DYING TODAY - A SHORT STORY.

Ikwuachuna had never been the type that worked late at night. But the promotion had changed many times about his routine. His eyes were tired and his back had began to ache. His table at home had become littered with papers just like his table at the office. He took off his glasses and scratched his left eyes heavily. Something his Doctor had warned him to avoid doing,but he never did it for the pleasure of it.  

He looked at the time. It was 2:15 am. He knew it was time to go to bed. He took the last gulp of his drink, unplugged his phone from the charger, closed the file, with his pen in the middle of it, then turned off the table light, leaving the room pitch black. When he stood up, he walked towards the window and took a peep outside. He stood, watching for almost 20 seconds before Salami walked past his view. He should not be asleep, Ikwuachuna thought to himself. He coughs out 15,000 naira every month for security, part of which covers Salami’s salary. So Salami cannot be receiving money just to sleep away all night just like everyone else. Salami’s routine walk around gave Ikwuachuna more confidence. A neighbour’s house was burgled and robbed two months ago. They did not want to take chances, so they sought the services of a trained Security guard. Salami came highly recommended.

Burkola laid on the left side of the bed. She said the air got to her more on that side. They did not install air-conditioner in the room because of Ikwuachuna. Below average temperatures made him sick.  She was fast asleep and was unaware when her husband joined her. She had called him to come to bed several times, but Ikwuachuna kept saying he needed to finish work on the document. After he joined his wife in bed, Ikwuachuna ran his hands up her chest but Burkola did not seem to awaken. He tried again, and this time, taking his hands up her thighs. Burkola remained still. Then he gave up. She must be very tired he thought to himself, so he let her be. Burkola is beautiful, she had always been. Most of her facial features looked too pretty to be real- her lips, her brows and the shine in her hazel eyes. He could not see any of these in the dark, so none of them mattered now. Ikwuachuna could not shake her off his mind after the first time she served him food in her mother’s small canteen.  She was only 19 at the time, a young Secondary School Leaver. Finance did not let her aspire beyond. She had to stay close to help her aged mother. When Ikwuachuna stepped in, she climbed high enough to become what she is today.

Ikwuachuna turned on the radio at his bedside. Different Radio Stations played cool music throughout the night which Ikwuachuna always enjoyed. But Burkola does not share the same passion. She considered it noise and always wondered why people leave music playing in the background when they are about to sleep, afterall they would not be awake to listen to it.  She almost got up to turn off the Radio. But that would mean that she was awake all these while and was aware of Ikwuachuna’s sexual gestures. She woke up at his first stroke. So she had a choice, to have her peace and quiet or continue to lay still with the Radio on .

Ikwuachuna slept off as soon as he put down his head on the pillow. Burkola always said he had that as a talent. He never sought sleep. It’s as though sleep always waited for him to come to bed, then it carried him off almost immediately. But maybe he was always exhausted. Working himself up till his very last breathe.

It was a calm morning. Everyone slept through the night soundly. The long hot days had ended, so sleep was much comfortable now. Ikwuachuna woke up at 6:13am. Burkola had woken up 40 minutes earlier and had gone to the kitchen to boil rice for breakfast.   Agozem , their last child was in the bathroom. He went to school from home, their only child to do so. His siblings all attended boarding schools. The couple decided they wanted another child, they said they needed another child to keep her company. But Agozem would not keep them company forever, he would soon be leaving for the University in a few years to come. Kachi is in Lagos, trying to find his feet after National Youth Service, and Isioma was in 2nd year in the University, and she had gotten married earlier in the year.

Ikwuachuna always left the house before 7:30. It was a small town, so there was no hold-up to beat. He dashed off immediately after he finished his meal. Agozem was washing off his plate when his father left the house, he had wanted to collect the Sports Levy from him. He had no other choice but to ask his mother. His mother, even with her successful career as a civil servant in the Ministry of Works found it hard to contribute money in the family; not for feeding, not for rent, not for any fees. She believed her role as a wife did not include financial expenditure of her own earned money. Ikwuachuna on the other hand, always provided. He gave out as long as he had and thankfully, his pocket never ran dry. 

Ikwuachuna had a meeting with Mr Bayo by 9:30 am. He needed to prepare the documents that would be presented during the meeting. The meeting was to discuss the terms and conditions of a partnership their Organizations were about to forge.  Ikwuachuna was promoted because of this particular project. A promotion he had long earned but was denied because a colleague of his was many chapters ahead of him in the Managing Director’s good books. This deal gave him his opportunity to assert. He had studied Industrial Chemistry in the University up to a Masters Level which he obtained overseas.  No one knew chemicals better than him in the Company. Ms Tolu studied English, chemical compositions are not what anyone can learn off a presentation or off a 200-paged manual. For the first time, the MD agreed that he was a better candidate to head the Team. The deal was important to him, he was not going to ruin it with his own nepotism.

