What should i do?

Short story titled: (What should I do?)

Growing up, I don’t always dream, in a year I might not dream but once, but, that once will come to surely come pass, especially when I sleep and it rains immediately after that dream. That thing will definitely happen exactly has I have dreamt. Whether it’s a good or bad dream.

One day, waking up, at about age 10, I dreamt, it was about to rain, I ran to my mother and said….

“Mama, I dreamt thieves are coming to steal our neighbor’s car.”

“Shut up Nonye, don’t you have something good to say. She hissed. It started raining.

That same night, armed robbers came and stole our neighbor’s brand new peugout 505, the car was bought about a week before.

As everyone was shouting and ranting, my mother looked at me and shook her head.

I don’t dream often but at other times, any time the rain is falling and I dream, it will happened just the way I dreamt.

I also noticed that anytime, it’s about to rain, I always have this strange feelings, I can’t explain, like this particular day, I was alone at the bus stop, there was no cab, the clouds had turned black, thunder was rumbling in the sky, how will I get to my house?

The bus stop of my school to town is about 20 kilometers, I can’t trek that, I didn’t want to go back to the lecture halls. I decided to wait at the bus stop. Hoping a cab will come, It was getting dark… The rain started. I was the only one at the car park. To make the matter worse the roof of the bus stop was leaking.

I must have waited for about 20mins, drenched, when this car with the full head light drove pass, the car had gone a few meters ahead then the driver did a reverse parking in front of me, he pressed down the car windows and shouted

” It risky for only you to be here, where are you going”

I shouted “Tanke”

“Hop in, am going to Challenge, I will drop you.”

My mind said No…

Without taking a second thought, I jumped in.

He wind up, turned on the heater and continued the journey. He said…

“Am Nonso Williams, a postgraduate student in petroleum engineering”.

“Masters or PhD,” I asked.

“Masters” he replied.

My name is Nonye Osime, am in my finals, am studying Microbiology.

“So what are you doing in the rain, only you there in the park”.

I have a lecture fixed for 5pm, eventually when the lecturer showed up at 6pm, he only took attendance and said that will serve as 20 marks for his continuous assignment because a lot my colleagues had left.

“Can you imagine, he didn’t come to time and still he is awarding marks for attendance, the audacity of the nigerian lecturers” he replied

By the time we arrived at the junction to my house, the rain had subsided, but he insisted he would drop me at my house. I alighted from the car, but,b before I did, we exchanged numbers.

This was how I met Nonso Williams.

Damm! the devil knows how to put this package together, Nonso was handsome, charming, sleek, ladies man, fine dentition, and dark broad chest, he has all the qualities I look for in a man, when he asked me out, I said yes and I fell in love with him hærd.

We dated throughout my final year, he completed his masters and relocated to Lagos, while I also worked my service to Lagos, so that I can be with him. I loved him with all my heart and I was hoping we would settle down once we could afford it.

Three years thereafter, things didn’t take shape, we struggled, I was the only one working, he was going for interviews upon interviews at the end no job, I fed him, I clothe him, I was there for him. When we drank gari and sugar, I never mind because our future was bright and we both had prospects.

One day fortune smiled on us, he was called by a multinational oil servicing company for interview, Nonso scaled through all the process and he offered appointment…

It was one of the happiest day of our lives, now we can get married and start that family we always wanted. The salary was in six figures with numerous benefits. Within 6 months he had gone to south Africa twice on training, he had worked for about a year when he started complaining about pains in his neck and back, we thought it was the stress of settling into a new terrain. We were planning to go and see my parents at that time.

This particular day, he came home looking downcast. The cloud outside was very dark, It was about to rain.

“Babe what happened” I asked.

“Two months ago I went to the company hospital today to complain about the frequent fever, body and neck pains, the doctors took samples and the results said I have pyelonephritis, an infection that could cause discomfort in one or both kidneys, the results came out today.”

It’s is at the late stage, the doctor is recommending kidney transplant as the viable option.

Kidney what? I shouted.

“The good news is that the company has decided to take up all the medical expenses in India, but the problem is getting a matching donor. I have been placed on sick leave with pay. I have to run further test… He said..

All the tests was conducted but we couldn’t get a donor.

After about six months I said

“Nonso, why don’t I under go this test to see if I can donate mine for you, we can’t wait forever looking for a donor” I advised.

“Babe am tired, am not sure, but do you want to do this?

“Yes, if we are matched, why not? Nonso I love you and can do anything for you.” I didn’t know If i was making the greatest mistake of my life. For I didn’t tell any member of my family, we went to the hospital for the test. The test to see if I was a match was conducted, we were told to wait for the result……

That particular evening I laid my head on the sofa as I was sleeping the clouds let go and the rain poured. So I dreamt….

In that dream, I cried my eyes out and questioned why God will give us a good job and take my fiance’s health. Nonso went for all the test and was on dialysis, the only problem was that we couldn’t get a matching org-n and as luck would have it for him, I was the appropriate donor, we went to India for the transplant and it was a success. We came back and he resumed to his work. Apart from the line scar in our stomachs, we were both fine. Gradually we started getting back our lives.

A year after, he said…

“Nonye why don’t you travel home and meet physically with your parents, so that they can give us date and I can inform my people to bring the wine”.

“That’s a good idea”, I replied.

“I would go ending of the month to make the necessary preparation, will spend three weeks of my annual leave with my people,”

I travelled home to my parents and it was fruitful discussion, everyone already knew him they were only waiting for when we would be ready.

