OH NO!

i was working one day when a resident kept calling my name. I walked into her door to check. She was comfortably and safely seated somehow I draw near to ask her why. I said, ” hi, what’s up? ” She said, is that you? Nobody loves me, she said. She is blind.

At that instant I was caught up with mixed emotions. Love??? what is it? Everyday, people report to work to render services to everyone in the hospital. Everyone does the job, but does everyone ever care? I told myself, Oh no, I do not want to grow old - I do not want to be alone and lonely - I do not want to feel insecure.

I moved nearer to give my friend a hug. She started to laugh. I told her how things are - I said, you know I am just around and not an hour pass without me passing by your door and checking that you are alright. Somehow there are 23 others I need to see so please understand that you cannot hold my hand all the time. She started to realize to say something …oh Im sorry I am very demanding and selfish. I said, no you are alright but please do not cry because when I see you in tears, it brings me down as well and my work is affected.

She started laughing and held on me tighter. She said, Chiki I would like you to meet my son Bob. Oh, I did not realize that we had company. I had my back to the door and she was holding on me too close that I did not even realize that someone came in and she was clinging to his arm with her other hand.

I moved back and tried to look up. Oh noooooooooooooooooo, that big, beautiful grin of a man and the eyes !!! and we were so close hugging one confused soul. No, my breath stopped for a while… No, I can not believe this, why did I not notice he came in … my mouth dropped with disbelief … I had just lost my poise. He joked to say, yes my name is Bob that is when I am good but when she finds me naughty I am Robert. I managed a smile, and to save myself from further discomfort I said- alright now, Bob is here, he will keep you company so I must give you time to be together.

I locked myself inside the treatment room for a while. It was a million dollar smile but how could I allow myself to be caught in an embarrassing situation of looking into his eyes. Obviously I melted before him and it should not be. I tried to compose myself again and marched to the station. I pretended to read the charts. He left giving a side glance and a wave of the hand and I said, it was nice of you to come, thank you and take care!

I shared my admiration for the man with my colleagues and they were all in a positive note. Yes, everyone after all had noticed it - in fact I am the last to see it so far. I asked his mom - is Bob married? She said, yes dear he is and he is a very devoted husband and a good father. I said to myself - ah that is good but who knows? I joked with his mom - can you imagine your son smitten by me ? Hihihihi - so very naughty - and we both started to laugh.

Then a lady came in. I was just thinking she must be the wife. I watched what she did. She is a very gracious lady. She had shown concern and attention to my resident as if she were her own mom. She bought her nice clothes and accessories and her taste of moisturizers, lipstick and other stuff were brilliant. She told me, she is a nurse herself and had worked in a similar place that I am now. She thank me as she had seen me as a good girl ( she just did not know what I had in mind earlier).

I gave her a reassuring smile and said - I will do my very best to be kind to everyone. At the back of my thoughts I had to say - and that includes you. Fine and fair.