Everyone was seated before 9:30- The MD, Ikwuachuna, Ms. Tolu, the company Secretary and their Lawyer. Mr Bayo, the Team head of Avan Chemicals was not respecter of African time. He made this clear on their first gathering. He arrived the location 20 minutes before the agreed time. Ikwuachuna and his Team were lucky to have met him just before he ran out of patience, having waited for them for 35 minutes. 

After over 4 hours of thorough scrutiny by the Lawyers of both parties, the two Teams reached a deal. But the deal would only be sealed after Ikwuachuna has taken possession of the chemical on Friday. Avan Chemicals was to supply them ‘platine’, a newly synthesized chemical that is added to plastic to degrade it. As a waste management company, platine is the new gold. It almost works like magic. An addition of it in melted plastic makes the plastic become degradable and would degrade naturally within two weeks. They had already secured contracts from three State Governments to dispose waste gathered from their State capitals. This deal was going to put the company in the frontline. With Platine, they can handle plastic waste from plastic companies. Platine was a stumble upon invention by a young Researcher in a Nigerian University, Chima Orijiaku. Mr Bayo saw the potentials and secured the patent. Together Chima and Mr Bayo  set-up Avan Chemical, the sole manufacturers and distributors of Plastine. Ikwuachuna’s company is their first attempt at going commercial. If everything works out as planned, they all would become millionaires in no time.

Everyone was beaming with smiles on their faces. The success was celebrated with toast of wine and a sumptuous lunch for everybody. It was a feel of the good days to come. Ikwuachuna appeared to be the happiest. For one, he made the deal happen and more importantly, he felt he has occupied his rightful place in the Organization. As Ms. Tolu was not put above him this time, although he had always proved to more competent and committed. He had put so much in this deal and he stands to gain so much as well. He had already laid out plans on how to start-up his own outfit and the invention of plastine had given him the fertile ground. There is so much plastic floating around, 100 waste Management Companies would not be enough to manage them all. So his new company would not pose a threat to the success of the Organization he is working with presently.  The global burden of waste disposal had become alarming and environmentalists are seeking safe ways of disposing plastics. Plastics had began to cause environmental problems as a mass of it fill oceans, river, suffocating the life forms in the water. Recycling is underutilized, leaving a large percentage of all plastics ever produced laying waste.  If plastine proves as effective as it did in the Lab, solution to a world problem may have been found. Now Ikwuachuna can go home, with this, he has made a mark in the company and a new phase of his life can begin.

Ikwuachuna was uncomfortable throughout the meeting, but he took care so no one would notice. He felt a mass building up his chest. He excused himself from the meeting twice to puff his inhaler during the 4 hours it lasted. But he was not new to that feeling. He had felt it several times before. He thought it came with the big day. His Doctor had told him severally that the dust from the quarry was not good for him. In the last five years, some miners began crushing stones a few meters from Ikwuachuna’s office. Over time, it developed into a mini quarry. That development was accompanied by environmental hazards but no one seemed to care. The State Government always threatened to shut down the illegal quarry. A few times they sealed off the site, but workers always showed up the next time, continuing with their normal activities. Everyone knew a lot of money had exchanged hands and things were allowed to continue. Long before now, Ikwuachuna had always had breathing problems. As an undergraduate in the University, his roommate said his breathing sounded too deep. He had more difficulties during the dry season. He used an inhaler for the first time in his life at the age of 32. That was not when the problems began, but it was when it was diagnosed. He managed the condition well and controlled the triggers until the quarry sprang up near his office.

Ikwuachuna loved his job, more importantly, he needed the job. After his Doctor noted the possibility that dust from the quarry site may be the cause of the increased problems he had with breathing, Ikwuachuna was faced with the option of resigning. That option was unthinkable to explore. No one else in the office seemed to have the same problem in their Office, so he could hardly make a case for relocating the office elsewhere solely because of him. So he continued to live with the condition.

