“When are you
leaving?” Mabel asked Ephraim.
“In ten minutes
time,” Ephraim said. “Let me tidy up some things.”
“Ok.”
Mabel
put the files and papers well in the table drawer and locked it. Then she touched
her face as she waited for Ephraim to be through. When she was done, she took
her phone and called Cynthia who told her she was at home with their mother. She
told Cynthia she was on her way back. As her colleagues left one by one, they
told her to take care of herself. She thanked them.
“Ephy are you not
through?” she asked when it was past the ten minutes Ephraim had told her.
“Almost done,” he
replied. “Just give me few seconds.”
Mabel
took her handbag and went outside. As she stood outside waiting for Ephraim, she
got a call. She checked. It was from Ejike.
“I am not in the mood for any hang-out
today,” she said to herself as she let her phone ring.
The
call came again and she picked. She made sure to sound unwell. He asked how she
was doing and asked why she was sounding the way she was. She told him she was
not feeling too well. He asked where she was and she told him she was about
leaving the office. He offered to come pick her up but she told him she
couldn’t wait. He told her he would check on her when she got home. She agreed
and he hung up the phone.
“Who was that?”
Ephraim asked her, standing in her blind spot.
(...to be continued)
Nedu Isaac
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