Chapter 4

Chapter 4

Ria runs into the hospital lobby, her clothes drenched by the rain. She runs to the nurses at the front desk of the reception panting hard before she speaks “Hello, my name is Ria, Ria Choudhary, i’m here to check on Leah… Leah Choudhary” she says, still trying to catch her breath. “Okay, please go on and see the doctor” the nurse says to her and she turns around to go when she bumps into a nurse who seems to be in a hurry but stops when she sees her. “Nurse, how’s my mother? What happened to her?” Ria asks frantically. “Miss Choudhary, i’ll need you to stay calm. We are trying to stabilize her,” the nurse says as she rushes to another aisle in the hospital. Ria walks around the intensive care unit clasping both her hands together sobbing as she begins to pray to God. “God, please, have mercy on my mother. Please LORD don’t let her die, she’s the only parent i have please God save her life… please in Jesus Name, Amen.” she prays and continues to sob. She keeps walking back and forth as the same nurse she bumped into earlier rushes back to the ICU. Ria keeps walking around the hospital praying and trusting God to save her mother’s life.

2 hours later

The doctor walks out of the ICU and Ria runs to him “Doctor… doctor, how’s my mother?” she says “calm down, miss choudhary, your mom is stable for now” the doctor says to Ria and Ria clasps her hand and looks up “Thank You LORD, thank You Jesus for saving my mother i’m grateful LORD in Jesus Name, Amen” she prays and the doctor smiles at her. “Miss Choudhary, can we talk in my office?” the doctor says to Ria. “Okay” she says as she follows the doctor to his office. “Miss Choudhary, it is a miracle that your mother got stabilised tonight, but her condition is getting worse by the day and i’m afraid if we don’t get the surgery done on her soon it’ll be really bad for her” he says and Ria’s heart skips. “Doctor, i know, and i’m trying to raise the money for the surgery” Ria says “Miss Choudhary, you need to get the money as soon as possible” he says and Ria sighs not knowing what else to say “Also, her hospital bills are increasing it’s over two hundred thousand dollars now” he says and Ria starts to feel dizzy from anxiety.

1 hour later

Ria walks home with a heavy heart and all manner of thoughts running through her mind. She wonders how she’ll be able to pay her mother’s hospital bills and surgery fee. “I can’t go back to work for Mr Woods, with what happened between us today there’s no way i’m ever going back to work for him” she says with a sigh. “How do i raise money for mom’s surgery and hospital bills? Do i borrow a loan?” she asks but shakes her head in denial “no, i can’t, the mortgage is still yet to be paid” she says. She sits on a pavement by the road side and takes a deep breath before breathing out. “I’ll take menial jobs then, i’ll take 5 jobs if i have to, but i won’t let my mom die” she says with determination.