In excitement, Ikwuachuna’s Boss, the MD asked that Ikwuachuna joined him to see their new partners off to where their cars were parked. It was a sign of good gesture. Ikwuachuna was the leader of the Team, walking the Partners down the stairs was the least he could do in show of good faith.  Ikwuachuna knew how he felt inside and it would have been so rude to turn the request down in front of everyone. The walk down the stairs was easy. The Office is located on the second floor of a 5-storey building. But Ikwuachuna knew the climb back to the Office would not be as easy. And it was not. The MD drove off with the Partners and Ikwuachuna was to return to the Office alone. It was better that way. He did not want his Boss to see him struggle with something as easy as climbing the stairs. It took him almost 15 minutes to make it to the Office, something that does not take him more than 40 seconds to climb.  The more he puffed his inhaler, the more it seemed it did not work. In dismay, he took a close look at the inhaler and discovered the canister had expired. He had bought it 4 months ago and the expiration date was passed last month. When he finally got to his Office, he was left almost breathless. He sat on a chair and bent his head downwards, it made him feel better. He knew he had to pack up and leave immediately. As soon as he felt strong enough, he walked down the stairs again. This time, the walk down was not as easy as it was the first time, it felt difficult. His chest had began to feel very heavy, as though a heavy rock was placed on it. Eventually, he made it to the car. Onlookers could notice his discomfort. He took off his jacket and loosened his tie immediately he entered the car. It took him a couple of minutes to gain strength before kicking his ignition. He whined down the car windows. He needed the fresh air. Air-conditioner only made things worse. He soon turned off the ignition without moving the car. He had wanted to call his wife to come meet him up where he was. But on a second thought, he said a distress call will alarm Burkola. Something like this had happened to him before and in no time, everything stopped. Maybe it was because he was puffing an expired inhaler, he thought to himself. So he decided to drive to a good pharmacy not too far away to get a new inhaler. He struggled to keep his eyes on the road as his drove. His chest was getting tighter then it seemed he began to lose concentration. And in that state, he knew he was a risk to himself and to other drivers on the road.

OzoMac Pharmacy was one of the busiest Pharmacies in town. They sold original products at good prices. So customers always preferred their patronage. Also, the Pharmacy always had a Pharmacist on ground whom the customers could turn to if they needed professional advice. Ikwuachuna got to the junction, with the Pharmacy in sight. He could see that there was no parking space for his car, so he stopped and parked across the road. His condition was not improving, but he was holding up as a man. He came down from the car and locked the doors. Bending forward made him feel better and he bent that way for a few seconds before crossing the road. He looked left and looked right. The left side of the road was clear of cars, but on the right side was an oncoming Okada rider on his machine, carrying a passenger. The Okada rider was not close to him yet, so Ikwuachuna expected the driver would slow down as he saw him entering the road. The driver on the other hand had expected Ikwuachuna would walk fast enough off his road. Nobody did what the other thought, so Ikwuachuna and the Okada machine collided. Neither the Okada driver, his passenger or Ikwuachuna were injured. But three of them fell to the ground. Ikwuachuna was already in a bad state, he could hardly make out words as he began to gasp for air.  Onlookers saw what had happened and thought he was delirious from the concussion. They carried him off the road and tried to calm him down. He continued to struggle with his breathe as he held his hand to his chest. Ikwuachuna tried to communicate that he needed an inhaler, but nobody could make out what he was saying.  The Okada driver knew he was in trouble. It did not matter that a full grown man would walk into the road in full glare view. Nobody would believe him that it was the man who did not take precaution. Soon a good Samaritan offered to carry Ikwuachuna to the hospital. The good Samaritan helped the Okada man to carry Ikwuachuna into the car and they went to the hospital together.  He was restless all through the drive to the hospital. The Okada driver had already began to call on God not to allow the man to die.

Ikwuachuna was alive when they got to the hospital. They rushed in, informing the Nurses that Ikwuachuna was an accident victim. At this time, Ikwuachuna’s breath had become very difficult that all his muscles had become strained in struggle to breathe. Everyone thought it was just the accident. Ikwuachuna breathed his last before a Doctor could examine him, right there in the hospital lobby.  

The Okada man was shocked. He could not understand how a fall that did not leave any scratch, nor cause blood to flow could lead to death. He knew he was in for it.   He continued to stare at Ikwuachuna’s dead body. A grown man had just died and he was responsible for it. He knew the implications. He knew he was lucky an angry mob did not gather to lynch him at the site of the accident. Maybe the passenger he was carrying would testify that he was not driving recklessly. Maybe he would tell people that the man saw him coming and still went ahead to try to cross the road. Unfortunately, the passenger was long gone. He flagged down the next Okada he saw and went away immediately. He did not want to be caught in the drama of an accident scene.

