MADAME DORIS P.O.V
I watched my husband's eyes pulp. He held the receiver at a death grip. What was the matter now? I stood up from the chair and dropped the Egusi I was peeling on the floor.
I gave him a sign to tell me what was the matter, but he didn't answer me.
"We will be there,” he told the person.
I jumped the gun when he hung up.
"What happened?" I asked him in panic.
He grabbed his car keys. "Gaby is in the hospital," he said bitterly.
I gasped and quickly removed the apron on my waist.
“Oh my God! It's all my fault. If I talked to my husband more about taking Gaby to a boarding school, this 547Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZUpMFKmw1y
wouldn't have happened,” I rued.
I raced after him because he was already out the door. I quickly locked it and entered into the car. It's like the pastor knew this would happen, and hence he came over today.
Tears spilt from my eyes. "It's all my fault. I could have stopped you from making such a decision but I didn't," I said as shame washed over me.
"Don't say that, honey. If there is anyone to blame, it's me. I would try to be a good husband and father to both of my angels, from now on," he stated solemnly, holding my hand with his right one.
Thirty minutes after, we were at the hospital. Luckily, it was St Peter's hospital, our hospital. We sprinted into a 547Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡL0gOtX2v7m
run. Getting to the receptionist, we queried about our daughter's state.
"We are the parents of Gabriela Endurance Adugo Achortam," my husband reeled off.
"Wait awhile." She checked something in the computer. My husband squeezed my hand in support.
"That's Ward 222. It's along the root over there," she pointed at the narrow lane adjacent to the place we were.
My husband and I ran to that area anxiously. There we saw one girl and the principal of Gabriela's school standing outside Gaby's door. The girl looked sad. My husband and I took notice and so exchanged looks. 547Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ72BJqHIbI4
547Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxwg3ySGUNN
"Good day, sir," my husband greeted. 547Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOm6vBKBLLC
547Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhYcQtKinXg
"Nice to see you too," Mr Ajetumobi gave way for my husband and I to enter the Ward. 547Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrqfxgJ3EBs
547Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnvA04do1Fg
I gasped when Nonso opened the door. My baby was hooked on drips and oxygen. My eyes blurred with 547Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡV87UDb945q
tears. She looked so pale and weak. 547Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡze7JOWvVjz
547Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡw5aE2KuzLU
My husband held me close as I sobbed. We walked to her bed. At the bed, my husband took her hand into his. 547Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTO2G8HgNcg
547Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHwG6ANWEVv
"You are going to be alright, OK? The Lord will heal you. You remember Psalm 23; it's going to be your portion. You are the light of the world. The world is waiting for you to shine. Don't let the devil pull you under." My husband spoke faith-filled words to her. 547Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYrhMBNdet8
547Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7kjtLAHTx0
I found myself believing those words and I knew we were coming out of that situation as a team, with Jesus as our leader. 547Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8cCOwHIa0m
547Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3yW0agzD4r
I touched his shoulder. "We are coming out of this,” I encouraged him in the Lord.
He smiled at me and I smiled back. Lowering his head to match my baby's figure, he pecked her on the forehead.547Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsW9BN0HlaJ
547Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDurPbv9lG1
"Be strong for us, Gaby. You are our strong, little girl. Hold your hand with Jesus, don't let go," I said with tears in my eyes. 547Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEQE3GJBtHQ
547Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7EUIwp1cEo
I also pecked her on the forehead. Thereafter, Nonso and I walked out of her Ward. The principal and the girl were still outside Gabriela ward. 547Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡU2BcUJKyPr
547Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡK2CdY3SvBm
"What happened?" My husband asked. 547Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ19Xvbk8j1T
547Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJ7g9DntZQV
"It's Chisom that can say that," Mr Ajetumobi explained. 547Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8r4TgMuPgE
547Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡj6jLHS4wdF
We all turned our attention to the little girl. 547Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUbqkw3ANkW
547Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡv9wvfZscfj
"Please, don't get mad at me," she pleaded. 547Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3AfhuLEt45
547Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbC83foqwXu
"We won't. So speak up," I encouraged her. 547Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlIZ180jhV1
547Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0cmNePXrdI
"Since she became a boarder, she has been withdrawn and is always on her own. She and her roommate doesn't flow at all. I took a liking to her and always came to talk with her. But each time I came, she drove me away from her. Yet I was relentless. Until today..." Fresh tears spilt from her eyes. 547Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYM7tYbtIl0
547Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8g0Txh2ohb
"It's OK, child."
