Chapter 1: The Crowded ER

Na one hot Saturday, I siddon for ER, sweat dey my neck, as people rush in like say dem dey share jollof. Everywhere just scatter—na weekend, clinics lock, so all man dey find solution for emergency room.

The air dey thick with smell of Aboniki balm, fufu, and that hospital disinfectant wey dey choke nose. Babies dey cry, mamas dey shout, and one old man dey argue with nurse say his leg pain pass everybody own. As I siddon for that reception, sweat dey bead for my forehead, the way people just full everywhere like Owerri market on Saturday. Some dey drag their children, some dey hold their belly, some even dey shout on top their voice, beg make person attend to them first. You go think say na palliative dem dey distribute.

Two girls waka come—both of them na university students for the local school. One be the patient, the other na her roommate wey just follow for moral support.

The way the roommate dey hold her friend hand, I sabi say dem get that close bond, the kain friendship wey you go see for hostel. Their slippers even match, and dem carry that small nylon bag wey dey always show say person waka from school hostel. Roommate just dey look everywhere with sharp eye, like person wey no too trust hospital wahala.

The patient tell me say she get mouth ulcer, say make I give her medicine wey go make am heal quick. She get singing competition in two days’ time, say she no fit let this thing spoil her show.

She even squeeze face, hold her chin small, as she dey try explain how e dey worry her voice. "Oga doctor, abeg, if I no fit sing that day e go pain me, my choir mistress fit even vex."

That period, everywhere choke—people dey complain of stomach pain, chest pain, anything you fit think of, all gather for there. Na only one intern dey follow me, and to be honest, I no get the strength to dey handle ordinary mouth ulcer.

I just dey look the clock every five minutes, dey pray make this shift finish. If you see as patients dey pile, you go think say na mass wedding. My intern self dey look lost, sweat dey her face like say she run come from rain.

I tell her say make she just go buy Bonjela gel or saltwater rinse—na common medicine for mouth sore here. I come add say this one no be emergency matter at all, so she no really suppose come ER for am.

"Sister, e no serious like that o. Mouth ulcer dey clear on its own. Just try saltwater, or buy Bonjela for chemist. This ER wahala too much for now."

She come reply say the dental clinic no open; if to say e open, she for no bother come ER.

She shift her bag for lap, eyes dull like NEPA light after rain. The kain way person wey don tire go market three times and still no see wetin she dey find. You fit see say she no dey happy at all, but wetin she go do?

As I see how she dey worried, I just reason say if I try send her away, she go just dey insist, come dey waste my time join—e no worth am.

I just nod my head small, dey try make I no provoke her. "No wahala, make we check am well, so you go rest mind."

I ask her whether the ulcer dey pain her well well, as I dey ready to write prescription for mouthwash wey she go use clean her mouth. Mouth ulcer dey always do like this: e go pain you for seven or eight days, then go heal by itself. E no be big wahala, e no dey threaten person life.

"E dey pain you reach bone? Or e dey just scratch?" I ask am, dey write for my jotter. For my mind, I dey plan say na quick prescription I go run for her, so I fit return to the more serious cases.

But to my surprise, she talk say the ulcer no dey pain her—na just small discomfort dey worry her.

She even raise shoulder small, twist her mouth as she talk, "Doctor, e no dey really pain me like that, just dey somehow... you know, dey there."

If no be because of the singing competition, she for no even bother come ER at all.

Roommate come chuck mouth, "If no be this her choir matter, we for just bone. You sabi as school life be now."