Through out my time at the village, we talked every day on the phone, except the last four days when he said he was going a onshore rig to rectify some issues and phones were not allowed.

I came back to Lagos after spending 3 weeks with my family, getting to our apartment, I knew something was wrong, the apartment looked like the one someone had not slept in for weeks…

What happened?

Where is Nonso?

I dropped my bags and went to the bedroom. Every thing that resembles a man had lived in the apartment had gone. All of Nonso’s things, everything gone, I was scared, afraid and I don’t know what to do.

It’s was like a movie.

I opened the wardrobe and saw an envelope addressed NONYE…

With shaking hands I picked it and opened it reads….

I hate to do this but, Nonye, I can’t marry you, finding from my parents showed that you are an outcast, OSU, I had wanted to tell you, but can’t bring myself to so many times, thank you for all you have done for me, I appreciate you, I have relocate to South Africa, I asked the company for transfer don’t bother looking for me for I won’t come back.

I slumped and was later told I was revived at the hospital.

After many months, I pulled through and focused with life. It took me many years to love again. I couldn’t bring myself to trust any man. About the 7th year, I met Dave, he was all over me for a relationsh¡p, I wasn’t keen, but gave it a try, he turned out to be true, I told him about my past and he never for a day judged me. We got married and it was one of the best day of my life.

Fortune smiled on Dave, he built his company and overtime became a major player in the oil servicing Industry, apart from oil and gas, he has vast interest on Real Estate, Manufacturing and Logistics, I owned a big medical Laboratory in the city and we were blessed with beautiful children.

I was made the co-chairman of Dave incorporation.

“Dear, am recruiting a section manager for the Bonny project, met this guy with impressive CV, the human resources rated him the best out of all. But you have to see him before we finalize his appointment. He is coming in first thing on Monday.

He passed the file to me and as I opened it the picture in the file hit me like lighting. It was Nonso William he looked older, tired but still same Nonso. Blood drained from my face.

Dave could sense it and he rushed to hold me.

Babe what is it?

What is it?

That is Nonso, my EX, whom I told you about. I managed to say.

“Should I asked HR to dump him and pick the next person.” He asked.

“No I will deal with it” I said with my voice shaking.

On Monday as he walked into the office, I could sense his presence, I sat there looking from the observation room at my EX on the CCTV who was about to enter into our conference room.

I was angry, but restraint myself.

The secretary walked ahead with files has I entered into the conference room, took my position at the head of the table, i looked up at him and said..

“Mr Nonso William good afternoon. Am Nonye Dave-Akeji vice-chairman Dave incorporation, you are welcome.”

I turned to the secretary and said

“Nancy you leave, I will handle the interview myself.”

He was staring at me, mouth wide opened, he couldn’t believe I could be on that chair.

“Nonye! What?” He shouted and quickly used his hands to cover his hands.

I smiled and said “I have gone through your Curriculum Vitae and most confess you are the right candidate for this job. But on further assessment I can say you already have what belongs to Me.

My hands went to the line scar in my stomach on reflex.”

“I gave you my kidney, I gave you life, you had a better chance of living and decided to stab me in the back saying am Osu and you can’t marry me… You won’t expect I should give you a project worth 20 million naira per annum in salary again, I am not Jesus Christ so am not your saviour.” With this I calmly closed his file and stood up.

The only condition you can get this Job is to returned back my Kidney…

Return my kidney, you get this job. Simple.”

I said…

As I was about to walk out of the office, he held my hands knelt down with tears in his eyes and said ……

“Nonye please forgive me, I know, I have wronged your spirit, you have the right to do this to me, when I arrived South Africa, the lady, Linda, that I went to meet together we relocated to the States, there, she swindled me, collected all I had, I was sent to jail for domestic violence when I saw her and a man on our matrimonial bed.

She lied against me, I couldn’t concentrate at work, I made a grave technical mistake at work, it led to huge loss of company’s resources, I was jailed and later deported. I didn’t come back to the country with anything, please Nonye forgive me, you have saved my life before, you can save it again, I have been blacklisted as a professional no company won’t to hire my service, but you know how good and resourceful I am …. Please, please forgive me, I need your forgiveness, help me I won’t disappoint on this job”.

He held my legs..

I pulled to let go my legs with tears in my eyes, as I was pulling my legs from his grip I woke up on the sofa to the present day, it was raining, the breeze was blowing the curtains…

So it was all a dream.

I didn’t have the time to process my dream when….

I heard the door bell ringing.

“Who is that?”

“Babe, it’s me Nonso, am back from the doctor, open up.”

I opened the door and he walked in.

“I just collected the test result from the doctor, the results said you are a viable match.

Thank God, thank you, now I can have a functional Kidney.”

He said as he hugged me tight.

My mind went back to the dream, it was so real and clear. It’s like I have been given the glimpse of the future. My heart was beating fast…

“He release me and said the doctor said we should get prepared we would be going to India by the end of the month. He asked us to see him tomorrow for other preparation”

I smiled, deep down I now have doubt..

I don’t know if I should give him one of my kidney, my dreams always come to pass, I don’t want to deny my fiance a chance to life, he would betray me, this I know, should I give him one of my Kidney? am not sure…

As I held his hands another round of rain started.

Tears fell from my eyes.

What should I do, I have the gift of dreams that is now my nemesis.

©️ Written by Abiola Yincarr