CHAPTER 2
Christopher Edwin, A Doctor at Michael Reese hospital south Chicago and owner of a large farm, married to lady Morgana. He was not just a doctor but one of the most famous person in south Chicago. He was a different kind of man, loving to his family and the people at large regardless of their race and believe . on that very day he saw Omar, he got an urgent call that needs his attention at the hospital to save a delivery woman before having a car break down that Omar came to his rescue . as soon as he arrived the hospital, he was welcomed by the nurses with agitation .
" welcome doctor chris, the patient in ward 15 has been bleeding , she feels no contraction and she is due for delivery. "
" is any member of her family here ? " he asked walking hastily to the ward of the patient .
" yes sir, her husband is here ". He reached the ward of the patient and saw her lying down . the bleeding has made her debilitated. She can't go the natural way being so weak and not feeling contraction in her muscles . he turned to nurse May, who was standing close to him .
" call him for me "
" yes doctor " . she rushed out from the ward to the hospital lobby where she saw a large number of people sitting, it is going to take her time if she wants to look at every person to find him, so she took her register and called out his name
" Mr henry ! Is Mr henry here ? "
" yes nurse I'm here " he replied getting up from where he was sitting
" please follow me ". She led him to the office of Dr chris.
" Here is the husband to the patient sir " Nurse May informed .
" please sit down " Mr Christopher told henry, who was only wishing to be told his wife has delivered but for him to be invited into the doctors office, he knew something was definitely wrong . Mr chris cleared his throat and asked him
" Mr Henry right ? " the latter agreed with a nod .
" your wife can't go natural , she needs to go through cesarean section and we do not have much time left, we need your approval before commencing anything "
" If that will save my wife and child then I give my permission , but please I hope the both of them will be okay ?"
" they will be okay, just sign these papers so that we can go do our job '' . Henry collected the papers and signed them quickly , his heart was in his throat . he have heard of women dying during cesarean section and also loosing the child. He never wished for his wife to go through a cesarean but here he is signing the papers .
" Take the patient to the operator theatre .
Just before they commence the operation mrs Henry felt a contraction for the first time and it happened again after three minutes . the baby was ready to come out natural . Christopher told the nurses
" let's deliver the child without a cesarean section " he then turn to mrs Henry
" Be strong for your child please , Are you ready ? "
Mrs Henry opened her eyes and stared into Christopher. She nodded her head at him and grabbed the side of her bed tight. She breathed out
" I'm ready ". Christopher nodded his head and went to the end of her . he signalled the nurses with a nod. He grabbed his gloves and placed them on .
" Alright, on your next contraction, push "
Her eyes rolled back in her head as the familiar contraction of her muscles came through again, she screamed and with all her might , pushed.
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Four hours of pushing later, mrs Henry was close to giving up she had suffered too much . her breath had become more erratic than before and her eyes threatened to drop any second .
" I can see the head " Christopher muttered. That triggered her, willing to bring her baby alive she pushed with all her might till she heard the cry of her child . everyone let out a sigh of relief. She knew this delivery was only a miracle not after the bleeding, she thought she won't make it. She closed her eyes and smiled warmly feeling blessed.
" you can rest now while we clean the baby " nurse May advice. She nodded and rest her head .
Dr chris came out from the operating theatre and saw Henry enveloped his face in his palm, quivering at the place he was sitting . he parted his shoulders and he jolted up
" yes doctor "
" we couldn't go through cesarean "
" what do you mean doctor ? M.... My wife is dead ? " he asked with eyes full already.
" your wife delivered naturally " Dr chris informed him with a smile to relieve his fears that has occupied his heart. Mr Henry was elated, he hugged christopher tightly and wouldn't want to let go . Henry made him felt like a hero but he gave all the credit to God and to Omar . if he hadn't helped him with his car, mrs Henry wouldn't have been able to make it if she continue bleeding.
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He arrived home late at night as he had to attend to other patients and assure their wellness before leaving the hospital. And as usual he saw his wife buried her face in her book . well what would you expect from a professor in history and a linguistic lecturer. Reading has always been part of her .
" you arrived late today "
" Had a lot of patients to attend to . you won't believe what happened today ". She looked away from her book and direct her gaze to him interested to know about his occurrence.
" I'm listening . tell me, what happened ?."
" A colored man made me a hero, and saved the life of a mother and child " . Morgana's stare turned into a glare. She returned her gaze to her book.
" why did you look away ? " he asked noticing the change in her mood.
