The Dreams Of My Mother – Episode 48
Episode 48
(Final Episode)
In Lagos, Bella was preparing dinner for her husband, who would soon be back from work when she felt a sharp pain in her lower abdomen, like something was pressing on her bladder. The pain was so much that she fainted. She was lying on the kitchen floor when her husband came back from work. He had called for her and when she did not respond, he walked to the kitchen from where he was perceiving a burning smell. He saw that the sauce on the frying pan was burning and so catching fire. He switched off the gas, and then he saw his wife lying on the floor. Gberan: “Bella! Bella!” he shook her. In alarm, he swung her on his shoulders and carried
her to his car.
At the hospital, Bella had been revived, she thought that the doctor would tell her she was having a late pregnancy. She had been hoping that God would give her a child in her mid- age to keep her company, as Ken had outgrown her. Instead the doctor had a shocking news for her. The doctor told her she had stage 4 uterine cancer, and her chances of survival was slim, but he could have chemotherapy if she chose. However, without chemotherapy, she had six months to live.
Bella: “Mo gbe! God this is too much oh. Is this punishment for what I did to Dayo” she cried, to the consternation of the doctor.
Gberan just held his head in his hands. He was confounded, how could Bella have cancer? He was still thinking of the dilemma they had found themselves when he saw a call from Halima. Since his boss died, Halima had not contacted him, so, he was surprised when he saw her call. But he received it anyway.
Back in Oshogbo, Dayo had undergone surgery to remove the bullets, the surgery had been complicated because of the massive loss of blood and his rare blood group, he was Rhesus positive, like his father Damilola. Halima called Gberan to tell him about Dayo and the condition he was in. Halima: “You need to let Damilola know, he is the only one who can give blood to Dayo. His life is on the balance” she cried and Gberan could tell she had been crying, even him was crying. He had mixed feelings, joy at finding Dayo again, and sadness at the
condition he was in.
Gberan hung up and called Damilola immediately. He appraised him of the situation and it was Damilola would go mad with fear. He got the address of the hospital and got on the next flight to Oshogbo. Gberan also called his mother and told him about Dayo. She did not hesitate to call her driver, to take her to the hospital.
Damilola got to the hospital and donated blood for his son, the surgery was successful, but Dayo refused to come out of coma. His family converged at the hospital, even his two grandmothers, but Dayo’s eyes were shut tight, and his pulse got lower and lower. The doctor’s prognosis was bad, “He might not make it” the doctor said. The news was met with crying from everyone who had come for Dayo. Even patients in the hospital forgot their illnesses and joined in the crying when they heard the story of Khadijat and Dayo. Ken had been jealous when he heard Dayo announce himself, and when Cassandra rushed to him without hesitation, saying things to him and singing to him. But seeing Dayo lying so helpless, with different machines connected to him, and a breathing mask strapped to his nose, he felt piteous towards him.
While others stayed in the hospital’s lounge, Cassandra refused to leave Dayo’s side, she stayed by him day and night. For three days, Dayo as in coma, and on the fourth day he went into crisis. The doctors worked tirelessly, trying to resuscitate him. But at 11:59, the doctors pronounced him dead. While everyone was wailing the death of
Dayo, Madam Lagos called her pastor on the phone, and told him to rush to the hospital. Madam Lagos: “I believe that if we join our faith with yours, that God can bring our son back to life” she said into the phone sobbing. The pastor came with some other pastors in the church. They began to intercede, raising their voices to heaven in a loud cry, asking that the soul of Dayo be returned. While they prayed, the body of Dayo was being prepared to be taken to the mortuary.
Stone wanted to be sure that Dayo was dead, so he came to the hospital, and from the lobby heard the news of the boy who was shot and had just died. He left the hospital, satisfied. They had lost the contract with their client because they could not carry out the operation but he was happy that the boy who betrayed them and caused them all that trouble had left the land of the living.
But the God with the longest hand that stretches forth from heaven to wrought wonders among men, heard the cry of the saints. Even Khadijat’s mother who was a Muslim was shouting the loudest ‘Amen’ to the prayers of the pastors. God heard their cry and just before Dayo was deposited in the refrigerator, he coughed. The people bearing him, flung him away and ran for their lives. How could a dead person cough, it definitely was the work of evil people, they thought. Dayo opened his eyes and saw that he was naked, he looked around and he could feel the stench of death around the mortuary. He ran out of the mortuary and in the hallway, he saw a green surgical garb. He quickly donned it and began to walk away from the
mortuary.
