The Hole in The Wall - Season 1 - Episode 14

Episode 4 years ago

The Hole in The Wall - Season 1 - Episode 14

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When I opened my eyes it was 5:49am. I had totally conked out! 8 hours of sleep and I didn’t feel particularly refreshed. I turned my neck sharply and stretched my joints and was rewarded with a cracking sound. My mouth tasted nasty and I stood up and stretched fully after which I did 46 push ups then went to the toilet in my office to use the mouthwash which thankfully Olivia had bought. This was still her office after all.


I realized suddenly I was hungry or to be fair my stomach reminded me. I saw my car key on the table and remembered what I had been about to do before my body had shut down.
I buzzed Andy and the phone rang and rang. Just when it had to be on its last ring he picked up. “Hello” he didn’t sound completely awake.

“Andy, thank God you’re still around…I want to go to Lagos teaching hospital and I thought you’d like to follow me…its doctor Rasheed he may be able to clear the air once and for all.”
“Nice one…I’d go, we’d both go but its still too early, this is six o’clock, at least by 8 we should be on our way” he clicked off and no doubt settled back to sleep. I decided to wait till seven before ringing again but barely 15 minutes later Andy entered my office.
“Oba…morning bro, do you have toothpaste here?”

“No but there’s mouth wash” I replied.
“Splendid!” He strode into the toilet and seconds later I could hear him gaggling the liquid.

When he emerged he had rinsed the remaining signs of sleep off his face.
“Okay are you ready?” He asked
“Yea…but I’m hungry..has Iya started anything in the kitchen?” Iya was our cook, and she was a splendid one she had a small self contain at the back attached to the building and the open yard was usually the kitchen with coal pots and firewood arranged in a corner.
“I doubt but let’s check..if nothing is ready we’d see somewhere on the way for sure”
“Okay you’re right” I picked up my keys.
“Lemme drive” Andy said and I tossed him the keys gladly. I still felt groggy and didn’t really feel up for driving.

“Let’s check on Bami and Tonye” I said
“I already did before I came down, they must have left sometime in the night…or morning rather”

“Okay…so now first to the kitchen then to LUTH!” I said thinking if the doctor would expect me to go trough his delayed diagnosis code. There was no way I was saying that shït.
Iya had just started cooking and if we could wait a little bit the snacks she always baked/fried every morning would soon be ready. Unless we wanted rice which would be ready in about an hour’s time.

We thanked her and Andy filled two Styrofoam cups with coffee from the dispenser.
We headed to my car and I settled in the passenger seat.

“You’re sure this doctor is still working at LUTH?” Andy asked as we entered the highway.

I shrugged and took a sip from my cup. “There’s no harm in trying”
“Yea you’re right” Andy said after a while.
The rest of the drive was in total silence, both of us lost in our different worlds which I’m sure wasn’t really different.

We were almost at the hospital when Andy said “what if truly Fomé is alive….that would definitely be an awkward situation”
I stared out the window “if truly Fomé is indeed alive, then that would mean she’s a cold blooded killer”
“Fomé’s boobs were definitely huge but I don’t think they were as huge as the clerk described” I said.

“Quite true…but you know humans and exaggeration” Andy said and I couldn’t help but agree.

Although that fact didn’t seem convincing enough, it still held possibility and couldn’t be dismissed outrightly.

We settled into another thinking induced silence that lasted until we got to the hospital.
“Damn its huge” Andy muttered as he parked in reverse.

We got down from the car and strode into the hospital.

It seemed everyone had on a lab coat and a stethoscope round his/her neck.
“Be on the lookout for the diagnostic center” I said to Andy and we proceeded moving through corridors that seemed to interjoin and branch out at certain points. We scrutinized every sign. Eye doctor, Gynaecologist, paediatrician,…… The corridor broke out into a yard and the first thing we noticed was a sign; ‘HIV/Aids 5 minutes Test!
I nudged Andy. “Not exactly what we’re lookin for but its a test after all.
Inside we met an elderly man. He was frail and very lean with a cadaverous and wrinkled face. I would have thought he was a patient were it not for the trademark lab coat and stethoscope he had on.
” Good day sir…please I’m looking for the diagnostic center”
He looked us over and I noticed his eyes were indeed sharp.
“Walk across this yard, you’ll see a corridor that leads to the back..there’s a small building there, that’s it” he described to us very sharply without so much as the slightest slur of his words.
“Thank you sir” we turned to leave but he called after us.
“Why don’t you check your status…its very quick just a little prick on your index finger and a swab of blood..that’s all!”
Andy and I looked at each other and smiled. I could bet my life savings my bro had been celibate since the death of his wife and me…well my eyes were single.
“We’re in a hurry…but we should be able to swing by before we leave” Andy said and we hurried out of the office.

We followed his directions and soon we emerged at the back and a small bungalow not far off stood alone after a scanty car pack. There was indeed another entrance for cars, I knew that now but seriously hoped I won’t need to drive here ever again.

The sign ‘Diagnostic lab’ was above the entrance engraved on a marble slate. We strode in and met a fat woman behind the desk. She was in a nurse uniform and chewing gum rather loudly. There was a waiting room with chairs arranged to face the television on the wall. About three people occupied the seats and were transfixed on the action images coming from the screen.

“Good morning”
“Yes can I help you?” She glanced me over.
“I’m here to see…” I trailed off, what name would he be using…probably another alias just as Dr Rasheed had been. But I knew for a fact his real name was Carmichael.