CHAPTER SIX
The program started the next week and Zainab wanting to find favor from her mentor was the first to arrive at the lab where her group’s mentorship would be throughout the month and she was surprised when she found out who her guide was.
“Doctor Tristan?” she asked as she came face-to-face with him
“Zainab” he smiled at her, he didn’t seem surprised.
“What are you doing here?” she asked him her eyes going down to his hands, they held hangouts.
“I will be mentoring the aspiring medical students under Prof’s orders” he answered smoothly
She opened and closed her mouth in shock “you are what?”
“Your mentor”
“Mentor for the program?” she asked stupidly
He laughed at her before nodding “Yes”
“Oh Wow” she swallowed “welcome” she said slowly
“You?”
“Me?” she asked confused
“What are you doing here?” he shook his head with a smile
“Oh, I school here” she answered sarcastically
He chuckled “easy on the sarcasm, you getting well guided depend on me”
“Proud much?” she pursed her lips and jumped into one of the seats directly in front of Tristan, who was watching her every move “what?” she asked him when she caught him staring
“How can such an intelligent and smart looking young lady owe me lunch and pretend like she doesn’t?”
She blushed at his compliment before turning back to him “I wasn’t the drunk one”
“You offered”
“Fine” she exclaimed, tired of this back and forth “one lunch and you will drop this”
“One lunch” he nodded
“Today?” she offered
“Not today” he shook his head “when I am ready, I will let you know”
She rolled her eyes wanting peace “Okay”
Her eyes were everywhere except on him, his eyes however were on her throughout. Five minutes through the silence, all the other students rolled in.
“Good morning everyone” Tristan greeted and the group quieted down, all the girls looked at him like he was a meal, he ignored the stares and continued “I am Doctor Tristan Coker, a consultant neurologist and I will be your guide for the month”.
There were quiet whispers between the students, well except for Zainab who was expecting the reaction from her classmates. Krish who sat beside her was the only one apart from her minding his business.
“Okay” Tristan gave a small smile before he passed the handouts to them “these handouts contains everything you will be taught for the next one month, I expect that everyone will go through it, you might not necessarily understand everything there, but we will get to that part soon”
A male student, Ike raised his hand up “excuse me Sir”
Tristan looked at him “Yes?”
“You said you’re a consultant? You look so young or did you school abroad because I understand getting that title doesn’t come easy”
“What’s your name?” Tristan asked him
“Ike Madu”
“Well Ike, yes I studied in the states” his words stirred up more murmurs “but that doesn’t mean I got my title because I schooled overseas, I was smart and I worked hard, I didn’t want to wait too long so I worked very hard” his eyes went to Zainab who was listening attentively.
“But it’s easier to get medical degrees and titles over there” Ike said
“It’s just as easy as it is to get it here” he assured him
“Why didn’t you get yours here then?” Zainab asked him suddenly
He smiled at her “I didn’t have a choice in where I was to study, my parents believed that was the best option”
Zainab bit her lip.
“Doctor Tristan?” another student raised her hand
“Yes?”
“My name is Susan Success” she introduced with a smile “so you’re saying getting a medical degree in Nigeria is easy?”
He shook his head “I won’t sugarcoat it to any of you” he looked around the class “getting a degree in medicine isn’t easy, not overseas nor here, it’s your hard-work and patience and focus that will earn you that degree”
“I beg to differ, Doctor” Krish said and everyone turned to him “my name is Krish Abu”
“Krish” Tristan muttered “so you disagree?”
“Yes Sir” Krish closed the handouts in front of him “being a doctor in Nigeria isn’t just difficult when you get into the university, it starts from JAMB (Joint Admission Matriculation Board) examinations. When you don’t get the required mark for the school, you are forced to changed your course of study and if you however get the required mark, then you need connections and money to get into the school”
“So you’re saying studying a course like medicine in Nigeria requires not just brains but money and connections?” Tristan approached Krish quite impressed
“Yes”
“Hmmm” Tristan nodded “okay, thanks to Krish, I think I have your first research work”
The student exchanged groans and Tristan stopped them
“Doctors aren’t lazy” he told them “give 10 disadvantages of studying medicine in Nigeria”
They murmured
“With references” he smiled “and tell you what? You can’t copy or have similar answers. You must have your different sources”
“I can already think of 2 and I am no medical student” Zainab muttered
“Did you say something?” Tristan asked her teasingly
“No Sir” she shook her head.
