17 struggle

Avia bit her lips in frustration,"okay,I deserve that."

"Oh you think?" I replied sarcastically,"I would never imagine."

"Oh damn it." Avia grunted in a not very lady like manner and size my arms and forced me to look at her "listen to me kayla,when I said those words,I didn't mean it the way your suborn head,is probably to tell you right now. It because I care about you and I know how hard you are working for your family sake,I just want you to do something for yourself for once. That s all."

Kayla brushed her hands along her hair in frustration,she understands exactly what Avia was trying to tell her,she,just refuse to listen. She sat on the bed and Avia followed suit,"I know,I know,and I am sorry for walking out on you,I was pissed for a lot of reasons and none of them had anything to do with you."

"What is it kayla? I know something is bothering you."

Signing loud "nothing,that you need worrying about,I am okay and from now on I prime,I ll look and take better care of myself okay?"

"You had better or else..."

"Hahaha hahaha sure mom,"

"Ahhhhh what? No way,you are older than me kayla ,so how the hell did I become a mom?"

"And you think I would know that?" I smiled and we both started laughing,"anyway thanks all the same Avia,for your care."

"Nahhh,what are we friends for. But anyway I am hungry,what do you say,we take it out on toast and fried with creamy salad?"

"I say bring it on,bitch."

"Well,I impressed you can curse" Avia smacked her on the shoulder

"Please don t start that,not right now." Kayla singed in surrender

"Hahahaha toast it is." with that,Avia left while I remained in my room.

I collapsed on my bed; I missed my family,so much. People always talk about 'homesickness guess,this is how it feels like.

Later that even,I got really wired feelings,weirder than I had felt before,I knew something was wrong,but didn't know what. Then I decided to call home,since I was not sure of the scary feeling that keeps making me uncomfortable,but as I reached for my phone,It suddenly rang then stopped; I took it and saw close to fifty calls from mother.

I knew instantly that something was wrong,as I dialed back the number my hand started to shake,it kept on ringing and ringing with no answer. After trying for like twenty times,it finally got pick up.

"Hello,mother,are you there?" I spoke hurriedly in fear but instead of my mother voice,I heard a tiny,teary voice

"Hello?"

"Filora,is that you? It's kayla."

"Oh big sister..." filora said and paused,then she started crying,and I could also hear a tiny voice close to her,and I knew it was Aiden "sister help papa is dying."

The moment she has said that,I felt drained of strength,like the whole was crumbling down,even I tried to encourage myself,her tears wasn't helping "Okay calm down filora,nothing is going to happen to papa alright."

"O-k-a-y," she replied with a breaking voice,and It's killed me that I wasn't there to hold them close

"Where is mother? is she with you guys?"

"No,mama is with the doctor right now."

"Okay,then,can you help me to give mama the phone? I need to speak with her."

"Okay,I will do that."

"Thank you love,"

I stood pacing in my room,as I wait for mother to pick the call,my mind was feed with so many thoughts,that I didn't even know which to believe was the truth. I continued pacing and praying for dad to be alright,but the moment mother picks the call and I heard her broken,teary voice,I felt my heart clutch in pains

"Mother?"

"K-a-yl-a help,your father..." she paused and shed tears.

While I listen to the pain in her voice,a tear dripped from my face,"Mother calm down and tell me what happened."

"About a few weeks back..." In tears,mothers told me how dad,had an heart attack,and he was rushed to the hospital because they didn't have enough money,he couldn't stay to get treatment,they just gave him some little drugs,but last night after working on the farm,he came in then after a while,he screamed and collapsed,they had rushed him to the hospital but without depositing some money he wasn't allowed inside and according to the doctor they is a blood clot blocking his heart,because of that he needed an emergency surgery or he won t make it in the next few days . "I don t know where we can get six hundred thousand kayla,I begged them to take the house and the farm,but to save my husband,but they refuse. Kayla what am I to do?" mother broke up in tears and I could hear my sister crying along too.

I signed a little relived; I was happy after hearing the problem,why? Because I knew I had the money for father s surgery,it was a problem I could solve,and I was glad that I never listen to Avia and spend the money I had saved up,because if I had,I would need to go beg for my father s health,they were no regret "It's alright mother,everything is going to be fine."

"How kayla? Your father...."

"Mother is okay,don t cry anymore... Is the doctor there with you?"

"He was... he left a while back."

"Okay! Do you know where exactly he is?"

"Not really,but I suppose he went back to his office,why are you asking?"

"Nothing,I just wanted to speak with him,can you go give him the phone? Please;"

"Okay dear."

After a beep,a muscular voice spoke on the other end,"Hello."

"Hello,good day sir,"

"Good day,may I know who is speaking? Please."

"Oh sorry,my name is clement kayla and the woman standing in front of you right now is my mother,and also the man whom you said is liable to die soon is my father."

"What I never said...."

"It's alright sir,you were just doing your job,so I want you to tell me exactly,what is wrong with my father and what is needed to be done for him to be alright?"

A heavy signed came from the other end "well,your father has a 2nd stage clot in his heart blocking the normal flow of his blood from flowing,and for the blood to flow just fine,a surgery needs to be done,right now."

"Okay and you are certain that once it's done,fine,father will be alright."

"He should be."

"Should? Why is there a 'should ?

"Well,every terminal disease has stages and one it gets to the highest which is 4th,the patient will die,so that of your father is the 2nd stage close to the last stages,it might have causes other damages that,is yet to be detected."

"Oh! Then can you run a test to see if they are any other issues with him?"

"We could but not with the clot still in him,his vital have gone weak,if we try to perform any test,I can't say for sure what will happen and since they are already an issue,we might not be able to detect anything. So the surgery for the clot has to come first."

"Okay,and how much,are we talking about here ?

"About six hundred thousand Naira,I told your mother already." he replied

"About? Again that uncertainty in your voice,doctor,is giving me a double mind,this is my father we are talking about. But nevertheless,I hope the 'about six hundred thousand naira includes the drugs and other necessary needs for him,till he gets better,I don t want my mother to be disturbed for anything else."

"Your name is kayla,right?"

"Yeah so?"