“Matron, horrible things are
happening in this town these
days” a nurse said immediately
she entered through the door of
the matron’s office.
The office look quite too
downgraded for a whole local
government general hospital
building; wooden chairs lay facing
another wooden table that looked
like it would soon collapse. The
table bore some large files, a tray
to left side and other little
accessories that the matron would
prefer she left them just where
they are, for her easy reach.
Dark and extremely robust she is
and so, standing up happens to
be the biggest task anyone could
give to her once she is sited on
her padded office chair.
“NTA Ankpa just announced a
case of some missing childrecase of some missing children
and they said they would get the
details across shortly…”
Matron Udale replied while fixing
her gaze on the Apple iPad Air 2
on her hand as if she read her
last statement from it. The
younger nurse continued talking
till she somehow offered herself a
seat and right then the matron
knew that the next bulky minutes
of her time would be wasted. Ever
since Jane joined the hospital,
she has been notorious for highly
elevated level of gossip such that
most people in the hospital
disliked having a conversation
with her let alone on a topic
making news headline such as
this.
‘Uhmm! God will help us’, was
what Matron Udale could say to
her, after heaving a deep breath.
“Matron…” The younger nurse
started, “Most times I wonder
what they do with those little
children they kidnap, especially
the girls. In fact, they now
‘kidnap’ adults only to demand
ransom. That’s the height of it”
she gesticulated all the way
through her statements. She sat
halfway into the chair in the
gossip fashion and much louder
than her voice, the movement of
her hands did bulk of the talking.
Unlike the other staff, only the
matron is tolerant enough to give
listening ears to all her tales.
The matron, on her own side,
feels the younger nurse was just
being exuberant because of the
young blood still flowing in her
veins.
‘She would grow up soon’, the
matron always consoled all the
staff that comes to report Nurse
Jane to her.
Of course she should.
When children now finish
secondary school at mid teen and
already bag a first degree as early
as nineteen, some of these
childishness in character is bound
to happen. That is surely the case
with Jane and coupled with the
fact that her father is the
immediate past chief nursing
officer of this general hospital,
securing job here was as light as
a bunch of dry cotton wool for
her.
“Matron, don’t you think all these
emanating vices amongst our
youths are as a result of lack of
employment? I mean, how can I
have all the requirements for a
job and still need a ‘leg’ to get
it?” Jane questioned as though
she was lamenting: more like
letting loose some overdue
grievances off her mind. Her
voice was not as sharp as it
usually sounded. She spoke with
utter disdain and bitterness
streaming up from her inside,
biting her lips at every break in-
between consecutive words.
Matron Udale took in another
much needed calming yet deep
breath. She didn’t know the best
answer to give to the slim, fair
with neatly tied long hair, young
lady sitting in front of her right
now. She can’t even tell whether
Jane’s last statement was actually
a question. It is true that things
are falling apart. She remembered
during her youthful days, a
primary school graduate can get a
middle class job that could cater
for basic needs. She got a job
immediately she was done with
School of Nursing, Makurdi – one
of the two nursing schools in the
entire state then; it was easier for
a camel to pass through the eye
of a needle than students
securing admissions there. Her
major disadvantage was also that
she had schooled all her life at
Emodu Community Secondary
school Ofabo, so her level of
exposure to the world was very
low. However, she was such a
bright girl, have always been. That
is why Baba decided to send her
to school while her elder brother
help out with the work at home
and on the farm. Although, this
gesture came handy in the mouth
of critics as they devoured Baba
for being so stupid as to send a
girl child to school.
‘She would amount to nobody’,
‘She is only a girl and should be
kept at home to help’, ‘Her brother
should be sent to school instead’,
‘In the end, she would be married
off to another family, and all your
efforts would be in vain’, ‘women
education ends up in the kitchen’,
these and many more were some
of the sayings from the villagers
and extended family members.
Instead of the circumstances
around her education deterring
her, she took it as a big challenge
to prove each and every one of
them wrong in whatever way she
could. And as a wise man said ‘
the best revenge is to be
extremely successful’, she pushed
through her secondary school
with very excellent grades and got
admission into the school of
Nursing that very year. In the
higher institution, she was tops as
well and everyone on campus
knew Udale – the bright and
reserved girl. On the day of their
graduation, a lot of private
hospitals as well as
representatives from government
hospitals came in to give them-
the best among them- job offers.
She finished as the best
graduating student of the year and
a lot of offers were made to her.
It was after lots of consideration
and persuasion that she opted for
this hospital. Maybe because Dr
Matthew who was then a ‘Bro
Matthew’ in church, lived in
Ankpa. Bro. Matthew tickled her
fancy from the very day she
joined the prayer unit of Kingdom
Destiny Ministries, Ankpa. He was
the head of the prayer subgroup
then and his charm, charisma and
ultimately, depth in God made
almost every lady in the church
fall over themselves in line to
have him for keeps.
