I got a call from an unknown number on the 13th of July
asking me if I was Mrs Nneka Kassim. I almost replied my caller by saying, “No,
it’s a wrong number” but I changed my mind to answer in the affirmative. “Yes,
I am Mrs Nneka Kassim, how may I help you?” I asked my caller.
My name is nurse
Deborah calling from Diamond Clinic. Your husband is on admission in our clinic
and his condition is very critical.
Your attention is urgently needed to save his life. Delay can
be dangerous madam, she said and hung up. Its true Kassim had hurt me but would
I let him die? Nneka you need to put away your anger and save the life of your
husband, I encouraged myself. I put a call to Toyin to meet me in Diamond
clinic immediately. I chartered a taxi that drove me straight to Diamond
clinic.
Without any word from the doctor, I was whisked away to the
laboratory where my blood sample was taken and tested. The agitations and fear
on the staff faces was worrisome, hence no one was willing to talk to me. Can
someone tell me what is happening here? What’s wrong with my husband? I angrily
asked a nurse. Ma, only the doctor can talk to you on this, and like you can
see he’s running helter skelter trying to save your husband’s life. You just
have to remain calm until he’s ready to talk to you. I was really angry because
this situation will bring us together without Kassim realising the evil he has
done. I tried to be calm but that was not easy. The doctor and the nurses were
busy going up and down and talking to each other in a way no one was hearing.
After two hours of tension, I was invited to see the doctor
in his office. I insisted Toyin should come along with me but the doctor
refused her in. She’s everything to me and I will like her to hear whatsoever
is wrong with my husband. No, I will like to talk to you alone for now, the
doctor prevailed.
He ordered me to sit down on a chair in front of his desk.
Mrs Kassim, it is sad to announce to you that your husband is having a chronic
heart condition that requires intensive care in China or we lose him in a
month. God forbid, my husband will not die, he will live to declare the works
of God, I rebuked the doctor sharply. Well, I am a minister of the gospel and I
have faith in the healing power of God but I advise you fly your husband to
China before it is too late.
I called my in-laws immediately to come down to Lokoja. I was
made to deposit N120,000 and two pints of blood was taken from me. Toyin had
called baba to join us in prayers and pleaded with him to send some prayer team
to us. I was going up and down at the hospital reception not knowing what to do
next.
When the prayer team arrived, they swung into action. Their
prayers were directed against untimely death. The only sister among the prayer
team stopped the prayers and shared her vision with other team members. “While
we were praying, I saw brother Kassim in between two women, an old woman and a
young lady. They tied his neck with chains, dragging him to an unknown
destination. Immediately after the sister’s message, their prayer points
changed and the prayer became more intense until the clinic management barged
in and requested we lower our voice because our prayers were disturbing other
patients in the ward.
I had to sleep by him in the clinic that day. By the
following day, my mother-in-law and my brother-in-law had arrived. I tried to
brief them about his condition but they seemed to know more about his ailment
than I know. They went out to talk and by the time they came in, they requested
he should be discharged. This case is not hospital case, we are taking him to
the village for traditional treatment. The doctor did not protest at all. I was
shocked when he did their bidding without hesitation. I made up my mind to
travel with them to the village. I called my colleague in the office to inform
him about the development and the need for me to travel to the village. I
begged him to cover up for me. The journey to the village was the end of hiding
for my husband.
