It was Dawn when he stirred and opened his eyes, his head ached so much like the pounding of cocoyam for onugbu soup. He could feel his body temperature climaxing. His hands very weak, and his eyes were dizzy. He managed to lift himself from the couch where he had passed the night. The purple old worn-out couch now served as his bed ever since Ifeoma his younger sister went back to school. He had covered himself up with an old bed spread the previous night to keep his shivering body in check. He hated it whenever he felt this way, but there was little or nothing he could do about it.
He staggered towards the door, slide the curtain to the left and staggered out into the varandah. His mom sat there, cutting up tomatoes to make stew for him. He muttered a greeting to her and staggered outside the building, heading to the back of the house to ease himself. The early morning urine always fill his bladder so painfully.
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Twilight, He is sitting in front of Onye-eze's computer shop. He always does this whenever there is a power cut. He stared continuously at passerbys, moving in different directions. Some moving slowly, others briskly and some others in a non-challant manner. The noise from the metal monsters on rubber rolls roaring about made the whole atmosphere charged up. Generators from different outlets belowed away. He thought to himself that these generators deserve a place in the Nigerian coat of arms.
In the midst of all the noise and chaos, all he could do was think. What does the future hold for someone like him. Can he prove everyone wrong that he is not a mistake, or will they be right in the end that he is a mistake that shouldn't have happened. A child that should never have been born.
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PAIN... moments ago, he was bubbling with life and energy like a freshly tapped palm wine. But now, only moments after, he can barely walk. Pains all over his body, especially in his joints. It felt like a giant nail was pierced into his knee. He stirred so much wriggling to the pain. Tears filled up his eyes as ha lamented.
If only he could lay still, the pain will subside but any sudden movement or stir, the pain bounced back.
He felt like cutting off his leg, felt like abandoning his body which was nothing but a bag of pain to him.
Through all this, his mom was always there like a scar, massaging, praying, feeding and washing him. What will you eat she will often ask, I don't have appetite he responded coldly. Not deterred, she still went on to make him food and urged him to eat. She encouraged him to be strong. That he will pull through.
He loved her so much. without her, he probably would have died a long time ago from this deadly disease with no cure.
Sickle cell disease.
A mistake that should never have happened.
© Obinna Okereke