Udale felt going back to the
village, for the few months of
compulsory waiting before
resuming her work at the general
hospital, was not sensible in any
way, even though her father and
elder brother were strongly
ingratiating she came back home
at least for few weeks. She
stubbornly remained in Ankpa,
living in her pastor’s house and
wholeheartedly dedicating her
time to the service of God in
church. Though some part of her
felt like getting back to Ofabo,
meeting with those sets of
persons that criticized her
educational pursuits and waving
her certificate as well as her
award of excellence at their faces.
That way, less people would
oppose female child education
and as well reduce the cases of
gender bias. She kept this plans
stuck up in her head until Bro
Matthew came into her life,
became an integral part of it and
a lot has become history since
then. Yeah, things changed. For
better and for worse!
“Matron…?”
“Eh! Uhnm!…” Matron Udale
murmured immediately Jane’s
voice brought her back from her
thoughts. She had tried to
preoccupy her mind at every
given opportunity, so as to avoid
all these thoughts and memories,
that result in mixed feelings, from
popping up strongly in her head
over and over again.
It’s been getting more impossible
these few days especially with the
recent arguments and
misunderstandings that arose in
her home.
“What is the problem, mummy?
Your mind seem to be very far
away” Jane asked, searching the
older woman’s eyes with hers.
Matron Udale smiled. Was she
just called one of the best names
she had been wishing to be
addressed with over the years?
Did the little nurse really mean it
when she said ‘mummy’ or was it
just a slip of the tongue? These
questions flew through her mind
in rapid succession and she knew
better than to get drown in her
thoughts all over again.
“No problem darling. I was only
going back memory lane. You
know, things have really fallen
apart in Nigeria…?” She
stammered her responses.
Jane gave her the ‘I don’t believe
you’ look and that made the
matron more uncomfortable. There
was no way she was going to tell
her all that ran up and are still
running mercilessly in her mind
and head. There are personal and
private. More so, the little girl
would need to live for a minimum
of another twenty two years to
understand the situation she was
in right now.
“Well…” The matron wanted to
continue but was placed on hold
by the flip opening of her office
door.
“Madam!” the tall male nurse, that
just barged in on them, called her
with a voice that sounded like
someone just escaping from a
venomous pursuit of a wounded
hyena.
“What’s the matter, Ephraim?”
Matron asked as soon as the
‘madam’ barely came off his
mouth. She couldn’t understand
why the nurse sounded like he
was being pursued and the more
she tries not to imagine whatevshe tries not to imagine whatever
could have gone wrong, the more
her heart threatens to jump out of
its cage.
“Someone is waiting at the
reception, he said he needed to
see you very urgently”
Ephraim responded swiftly.
Matron Udale sat up, she couldn’t
mask the sore fear in her eyes
any longer,
“Someone? What happened? I
hope nothing has happened?” she
questioned loudly but to no one in
particular before looking up at
Ephraim.
“Let the person in here”
Ephraim vanished out through the
door immediately the order was
given. Jane sat still, looking at
the matron’s eyes and couldn’t
understand why the elderly
woman should get this agitated
over having someone, whoever,
come over to see her urgently in
the office. To the best of Jane’s
knowledge, this is not the first,
neither is it the second time
madam is having an emergency
visit or better still, that someone
would come look for her during
working hours. Why is everywhere
tensed today?
“What is so different about
today?” she voiced out before
she could stop herself.
The matron, who is now standing
and walking towards the window
as though she suddenly started
feeling hot in the well air-
conditioned room looked down at
Jane with confusion in her eyes.
Jane shrugged.
Udale didn’t know why she was
this nervous and afraid. Maybe
because she had it well planned
out earlier this morning and
anything going wrong right now
meant more of danger than
goodwill. The NTA were yet to get
back to them in details.
The door opened again and
Ephraim led the fellow into the
office leaving as briskly as he had
left earlier. The fellow looked dirty
and sweaty all over with eyes
bearing what was borderline
between anxiety and fear. The
thick hands and feet resembled
that of someone that was just dug
from underneath the earth few
hours earlier. Udale kept on
looking vacantly, showing almost
no expression on her face. Jane
had turned her chair in such a
way that she would get a perfect
view of the possible actions that
could ensue between her madam
and the fellow. She knew the
hospital was the best place for
whatever mishap that could result
from issues of this nature,
because prompt care will come
for whoever becomes victim at the
end of the day.
“I’m so sorry, forgive me…” the
fellow started.
With the way the matron looked,
she must be very familiar with the
face standing before them. The
two women waited patiently for
who would begin the talk since
the fellow came in, and starting a
talk with apologies straight ahead
was more threatening.
“What happened?” Matron Udale
screamed in fear when she
couldn’t bottle it in any longer.