“I will collect the research papers by the end of the week, that’s about enough time to research and cross-check” he said “now”
The whole room went silent again
“I have a question” he looked around “Do you think someone with health issues can become a doctor?”
They were murmurs again and Ike raised his hand up
“Yes Ike” Tristan asked him
“If he/she is able to control it and make sure it isn’t a problem, of course”
“So if a doctor in surgery suddenly has an asthmatic attack, what do you say?”
“Then it’s on the doctor, he should have taken care of himself” Ike said
“That’s why it’s called an attack, it can happen any time” Zainab told Ike
“He was careless, if he knows he couldn’t handle it, he shouldn’t have gone for that field” Ike said to Zainab
“Mistakes happen” Krish agreed with Zainab
“And that mistake would not just cost him his license, it could cost him his life and the patient he was operating on” Ike argued
“He had an attack, it could have happened to anyone” Zainab argued back
“We are just going round in circles” Ike said
Tristan watched and listened with amusement
“You could compare his attack to a nervous breakdown, like exam fever or something” Zainab said
Tristan knew he had to stop the argument “Okay, let’s have this added to our research work”
The whole class groaned.
*****************************************************************************
“The hot doctor is your mentor?” Vee gasped at the news
“Yeah, and the lunch promise has been solidified” Zainab nodded
“I will be in your shoes right now, with no complaint whatsoever” Vee said dreamily
“You be Ashawo na” (You’re a whore)
“I take offense to that”
“Abeg, that’s not my problem now” Zainab said “I have two research works to turn in on Friday and I need all the help I can get”
“It’s just the first day and you already have researches? Problem be like bicycle” Vee joked and Zainab laughed
“I have to bring with references 10 disadvantages of studying medicine in Nigeria”
“Wahala” (Problem)
“I will see you tomorrow; my mum is coming back tonight” Zainab said and hopped into the jeep
“Okay” Vee waved at her “I have to see Tunde”
“Why? What’s wrong again?”
“We just need to talk” Vee spotted Tunde’s car “he’s here, I will see you tomorrow”
********************************************************************************************
Zainab’s thoughts ran wild as her heart raced faster about her mum’s return. Her father said the engagement would hold immediately after her mother’s return from Mecca, she wasn’t ready for this, she didn’t want to be that old man’s wife but not like she had much of a choice anyways but she had decided to talk it through with her mum before anything else so the next day evening, she tried her luck.
“Mummy good evening Ma” she greeted her mum immediately she sighted her
Alhaja turned to her daughter “Laide”
She nodded “yes ma”
“How was school?” her mum smiled
“It was fine” she walked towards her mum and sat by her side “where’s daddy?”
“He had something to handle downtown, he will be back soon” she turned back to the magazine she was reading
She nodded and swallowed nervously “Mummy, can I talk to you?”
Her mother looked up again “Sure, is everything alright?”
“About the engagement”
Her mum sat up to listen to her words “yes?”
Her mother’s words made her nervous but she continued anyways “I don’t understand why you and dad decided to get me married so quickly, and worse to someone far my senior”
“Zainab” her mother sighed
“What are both of you expecting from that union?” she asked her mum with tears forming in her eyes.
“Listen dear” her mother held her hands “it’s not what we are expecting, it’s what your father feels is best for you”
“But”
“Don’t interrupt me while I am talking” her mum warned “I have spoken with your father and he thinks getting you married to Alhaji will buy you a better life”
“I don’t want to get married” Zainab sobbed “I want to go to school and have something to show for it, I don’t want to live such an unhappy and regretful life”
“I might not know how you feel, but I understand getting you married to that man is quite overboard so I will try and talk with your father again, maybe a rethink to change his mind”
Zainab nodded
“Don’t cry, if your father refuses” her mum wiped her tears “I will call your grandparents and complain to them”
She nodded again unable to speak, her grandparents would definitely not support her getting married to an older man, old enough to be her father even.