Dr! My Heart.

[VINA]

I haven't been at a place where I felt I could write. Once I felt ready, there was a swirl of stories coming to me and I chose this one. 

I do hope that I have fun writing this, and that you can find a place in your heart to love these characters almost as much as you loved 'TEJIRI'. #yeh!! @dequeenwhy you slap me na, #ah @M2DD no vex na. Na play. Lool. Seriously you guys, give these other ones a chance. Biko!

This one is dedicated to every single person that finds time to read my stories and encourage me. Thanks.

 

As usual no comments please, it would be really short so hold all thoughts till I finish it.

Thank you for your usual cooperation.

[VINA]

"Corper shun!" I heard the security guard at the gate shout and I greeted him with a smile as he searched my bags and let me through.

"Ajuwaya!" His partner said and I rolled my eyes inwardly from exasperation. I hated it when I had to wear this uniform but I had no choice. I had just left camp and well, I had to report to my place of primary assignment early so as to avoid rejection. I had already got many calls from my friends in camp who were sad and confused on what to do after they had been rejected by their place of primary assignments and I prayed to God that my case be different.

I finally found the administrative office of the big 'Havana Hospital' after asking for directions. I explained to the woman sitting in the office from my position outside, through a counter and she sighed sadly before saying,
"I'm sorry but we don't take corpers anymore. A directive from the top."

I felt my chest constrict painfully as I examined the implications of what she had said. I hadn't really given a thought to where I could be posted to go work but once divine providence  brought me here, I realized that there was no better place to Serve than this hospital which had put itself on the map.

I remembered how it had been one of the few hospitals to curb the Ebola outbreak some years ago, it had also taken giant strides in surgeries that most hospitals wouldn't dare to touch. This was the place for me and now that I was here, I didn't think I could cope anywhere else.

"Please ma, all of my friends are getting rejected, there are not enough hospitals to work, I need this." She shook her head sadly and I was going to resign to my fate when an SUV drove in roughly. It parked neatly with lots of screeching and  smoke by the sign post reading 'senior management' and from it stepped out a woman. She fumbled in her leather hand bag for a sun shade which she quickly put on and I felt my breath seize for a minute or two.

When my breathe did return, it was harder than required, like I had just run a mile or two. I took her in with mouth agape, I couldn't believe that anyone could look that good.

A man from no where tried to get her bags but she swatted his hand away with a Stern look on her face and walked straight to me. 
"Hello young lady, how may we help you? Agatha why aren't you attending to this young lady?" She said in a sonorous voice but there was an underlay of exasperation in her tone and I found myself lost for words, my tongue felt like a bag of cement.

"Ma, I told her we don't accept corpers here anymore, she said she was posted here."

She turned and looked me over and I had never felt more ugly, more disheveled and totally unappealing in my life. The NYSC kit I was sporting did nothing to help my case, it was a total disaster and I imagined that she would find me wanting and of course chase me away.

"What is your name and what did you study?" She asked lazily as she rested her arms on the counter and pressed her flaring hips to the side.

I willed my mouth to open but it made no such attempt. I fumbled again and again before quietly pinching myself.

"Medicine and surgery from the University of..."

"You look quite young, how old are you?" She cut in and I felt relieved, I didn't want to speaking too much.

"I'm twenty six and I am very hard working."

She threw her head back and laughed. I found myself smiling awkwardly. Even though I was the butt of her joke, I found her laugh to be very contagious.

"I would be croesus rich if I had a dollar for every time a youth corper said that to me. Listen, I have had horrible experiences with corpers and for the past two years, I haven't taken any but somehow, I find myself thinking of the possibility with you standing here and telling me you're hard working. Why should I take this risk?"

"Ma, I'm willing to learn, to improve, do anything you want of me. I just feel so strongly that this place is for me and ..."

"You would do anything?" She asked again smiling as she let the question hang in the air. She beckoned on me to follow her and we were about leaving when two other Corpers walked up to us. 

"Agatha take two, just two, preferably two females. I don't want a repeat performance of what happened the last time we had corpers of the opposite sex working here." She said to the lady in the office and to me she said, "finish your documentation and then drop by my office before you leave, oh and come with your colleague."

I watched her walk away till her tight perfect ass was out of view.

After documentation, I sat with the other Corper who was lucky to be female and we grabbed some snacks and talked. Some few minutes later we were standing outside the door with 'Dr Ameh Osarentin' boldly written. We turned the door a few times but it was locked.

I was just about to suggest we go wait somewhere else when I smelt her perfume. I turned towards the other hall way and saw her smiling warmly at us. She walked faster and apologized profusely for keeping us. 

"I had to perform a cesarean section, I'm sorry once again. if you don't mind, I would like to see you one at a time, so come in both of you." 

We filed in after her and she called in Pamela from the large waiting room to a much smaller one which I guessed was her office. They were in there a few minutes while I sat there waiting with my legs crossed.

Pamela came out to meet me with a huge smile on her face. "She's so nice." She said to me as she hugged me goodbye and left. I walked to the door and knocked. "Come on in." Her voice called from inside and I stepped into a plush office.

"Sit down. Did I have the pleasure of getting your name?" 

I shook my head nervously and said,

"Aisha Aminu ma'am and l really do appreciate the opportunity to..."

