HOW JAMES KING LOST FULANI MALE GUARD

I needed a security man at the gate of the house.

They brought this 23 year old Fulani young man, married with a son. I have his relative permission to share this story. Let’s say he is ZK(not real name initials).

I took a cursory look at him that day, with a physician’s prying eyes. It revealed all was not well with him.

But he was so calm. Good gaze. Right words. Well mannered.

My heart wanted me to give him a chance at the job.

My head gave me a red flag, objecting to my heart.

My heart won, …as always.

Two weeks after resumption of duties.

No single complain from anyone.

As the weeks rolled by, my heart rejoiced and started confronting my head of how wrong it was not to want to give ZK a chance.

My head was almost agitated.

The conflict ensued.

ZK was always at the gate.

Even nights that I needed to go out at 1am, he was up from sleep to open the gate.

That touched my heart further.

He never regretted working for me, evidentially.

My heart never stopped jeering my head. But my head kept being uneasy.

Then suddenly.

Last Friday night when I got back home from work around 11pm.

As my custom was I flashed my headlights. There was no sight of ZK. I felt he may be sleeping.

So I horned. No response. I horned again. No response from the other side of the gate.

I waited.

A minute, and then several minutes.

No answer. No movement.

I got down from the car.

Used my keys. Opened the gate.

Drove in.

As I walked back to close the gate.

I saw a slight movement at the gateman’s room close to the gate.

I called out his name.

No response.

I ignored the opened gate and walked to his room. Opened the door.

He was lying on the bare floor, wriggling in pain.

I inquired,
“What happened?”

In a very weak and faint voice, he said
“I am sick”.

I got him on his feet to my car, drove out to the hospital.
Checked all his vitals and medicated him. I had an idea was was wrong.

We came back past midnight.

His voice and strength got a bit better.

But my clinical judgement knew something was very very wrong with him.

I told him we shall return to the hospital the next morning for further test and management.

My head started to query me for not listening to it from the beginning.

And now suggested I get his relatives involved.

I called his guarantor/uncle that night and related all the situation. He replied,
“I will be there in the morning. We are very grateful for your kindness.”

It was Saturday morning. I woke up early, did my morning rituals and studies. Waited till 12 noon. He never showed up or called.

I was in the toilet, when I heard the voices of a crowd around the house, opened my window blinds and saw over 5 people around the gate man’s room.

I rushed downstairs in my pyjamas.

He was almost far gone.

My head said, this time around take him to the hospital. Don t wait for his relatives.

I called his uncle. He said he was on his way. I called severally and then finally decided to take him.

At the hospital, urgent laboratory test were done. No HIV, no hepatitis(despite his deep jaundice), his liver function test were slightly elevated most the Total Bilirubin and ALT.

His PCV was 5.1%. In my years of practice, I have never seen such low PCV of 5.1%.
His WBC was over 40.5 /L. Clinically, I felt it looked like Leukaemia. In my head, I would invite the heamatologist to review him after resuscitating him.

I placed him on Oxygen therapy, IV antibiotics, and others

And asked my blood to be taken to transfuse him immediately, since we had same blood group and my blood was clean.

My junior colleague said “Yes sir” to me, but connived with the blood bank people and they refused me donating my blood.

I eavesdropped them saying, “Na so he go dey donate blood for him patients all the time. We will not agree for him to donate this time.”

We got blood from elsewhere after 40minutes and began transfusing.

It was now 2pm.

He began to talk a bit more rationally, and generally improved marginally.

I left for other engagements with instruction at close monitoring.

I came back to him 5pm.

And again at 10pm.

He was doing well.

While I was leaving the hospital that night at almost 11pm, he said to me,
“Oga, Nagode. Nagode sosai”.

And gave me that broad smile, looked me straight in the eyes and we locked eyes.

I was happy and left, again with instruction to the doctors on night duty that I can be reached anytime.

My phone rang around 3:30am.

I picked.

It was a red code emergency.

I jumped out of bed.

Got to the hospital at top speed in 8minutes.

He was lifeless.i suctioned him. Did CPRs (which was already done before I came). Did all the manoeuvres in the protocol books.

He was already dead.

I was traumatised.

Post-mortem was done and it was suggestive of Leukaemia.

May Aljanah firdaus be your final abode, my brother.

~ Doc. James Oshiorenua King
Kano, Nigeria.
17th January, 2023.

Source: Adamazi Mbonu Onyi Jenifer on Facebook

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