Islanders (Nigerian) #3

Chapter Thirty Three

       Debola had sat at her seat, she was tense and she couldn't hold it in anymore. Her eyes followed the people she could still recognize from before. The mother, the father and the son, who came in everyday.

     Sixteen years ago, She had been a nurse at the mini hospital they had built into the house on the top floor.

 
    She remembered the first day she got here like it was yesterday. They had arrived in an helicopter on top of the house.
    She and two other nurses came down from the helicopter, they had been given none disclosure forms amongst other agreements to sign.
       A lawyer was present.
  That was the first time she had met the award winning Surgeon, Dr. Olateru despite working as a nurse in one  of his hospitals. He had showed them around their new work environment.
     He had shown them a two man mini living quarters.

"Under no circumstances are you allowed to leave this hospital to other parts of the house. You've signed a none disclosure agreements that binds you to keep what ever you see or hear within these walls till death"  he had said, making her instantly regret the offer she had taken without hesitation when it had been offered to her earlier that week. She needed the money and the pay was more than fair. Two years pay for less than a months work just to look after an old dying man.

         She had expected to see a lot of people come by to see the old man during his last days but only his Grandson, his wife and their son came by.

     After looking after him all day she would change shifts with the other nurse then retire to their almost windowless room. The windows were very high and never needed to be open. There was constant light, they had someone who brought meals up for them four times a day. There was a vent and an air conditioner. She couldn't believe the ease she felt that she almost forgot about her recent break up with who would one day become her husband
  
     Days, turned into weeks and weeks turned into months. Her routine remained the same walking back and forth the white hallway. She didn't mind as long as her pay increased. The old man remained unconscious, she wondered why his family didn't pull the plug  and let him rest so they could share his wealth.

 
      Weekly they would be interrogated by whoever they met In the office.

"Isn't it a beautiful morning" they asked her one day

 
"I wouldn't know, I haven't seen the outside in a month now"

"I see you may leave. Call the other nurse in please"

 
      After that interrogation, she had come to their room while Debola was on her bed reading a novel and started packed her belongings.

"What happened?" She asked her quickly

"He asked about the morning and I said it was lovely based on the view outside the window and he said to come and pack my bags"

Debola never heard of her again.

There was only one window low enough for anyone to see what was happening outside in the whole hospital and it was the one in the room where the old man was in.
      She too had been tempted to look out of it a couple of times but never gave in to it.
      
    She worked alone from then onward.
     One day as she was about to leave the room he had woken up.

 
   "Who is there" his husky voice had said
"Good day, sir" she said smiling down at him before pressing a button to alert Doctor Olateru

"The eagle has arrived" would later read on his pager.

       The next few days he would sit up in bed. An hour each day his grandson and son would stay by his side as they talked about things she couldn't care to know about. Other days she would feed him and help him seat on his wheel chair. A male nurse had been brought in to handle other things she couldn't handle.