"It's all my fault. I couldn't see she needed space and now see what I have done. She fainted in front of me during the heated conversation between us," she sobbed harder. 547Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2kLBGa56tF
547Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡx04GjLyIry
I placed my hand on her shoulder. "It's ok," I placated her. 547Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2jX9vltGL6
547Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhkJOd7z2nX
"Yea, it's not your fault. She has Autism," Nonso spilled the beans. 547Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡs80rvQeQOy
547Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCjbtmYykB0
I glared at him. How could he say that? The little girl didn't need to know about that, I said under my breath. 547Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqr8p0KSBCV
547Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBIxzNd99B3
"What's Autism?" She queried. 547Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡig0hkXHHrX
547Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkUDRTNOEKl
"Forget that…," I said. I was about to say more...but the doctor arrived. 547Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdxTXEhZ9Kc
547Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkDzooScEgx
"Thank God you are here. Can I speak with you privately?" He requested. 547Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOdFxylyz85
547Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLhUig50lR3
We nodded and followed him to his office. We sat down on the foamy chair. 547Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiBLzm9KGDS
547Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡggwRqkuwW5
"Why is she a boarder?" The doctor queried. 547Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8UbOeOaDn7
547Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOsdxfadcTp
I watched my husband swallow hard.547Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMYrLpBAhcj
547Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡi47fXVsaCP
He began."It was all my idea. I thought it was going to help her interact more with people.” He was shamefaced because of that decision.
"And you didn't remember to tell me about it?" The doctor asked. 547Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4bwipPeO9k
547Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgSQkZWEAvh
"I am sorry," my husband said weakly. 547Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSFoSFi4TWI
547Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0qZcBXCXdh
"It's alright. She needs love and not to feel like she has been locked up in the hostel. It's not done," he sighed and then continued. "As of now, she hasn't woken up. Go and pray she wakes up. I would do my best as a doctor, but God is the greatest doctor," he said emphatically. 547Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOcVKfFvGt4
547Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYbIE9Tv5mb
"Thank you, doctor," my husband said. 547Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ02ZZhpgzXf
547Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡohNbRbt9DD
"She will be fine," he said calmly. 547Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡamZLx2JDGN
547Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrOGSUGGa0X
We nodded and left his office. Oh God! Let her live.547Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡl1StGWXIU9
547Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhrJ2KAgKjq
"I will now listen to your words from now on," my husband promised. 547Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgzhL4XOpmZ
547Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9v2rIeFRTa
I smiled at him. "We all made a mistake. And I believe God is going to teach us better as we serve Him more. 547Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ52TiAAbLtQ
Our daughter will be healed," I said with conviction. 547Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGXKLFk2U01
547Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwkVKHmGxYO
"I am sure she would," he said and pulled me into a hug. When we got to the Ward, the principal was still there. 547Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBacCFeWFwX
547Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFnx7HHrx3x
"Sir, the doctor has reassured us she would be fine. I will have to remove her from boarding school and reverse her to a day student," my husband announced his decision to him. 547Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNTmGX6Zk1W
547Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyoyOsenC4L
"No problem. I will go and reshuffle the process. If you will excuse me," Mr Ajetumobi said. 547Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡh6b2nYsGI9
547Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMplfizyUNV
"Sure," my husband said. 547Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGwElxxVBJQ
547Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4TS1e3PqiZ
Turning to me, Nonso said, "it's going to be alright.” That was the boost I needed.
547Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxoDQNz4sVe