The people who ran away peeped and saw him walking, they stared at him in amazement. The news spread like wildfire, and got to his family who were still praying in the lounge. They hurried to meet him, and Dayo could not believe his eyes. The last thing he remembered was falling because he had been shot, but now he was seeing his family and even the woman whom he always escorted to the market, Khadijat’s mother. He touched his hand, to be sure he was alive. It was his father who rushed and embraced him first.
Damilola: “Oh my son, oh my son” he was too stunned for words, he kept crying and mumbling. Gberan joined the hug, he had forgotten about his wife who had just been diagnosed with cancer.
After the doctor had certified him alright, his family gathered around him and began to tell stories of their lives after he disappeared.
Dayo: “So this is my grandmother?” he asked looking at Khadijat’s mother. He could not believe that he had been so close to his roots and had not known. He embraced her. Damilola’s mother: “I am your grandmother too, I gave birth to your father” she said and everyone laughed. Then they asked him to tell them what happened. He told them everything about the look he saw in Tania’s house before she swerved the car. That he ran away because he was afraid of Tania. He told them about coming to Oshogbo to look for Madam Lagos and falling into the hands of a ritualist. As he talked, they oohed and aahed. They could not believe all the trauma
he had gone through right from when he ran away.
Damilola: “Tania is dead however” he announced and everyone fell silent to respect the dead.
Damilola called the police and after hours of drilling, under the supervision of the doctors, they got the whole facts and knew that Dayo was forced into the gang. Cassandra and Halima also gave their testimonies of how Dayo warned them, even at the expense of his life. Dayo told the police that Stone and his gang were not armed robbers but assassins who robbed to cover their true intentions.
The news of Dayo being brought back from the dead spread all over Oshogbo and even the country. Reporters travelled far and wide to see the boy, and many who did not believe on God and his saving power were converted. There was a great revival in the country, as many were led to the Lord through the miracle of Dayo.
However, Stone was determined to finish what he started, he had heard that Dayo had been brought back from the dead, so he watched him. The police, with Dayo’s permission, used him as a bait. He went to the park with his father, Damilola. His father, did like he was going to get something and went away. Stone who had been lurking in the shadows came out and stared menacingly at Dayo.
Stone: “I treated you well, but you betrayed me. The price of betrayal is death and this time you will stay dead” he said and pointed the gun at Dayo. Dayo had been kitted with a
bulletproof vest, but he was still shaking in his shoes. He was staring death in the face. However, before Stone could pull the trigger, he was fired from behind, he fell and groaned, and immediately, police men sprang out from bushes and captured him.
Bella underwent chemotherapy, her skin became pale, and all the hair on her head fell off. She looked like a scare crow as a result of the chemotherapy, but yet, the cancer did not go into remission. She had three months to live. The cancer had become worse and now she was bedridden. She asked to see Dayo, and Damilola brought Dayo to Gberan’s house.
When Dayo stepped into Bella’s bedroom, he knew immediately that she was going to die that night. He could smell death before he had been touched by the hands of deaths and could recognize its cold, dark, presence. Dayo: “I forgive you, I hold no grudges” he said to the frail, sickly woman on the bed. Bella: “Thank you my son. It shall be well with you” she said.
Dayo went back home with his father, and that night, a call came, Bella had left the land of the living.
Ken had lost his mother and the love of Cassandra because she was now so besotted with Dayo, it was like Dayo did not leave. But he was comforted with the support of his family and friends. Three families were joined as one because of Dayo. Before Bella died, she had admonished his son to be a good man, even when it was not easy to be good, and so Ken heeded his mother’s words and lived amicably with Dayo.
After the burial of Bella, Ken and Cassandra went back to school in the States, and Damilola processed his son’s papers and sent him to the United States to study Medicine and Surgery at UCLA.
The hands of God are not short, that he cannot touch whatsoever is the ache in your life. He says call on me in the time of trouble, and I will deliver you. Strive to be good, even when it is not often easy to be good. Forgive all those who hurt you and never scheme evil against your fellow human, for the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life. Embrace light and flee from evil.