As he was lost in thought, a Nurse came and asked him if the family members of the deceased had been contacted. The Okada man knew that was only the beginning of the turmoil he was going to be put thought. Ikwuachuna’s phone was found on him, but the phone was locked with a password. The Nurse tried entering random numbers, after 5 incorrect entries, the phone automatically shut down. His wallet was in the breast pocket of his jacket that he took off in the car and no one knew his car was parked near the accident scene. Fortunately, he had the Mr Bayo’s complementary card in the breast pocket of the shirt he was wearing. Mr Bayo handed it to him and also the MD when they escorted them to their car. Nurse Titi immediately dialled the number. Mr Bayo picked the call after the second ring.

“Hello”, she said. Good afternoon.

“Good afternoon”, Mr Bayo greeted from the other end.

“My name is Nurse Titi and I am calling from AlphaCare Medical Center. We have an accident victim who was knocked down by a Cyclist. He is currently in our care. He is unconscious and your complimentary is the only information we got off him”.

“What is his name?”

“We don’t have that information”. We could not make out what he was mumbling when he was brought in, before he passed out.”

“Can you describe him”, his physical features I mean.

“Sure. He is a middle aged man, dark in complexion. Tall, about 6ft 1’.  He has  a clean shave. No tribal marks and no visible scars”. These descriptions did not match anyone Mr Bayo knew.

“Maybe I will come over to the hospital to see the victim myself”.

“That will be fine, Sir”. Our hospital is located off Ibezim Plaza. It’s not hard to locate. AlphaCare Medical Center. 

“Give me 30 minutes, I will be there”.

“Okay Sir”.

Burkola had returned from the Office over 3 hours ago. She had no immediate Boss, so she comes and leaves as she pleases. She had attained the rank of a Field Inspector in the Department of Hazard Control under the Ministry. She had worked in the Ministry for 16 years now.  

It was almost 5 o’clock. Agozem was out playing football with his friends. He had decided to wait until his father returned so he would ask him for the Sports Levy. It was needless asking his mother, she was only going to tell him to wait till his father returned.

   

She was seated outside enjoying the cool breeze of the evening. She took the time to recoat her toe nails, as the nail polish she applied the week before had began to peel off. Burkola was quite a fashionable woman. She spent almost all the money she made on herself, spending sparsely on her children and never on her husband. She believes strongly that a man is the one to provide, never the other way round.  Unknown to her, everything was about to change. She hardly looked the part of a widow, a status she had assumed, unknown to her yet.

At 6:13 pm, she received a call from the MD. After they exchanged pleasantries, he asked her to meet him up at the hospital. He informed her that Ikwuachuna had been involved in an accident. He tried not to alarm her. As soon as the call ended, she began to try her husband’s number. She tried all through her drive to the hospital and she continued to hear the automatic Operator response, “the person you are calling is not available at the moment, please try again later”. She saw almost all her husband’s co-workers at the lobby when she arrived. Mr Bayo was there as well, although she did not know who he was. At the sight of the mini-crowd,  knew something was wrong, but never did she imagine that her husband had passed away.

The MD greeted her at the lobby.

“Where is my husband?”, she asked.

“Mrs Ikwuachuna, calm down. You have to calm down, the MD said. The Doctor asked that we bring you to his office once you arrive.” The MD could not get himself to break the news to her. If he had not seen Ikwuachuna’s lifeless body, he may not have believed that he was dead.

“Take me to my husband she said”, as she began to sound hysterical.

Mr Bayo walked up to them as he noticed Burkola was about to lose her emotions.

“This way””, he said, “let’s go”. Then he led her down the corridor into the Doctor’s office.   

Ikwuachuna’s sudden death was a loss not only to his family, but also to his Company. Just when everyone rejoiced that a new day began, Ikwuachuna’s days ended.  

Burkola returned home at exactly 7:32 pm. The MD and Mr Bayo brought her back home. Agozem opened the door for them.

“Mummy, what is it”, he blurted as soon as he saw the look on her face.

Then, for the first time, Burkola broke out a loud cry

“Aargh!!! my husband is dead”. She lost her balance and fell to the ground in front of the sitting room and began to cry.

“Mum, what did you say? Who are these people? Where is Dad?” He asked in disarray. 

“You have to take heart, youngman, take heart”, Mr Bayo said. “You have to be strong for your mother”.  

As the atmosphere in the living room was building up with grief, a knock sounded at the door. It was their neighbour living in a flat above them. The visit marked the beginning of many condolence visits for Mr Ikwuachuna who was healthy and alive this morning.