"Aisha, nice name. No need to patronise me dear, I already accepted you and for some weird reason, I can't explain why, I'm just hoping that it doesn't turn out to be a mistake on my part. So I'm supposed to give you a break, you have two weeks."

"Two weeks? I appreciate it but I don't think I need a break, I'm ready to start work now." I said in alarm while she swiveled in her chair and chewed her pen. Her eyes assumed a humourous glow and I wondered why she derived pleasure from laughing at me.

" Tempting offer but you are to resume in two weeks time. Once you start you would be grateful for it, trust me." 

"I know but..." Her stare stopped me in my tracks as I shut my trap and nodded. She nodded her approval and turned her attention to a paper work which signified that she was done with me. For some weird reason though, I sat there watching her, definitely not in a hurry to leave her presence. She raised her head up to me again and cocked it the side in a ' you can leave' manner and I finally got the gist and thanked her again before leaving. I sighed deeply once outside as all of my insides was fuzzy and warm and my heart thumped wildly in my chest. I didn't have an idea what was wrong me but I knew that it felt good!

[VINA]

Some days later, I was moping and feeling totally depressed. I was bored out of my mind and I had no one at all to talk or hang with. All of my best friends from school had all travelled abroad to seek better pay. If I was wise enough, I would  follow in their footsteps but Daddy had asked me to stay back. I knew he had good plans for me and I really was content staying in this country that I was familiar with.

Another reason for my restlessness was Dr Ameh, I thought of her every second and it was starting to feel like I was obsessed with her. She was the first thing on my mind when I woke and the last thing when I slept. I was counting the days till I could go back to work and bask in her presence. I didn't understand my feelings for her and I didn't even try to question it or repel it, I just enjoyed it and let it grow. I didn't even try to examine the morality of me fawning over my much older boss who happened to be female. It happened every day right?

Much to my dismay, I remembered the last time I had been at the hospital. As I made to leave, I met the security guards who once again tried to be friendly. The much older one then said something that rubbed off badly on me.
" So she took you. Don't let her take over your life o, she has no personal life, no husband, no kids and that is why she hates to see young people living their life. Becareful before she turns you into herself. You are a fine, responsible girl, that is why I'm telling you this."  I faked appreciation as I nodded politely at the unwelcomed piece of advice. I knew that something was wrong with me when I smiled deeply because in all the jargons the guard had spat, there was the piece of information which pointed to the fact that Dr Ameh wasn't married. Phewww!!! She was single.

I climbed my bed by night time with a bowl of ice cream as I tuned from one crappy television channel to another. I was just about to turn to the next channel when my eyes caught a jingle. 
"Health issues with Dr Ameh, coming right up."

What! I sat up on my bed and turned the volume up a notch. After a few minutes, just by sheer luck and coincidence, sitting right there was my very own Dr Ameh. 

She was looking more beautiful than ever, with a pleasant smile, wearing a beautiful red dress. She started to speak on her topic for the night which was 'Caring for the heart'.

She was articulate and precise in speaking about the heart and how it was a wonderful organ. She spoke on eating right, managing heart diseases and heart attacks. Even though I was a doctor myself, and I already knew half of the things she was talking about, I found that I loved to listen to her and there was an abundance of new things to learn from her.
 
I felt my heart rate increase as I watched her speak and when she opened up the studio phone lines I knew that I was going to call in and speak with her. A very chatty caller who was obviously a regular called in first and he and Dr Ameh bantered back and forth while they talked about panic attacks. I waited patiently with my thumb on the dial button and Immediately the other caller ended his call, I pushed my dial button and the line immediate starting to ring. I turned down the volume of my television and cleared my throat as I heard her chirpy voice on the other end.

"Hello and good evening. Who is on the line?" She asked as I watched her mouth move.

"My name is A.M and I want to say your show is really great. I'm a first time caller," She clapped happily and rang a miniature bell and the gesture made me smile awkwardly.

"Doc, I have a problem. I recently met someone very unique and my heart started to literally beat faster than normal and then I thought of the fact that I might never be able to be with this person in the way that I want and my heart broke. It's not a cliche doc, I felt my heart break, like physical pains that I could feel deep in my chest. This happens anytime I think of the future. How is it possible that my emotions can affect my heart physically?" 

She cleared her throat and smiled warmly at the camera and for some weird reason, it felt like she could see me.

"Well, caller A.M, it's always exciting to fall in love and terms such as “heartache” and “gut wrenching” are more than mere metaphors: they describe the experience of both physical and emotional pain. When we feel heartache, for example, we are experiencing a blend of emotional stress and the stress-induced sensations in our chest—muscle tightness, increased heart rate, abnormal stomach activity and shortness of breath. In fact, emotional pain involves the same brain regions as physical pain, suggesting the two are inextricably connected but how emotions affect physical pain is something that no one has been able to explain. Maybe sometime in the future but for now, I would say you should speak to the person you like and take the risks. What is life without a little risk?"

She asked now smiling broadly and looking straight at me. I felt my chest do the funny dance it always did with her and it was with a shaky voice I thanked her and promised to take the risk. I ended the call as I laid back down and finished the program. It was only after then I slept with a dreamy smile plastered on my face.