AMARACHI: Nkechi, don’t fret okay? We are here for you. I Will donate my kidney. I don’t want you to give in to fear.
NKECHI: (smiles) how was your short holiday? No tell me say you no carry belle come back o!
AMARACHI: you no well! Have you eaten?
NKECHI: yes. Our neighbour brought me food. She is so kind
AMARACHI: which one?
NKECHI: the Yoruba woman that sells black soap.
AMARACHI: awww! Bless her!
EBUKA: where is the doctor?
NKECHI: his office is just after that vending machine.
EBUKA: let me go and speak with him?♂️?♂️?♂️
(Ebuka got into the doctor’s office and he asked him to take a seat)
DOCTOR: you must be Miss Okoye’ s brother right?
EBUKA: I am. What’s happening to my sister?
DOCTOR: ermm, your sister has advanced chronic kidney disease. She came to the hospital too late.
We can’t emphasise the importance of reporting to your doctor as soon as you notice any changes in your body, enough! We can’t!
EBUKA: what exactly does this mean?
DOCTOR: it means that her kidneys are not functioning properly. Normally, your kidneys filter the blood, to rid it of harmful waste products and excess fluid and then turn them into urine to be passed out of the body.
So because her kidneys are not working, her blood is not being filtered. When she came to the hospital, we noticed that waste products and excess fluid are already building up to a dangerous level. That was why we recommended immediate heomodialysis to help filter those unwanted substances and fluid from her blood.
We have since then done two dialysis that is why she is the way she is now. When she was brought to us, she was really down.
Ebuka: hmmm! So how long would this carry on?
DOCTOR: unfortunately, her kidneys won’t be able to recover. So, she invariably would need kidney transplant. The good news is that she is healthy enough to undergo transplant. But we will keep doing the dialysis until we get her a suitable donor.
EBUKA: doctor, I am a very healthy young man. I have no medical condition whatsoever. So I’ll donate mine.
DOCTOR: erm, being physically healthy does not automatically make you a suitable donor. We would need to carry out three main tests on you. That is after we have checked that you in fact have two kidneys, because some people are born with just one.
In that case, they would not be able to donate their only kidney. Since you’ve stated that you have no health conditions such as diabetes, high blood pressure or HIV, I will now go ahead and carry out a blood test to determine your blood type and if it will match your sister’s blood.
I will also do two more blood tests called tissue typing and cross matching
If it all comes out good, then we would perform the surgery on you. Otherwise, we continue with the dialysis until we find her a suitable donor.
EBUKA: please do the tests now.
AMARACHI: doctor, I want the tests done on me as well, so that if one doesn’t match, we use the other!
DOCTOR: Alright. I’ll only take blood from both of you today. The results will take about three to five days to come out. But I need to emphasise that she requires another dialysis tomorrow and that would cost a total of eighty thousand naira for the two hours.
EBUKA: okay! Where do I make the payment?
DOCTOR: please pay at the reception. Thanks.
(Ebuka and Amara went back to the ward where Nkechi was lying in bed)
EBUKA: Darling, don’t worry at all. I am your big brother and I will not allow a thing to happen to you. I will give both kidneys if that is what it takes, okay?
NKECHI: thanks dede. I’m not scared I’m just worried about mama. She has been crying since yesterday. Please I want her to come and stay here with me.
EBUKA: I’ll call chijioke to put her in the plane tomorrow and I’ll pick her up from the airport. So do not worry about that.
I will go drop Amara off and come back. What would you like to eat?
NKECHI: drop her off? Both of you should go home! You are almost a new couple. You should spend more time together. I’ll be fine; the nurses are very efficient.
AMARACHI: NK, I and your brother are just friends now. Nothing more.
NKECHI: what! Please don’t make my condition worse! Why? How!
EBUKA: Nkechi, I must bring Funmi back as my wife. She did not do any of the things she was accused of.
NKECHI: over my dead body! Unless I die of this ailment. No way I’m letting that witch back to that house! Look how happy and bubbly you are since she left!
EBUKA: Amara, let me drop you off. Nkechi I’ll be back soon.
(Amara and Ebuka went into the car and drove off)
AMARACHI: please drop me at Wuse2. That’s where my brother’s girlfriend lives. I’ll be staying with her henceforth.
EBUKA: and you are sure you have no idea where Funmi is?
AMARACHI: unfortunately, not. I saw her last in the market and I didn’t remember to ask where she lives.
EBUKA: I saw her online on whatsapp, wrote her, called….all was ignored. I’ve written every apology I know how to. I made voice notes…none got a response.
AMARACHI: she’ll come around.
EBUKA: phewww! Do you know that I have not heard from the Dubai car dealers?
AMARACHI: what!!!
EBUKA: you heard that right. I haven’t. The only money I have on me right now is the money we came back from France with. I’ve paid eighty thousand naira out of it for Nkechi’s dialysis. Brother Chinwendu is currently unemployed. Jesus! I hope God is not mistaking me for the biblical Job!
AMARACHI: don’t start sounding defeated already. Keep the faith. Just drop me anywhere here.
EBUKA: are you sure?
AMARACHI: yeah.
EBUKA: alright. Please help me with searching for Funmi. That is the only thing that will make sense in my life right now. Please my dear sister, help me with this! Please! Say me hi to your brother
AMARACHI: I will do my best.
(Amarachi got home and met Funmi trying out some new posh under garments)
AMARACHI: hmmm! Someone did some serious shopping today!
FUNMI: hehehe! I didn’t o! Na gift
AMARACHI: gift? Who from?
FUNMI: someone nice.
AMARACHI: hmmmm! Mr nice better be told you are married o!
FUNMI: me, married? Joker!
AMARACHI: Nkechi has chronic kidney disease…
FUNMI: Jesu!!! When! How??
AMARACHI: we didn’t meet her at home when we came back. A neighbour took her to the hospital
FUNMI: Oh my God! Which hospital?
AMARACHI: Maitama
FUNMI: Oh! This is sad! Please extend my greetings to her when you see her again. Her brother should be able to afford kidney transplant. I hope the surgery and everything goes well.
AMARACHI: Ebuka was defrauded. He is currently worth less than a million.
FUNMI: That can’t be true???
AMARACHI: it is. So tell me about this Zain o! He is hot by the way.
FUNMI: hot and nice o!
AMARACHI: are you guys dating?
FUNMI: ermm, I wouldn’t say that, but we are just letting things flow freely
AMARACHI: hian! Free flow of things! Ebuka is dying to hear from you.
FUNMI: please don’t tell me about ebuka. Don’t spoil my mood please!
To be continued
