Short Story: A Failure In Trust #2
Image Credits: Image of broken-hearted woman sourced from Nevit Dilmen (Sunset_02459.jpg; Broken_Heart_symbol.svg) via Wikimedia Commons
CHAPTER TWO
James lives in the resettlement areas that are near one of the country's major highways—a trait that is enviable among many other residents because access to transportation is made relatively easier, and access to amenities with it. These areas are still being developed, and their levels of development range from minimal (with only the very basic things required for human survival) to moderate (where living conditions resemble those of urban settlements in small towns). The latter end of the spectrum accounts for less than one percent of the total population, with the majority being somewhere in the middle, and a significant sum being in the former end, according to my observations.
He waits for only a few minutes before boarding a ride to a business district nearer to the hospital, where he then takes another ride to get there.
The journey costs him two hours, and he arrives just as the staff are retreating from their lunch break.
He passes by a small group of nurses making light talk, and he recognizes one of them. She notices him too and waves at him. Her name is Mandy, and James met her on the first day of Ruth's prenatal visits.
She excuses herself from the group and walks up to James. A quick handshake constitutes the greeting, and the two go right to the heart of the matter.
At this point, anxiety is starting to show on James' face.
"How is she?" He asks this, looking into Mandy's eyes as if trying to insist on hearing the truth.
Mandy's face shows concern. She takes a short while to answer his question, constructing an honest, but soft response.
She maintains eye contact with him as she speaks.
"She's in theatre. They're performing a C-section."
His eyes fill up with tears, and Mandy sees it.
"Don't worry. Ruth and the baby will be fine," she says.
"Okay," he manages to say. His response suggests that he has entered a state of deep thought.
Mandy is lost for words. Anything she thinks of saying doesn't seem appropriate and she ends up holding James' hand, repeatedly whispering, "It'll be okay."
James barely changes his state. He squeezes her hand and sighs.
"Thank you," he says.
Mandy gives his hand a gentle squeeze too.
"You're welcome, James."
James clears his throat.
"I need to be alone for a few minutes," he tells her.
"I understand. Go ahead, I'll keep you informed on her status."
Mandy nods her head, let's go of his hand and walks away.
James finds a place to sit, with good shade, provided by the shadow of a big, leafy tree. It's about six hundred feet away from the hospital's main entrance, so it's quite secluded. Just enough for him to get his mind back together.
He reclines on the ground, back supported by an appropriately shaped rock. His eyes look into the sky, observing the clouds as they slowly pass by. Birds in the tree he's under chirp a repetitive, rhythmic tune. It's irritating, but he doesn't pay much attention to it.
His worst fear has just come true, and he is unsure of how to handle it. He's not even sure if he can handle it at all.
This is something that he has been avoiding thoughts on for a while now, and he earnestly hoped and prayed that it wouldn't come to this.
James loves Ruth so much that the thought of her undergoing any kind of medical operation frightens him. He has never fully trusted doctors and nurses, and everyone and everything else in the medical system. His wife often called him ignorant and unappreciative of the benefits of medical knowledge. He would always flout her advice, and seek justification by flaunting his support for natural remedies to cure most of the afflictions that affect the human body.
It's that lack of trust that's affecting him, as he is now required to accept the fact that Ruth's life—and that of the baby—is dependent on the competence of the hospital staff among many other factors beyond his control.
He thinks of all the possible outcomes, and his mind naturally drifts toward the negative. He knows that the procedure could go wrong and he could end up losing his wife, or baby—and have nothing left to live for.
Tears flow down his face before he realizes it. It is the first time he's cried in a while, and the experience seems quite unfamiliar.
A young child runs by the place he's rested, holding a packet of potato chips. The child looks at James and sees that he's crying. A worried look lingers on the child's face for a short while, before he regains his carefree facial expression, and just runs along.
James doesn't feel embarrassed at all. In fact, he would have been relieved if the child had asked him why he was crying. He would have vented some of his concerns to the child, and relieved himself. He doubts, though, if the child would have understood his situation enough to give him consolation.
He stays under the tree a little while longer, until he eventually decides to meet his fate—go back to the hospital and deal with the situation, in whichever way he can.
He stands up and dusts his clothes off. He has accepted the situation, finally, and now sees things more clearly.
"I'm probably worrying for nothing. The operation might go well and I'll go home in the next few days with my wife and baby."
He makes his way back to the hospital, optimistic and more cheerful, and looks for Mandy as soon as he arrives.
continues in Chapter 3
Copyright © Innocent Mwatsikesimbe
Thank you for reading
Chapter 1
Chapter 2