“Lord, heal him of whatever illness that befell him. He must not die, Lord. Extend your healing hands to him, oh Lord,” Kim prayed as she awaits words from the two Sams. She’s sitting in Dr. Sam’s living room. The men are not back from the hospital. For the first time, she looks around and is awed by the opulence of the large living room. One word comes to her mind: royalty.
A careful blend of shades of deep red and purple furniture and curtains in velvety tones of almost same hues is arresting. The barn wood false ceiling with delicate looking chandeliers hanging a few inches down and high window shutters add to the surreal environment. It is indeed a creatively put together interior.
One thing is certain -the owner has no worry for what is a bother to the common man. A phone on the wooden centre table has been ringing consistently. It could either be Dr. Sam’s or his father’s. She moves towards it. It’s in a leather case. It rings again and again. Then her own phone rings. It’s Sam. “Hello…how’s he? Is he okay?” Kim whispers, fears in her voice.
“Yeah, the doctors are with him…er…er… Dr. Sam wants to talk with you,” Sam said, his voice strained. Her heartbeat flutters. Is there anything wrong? Has she done anything wrong? “Is there any problem?” She asked but the voice at the other end rings like cool breeze in her ears. “Hello…” It’s Dr. Sam! “Hi…hello,” she said, her voice sounding so scared. “How’s daddy…I mean your daddy? Is he responding to treatment? What did the doctors say?”
Her heart thumps as she asks those questions. “Daddy is stable. He went under a minor heart surgery not too long ago and is supposed to take things easy. He skipped his drugs for two days.
He said so now. His personal aide travelled for the weekend for his in-law’s wedding and dad went on ‘drug holiday’. Since my sister got married and joined her hubby abroad, managing dad has been a big issue. He has to be under constant watch because he’s hyperactive. Chuckles. I guess seeing a great beauty like you did something to his heart.”
Kim could ‘feel’ a ‘twinkle’ in Dr. Sam’s voice. Somehow, it makes things easier. She finds herself chuckling along. “Oh great. I was so scared,” she said, honestly. “Not to worry dear. Er…I left a phone on the table there.
I’m expecting an important call. Could you be my PA for some minutes…pls…I’m expecting a call from Dr. Aminu at 6pm. Kindly tell him to reach me on my other line. I don’t have his phone number on the phone I have with me here. Can you do that for me… please,” he said.
“Oh, no problem,” she said, glad to be of help to him. “We’ll be back soon, though dad will have to remain here for observation for a while…punishment for not taking his drugs…but that was a big scare he gave us,” he said, adding, “Please make yourself comfortable. The bar is open.
There are nuts and dry fruits in the bar refrigerator. Help yourself dear.” Kim’s feels her head getting bigger. He sounds so cool on the phone! “Make myself comfortable here? If I do, I won’t go home again,” she voiced out loud as she looks around her again.
The well-stocked bar is to her right. As she makes for it, the phone rings. She goes and picks up the handset from the table. It’s a foreign number. She shrugs and picks it. “Honey, I’m angry with you. You didn’t call me since morning. How could you. I’ve been shopping all day and I just remembered that you haven’t called…are you there? Hello,” a female voice said. Kim is confused.
This can’t be Dr. Aminu although Dr. Sam never told her if Aminu is a man or woman. She’s at a loss. She toys with the idea of dropping the call but also realises that it will cause problems for Dr. Sam if she does.
Talking also will cause harm for him if it is not Dr. Aminu. “Honey…are you there? It’s really a bad phone habit to pick a phone and not say a word,” the voice with a British accent said. Kim takes a deep breath and said, “Hello. This is not Dr. Sam. He…” The voice cuts her short. “Who are you? How did you lay your hands on my husband’s phone?
You must be a thief…or you’ve been sleeping with Sam? He didn’t tell you that we’re getting married? That’s how homeless girls like you go chasing after responsible women’s husbands for money. Look, let me tell you, Sam is happily married…”
Kim drops the call. She fumes with anger. How dare she. Whoever she is. She remembers that Dr. Sam never talked about any wife anywhere and hisses. Gosh! She needs that drink now. As she makes for the bar again, the phone rings. She almost ignores it but on a second thought, she looks at it: Dr. Aminu.
She picks it and said, “Hello, Dr. Sam said you should call his other line. He forgot this phone at home”.
“Oh…thank you. How are you? You certainly have a good voice there…thanks,” the cultured voice said. Now, that brings a smile to Kim’s face. Just what she needs after her phone encounter with the lady who claims to be Dr. Sam’s wife. She hisses as she goes to explore the bar.
****
Sam is worried. The phone call from Sandra is an added stress. She could get so nasty.
He wonders what she could have said to Kim and shivers. She has called probably after her conversation with Kim to nag at him. She’s convinced he’s been seeing another woman, has not been giving their relationship the attention it needs, wants to know who picked his phone, bla, bla, bla.
Of course Sandra is a confirmed nag. Something has been telling him that she’s not exactly the wife for him. He needs to get to Kim to find out how badly Sandra made her feel. He feels some guilt as he observes Sam who has been replying mails on his phone. He wishes he hadn’t meet Kim through Sam, it would have been a lot easier. Well, they need to get back home. Kim would have been so lonely. “Thanks sake,” Dr. Sam said as they walk to the car park.
“You’re just the brother I never had,” he added. “Mention it!” Sam said. Dr. Sam turns sharply and looks at his sake just in time to catch the mischief on his face. They burst into laughter. His dad had taken to Sam so much. They spent sometime talking in the hospital. “Your dad is a very simple man. Fun to be with. Even on his sick bed, he’s cracking jokes,” Sam said.
“Hahahahahaha Dad is like that. He takes to people easily. He’s going to bug your life so much. He will want you to be around him so much. We have to guard him like a baby when it comes to his health.
“This is the second time he will give us a scare. The first time, he was at home with my sister. My sister came on a visit. He also didn’t take his drugs then. The doctor had warned him that he needed to be on those drugs for six months in the first instance, after which he would go for a checkup. Yet to see a more stubborn old man,” he said, shaking his head.
“You’re lucky you still got an old man. Mine’s late. But I got a mother who wants to live my life for me, if possible. You need to meet her to compare notes, old age has its own issues,” Sam said. “I sure will meet your mother. Something tells me so,” Dr. Sam said. “Maybe during my wedding,” Sam said.
“Yeah…maybe during your wedding,” Dr. Sam said, his voice going dry. Somehow, he’s getting so protective of Kim.
He will have a man to man talk with Sam about Kim…he will. But first, they need to get back home and be with her. It’s just like his father to spoil a great opportunity to get to know a lady he likes so much…outside her own environment. His mind tells him that their destinies are linked…
******
Is Sam about to lose the love of his life, Kim, to his new friend? Join me here next week as we continue on this journey of life.
