Chapter 5: Halima and the Hospital Gossip

After my IV finish, I dey stroll for corridor, I see one familiar face for nurse station.

I dey stretch leg, dey hope for fresh air, but na Halima I jam. Her perfume just fill everywhere, na so I remember her.

Halima tall, skin shine like fresh palm oil, makeup sharp, perfume dey announce am.

Halima na one babe for town—always fine, always neat, always ready with gist. She sabi dress pass anybody for this hospital.

The nurse greet her with smile, as if dem be padi. "Aunty Halima, you come see Dr. Femi again?"

The way nurse dey smile, I know say na story dey ground.

"I just dey pass, bring small fruit for am. E dey?"

Halima voice dey sweet, like all those radio presenters for morning show.

I look, see watermelon and strawberry for her bag. Watermelon na Dr. Femi favourite fruit—this babe dey try.

I even remember say that time we dey together, if I no buy am watermelon, fight go land. Now see as another woman dey do the work.

As I see am, small jealousy catch me.

My heart just bite small. I dey reason, 'So na so you go dey carry better fruit for another woman?' Hmmm.

"E dey theatre. You fit no see am now."

Nurse dey try block am, but Halima just smile. E be like say nothing dey faze am.

"No wahala. I go wait for him lounge."

She even cross leg as she talk am, like say na she get the building.

Halima wear light purple dress and high heels, waka go Dr. Femi lounge like say e be her papa house.

Her heel dey kpokpo kpokpo for corridor, everybody dey look.

E be like say she and Dr. Femi get special thing; she dey enter him lounge anyhow.

E pain me small, but I just dey watch. Na life be this.

As I reach ward, I remember say I leave one of Tega bottle for Dr. Femi lounge that night. If Halima see am, she fit suspect.

The panic land. I dey think, 'Hope no be my own bottle she go carry give am.' I just dash back.

I rush back, just as I hear nurses dey gist.

I hide for corner, ear sharp. For Naija hospital, nurse gist fit pass NEPA rumor.

"You hear? Dr. Femi and Aunty Halima wan engage."

Na so the first nurse whisper, the other one open mouth.

"No, I never hear. You sabi hear news o."

Gist dey sweet dem, na so dem gather.

Dem dey gist as if dem dey fry akara for mouth.

"My mama know Dr. Femi aunty, na from her I hear am."

If na true, na big news be this.

"So my crush wan marry so soon?"

One nurse just sigh, like say na heartbreak we dey witness.

Gbam.

Na that word land for my ear, my chest just jam.

My leg weak, I nearly fall, na only wall hold me.

I dey think, 'So na true?' Dem wan engage.

The words dey echo for my head, na so I wan cry.

One nurse notice me. "Madam, you need anything?"

The way she look me, I just shake my head, act like say na wrong place I waka enter.

I shake my head, return ward, my mind scatter.

I waka slow, my mind heavy. I dey wonder, 'So na me really lose this man?'

I no believe say Dr. Femi still end up with Halima.

All those small fights, all those times I form hard babe, see where e land me.

Na dem be childhood lovers. Me, I just be the villain for their love story—the woman wey spoil main couple.

I dey see myself for Nollywood movie—bad person wey separate true love. I just feel empty.