" you want to tell me and i have no objection to hearing it " her reply was enough to show the irritation.but Christopher continued narrating what transpired earlier his day
" okay, my car broke down, there was no mechanic shop close to check the problem for me and I was having series of incoming calls informing me about the woman in labour. Her first child and she was loosing a lot of blood . I gave up hope arriving the hospital on time to attend to her but then he came to my rescue . A black man from the ghetto, he stopped and repair the faults without taking a dime from me ." she just grunted not deigning her look from the book, flipping to the next page.
" And he was not just a black, he was a Muslim " . that made her raised her eyebrows at him and then she returned to her book again .
" I was so pleased with his favor I gave him my card to come visit "
" you did what! ? " she finally speaks out
" I want to have a conversation with him and help him any way I could "
" you would do no such thing " she opposed fiercely
" why ? I want to reward him for his kind act "
" you could have given him some money "
" I did but he refused "
" then he doesn't want to be rewarded" . she replied continuing with her book
" And that is why I'm inviting him over so that I can reward him with something better . he did not only save my career, he also saved the life of a mother and a child . if I didn't arrive at the hospital on time we could have lost both of them because she was bleeding too much ".
" you are not inviting a black terrorist to our house " she ordered intrepidly
" He helped me ! I never called him a terrorist I said he was a muslim . "
" And what is the difference between the two, a muslim and a terrorist are same . "
" let me tell you Morgana, he is coming and you are not going to disturb my guest. Is that understood ?"
" oh now you value your guest more than the lives of your children and i, right ? "
" For goodness sake Morgana, our children are schooling in manchester how is their lives being endangered ?"
" I don't want a black in our house period ! ". He glared at her and replied no more.
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After their evening prayers they will sit together and learn the words of the Qur'an ( holy book ) before retiring for the night. Hauwa who was eager to inform her husband of what happened in his absence couldn't wait for the conclusion of the prayer. She smiled to kwairah every 2 minutes and kwairah chuckles whenever her mother smiles at her . imran didn't need a soothsayer to know that there is something going on between mother and daughter .
" why you smiling mother ? " Omar asked
" I tell them kwairah ? " she asked her daughter who nodded to agree .
" Mahmud father come by Afternoon and beg to give kwairah to Mahmud for marriage." Everyone was surprised. Mahmud was not a black he was of Asian race. A post man who delivers letters to the ghetto residents. He lived in mitchigan with his family. He felt affectionate towards her when he came to the ghetto to deliver a letter to a neighbor of imran. He had made enquiry about her in the neighborhood and both the black muslims and Christians praised her decency . that convinced him that she was a noble woman to me married to. Kwairah was 17years at this time. She was womanly enough to be married. Imran was excited of the proposal, a proposal that was coming from a noble home and a gentle man. His wish has always been to give his only female child to a respectable man . she was the pearl in the house, and explains the meaning of her name which means most prettiest . she was brown skinned with curly long hair and eyes with color of the sky. She took so much of the beauty from her mother .
" it is a good news indeed, but kwairah will not marriage until she is 18 ". That marred a frown at her face. She sees herself ready enough to become a wife, why must her wedding be extended ?
" But father me is 17 already ? "
" yes, 1 year remain. When you complete 18, I give you in sha Allah ( if God wills ) for marriage ."
" 1 year remain for you sense to complete " Omar teased. The whole family laughed to his ridicule but kwairah didn't find it so funny .
" And you, you sense is not complete ? Why not marriage ? "
" me is man, me marriage when me like, now me need plenty dollar " the family laughed again to their little argument .
" Even Omar has good news " Imran announced
" yes yes, me have good news " he said proudly .
" what ? Tells us please Omar " Hauwa asked
" well, me help a white somebody today and him give me card to come visit his home "
" is safe ? " kwairah asked worried
" I think you no go Omar, this is very bad news " Hauwa cautioned .
" ummi ( mother ) why you and kwairah think is bad, not everybody do bad to black " Hassan corrected their condemnation.
" True Hassan. But people say we Muslims be fighters and killers, so we stay away from people to avoid problem " Hauwa insisted
" yes people say so, but if we hide ourselves how we can show people we not what they talk . But we come out and show people we good in here ( he pointed to his heart ) and they will no talk bad of we again . " Hassan replied . his opinion was asserting, it silence the complain of his mother and sister . they were totally out of words because his statement was true. People won't know who you truly are if you keep hiding back. Imran was silent . all this while he listened to their arguments and he felt very proud of every response Hassan gave. A 10 year old just enlightened his mother and sister. He ruffled his hair affectionately and kissed his forehead.
" Good talk my boy, Good talk ".