The standing fan at the corner, stood at attention while recycling the same hot air into the room. The hinge controlling the rotation of the fan had long given way. Just looking at the fan, one could tell it had aged if already they could not tell from how broken it sounded. The fan was not the only old fellow in the room; it seemed to fit in perfectly with the charts peeling off the once white walls that boxed them all in with the cabinets almost coming loose from their hinges in this cubicle of an office.
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It was a wonder that a desk and three chairs could fit into the office. Amidst all the chaos the old and worn out things seemed to exude, although the room was neat. Properly stacked files sat nicely on the desk, a trash can rested peacefully at the far end of the wall, and the floor looked like it had just been mopped. Sitting on the two sides of the desk were two people of different orientations, but one issue brought them together.
The nurse stared at the file before her like she wanted to be somewhere else other than where she sat, while the confused but yet agitated mother sat before her expecting to hear the long overdue news. The last person in the room was her fifteen-year-old daughter who was picking at her fingers with her head bent while her mother could have almost heard her heartbeat.
The nurse kept heaving sighs as she contemplated how to share the news with the expectant duo in front of her. Earlier on she had argued against the decision with her superior who was obviously avoiding the task of delivering the news to the mother and daughter. The nurse was just a youth corper and did not appreciate this responsibility she was saddled with, but it had to be carried out, and the recipients were beginning to look impatient. She sighed one more time.
“Madam, your daughter is three months pregnant” she finally spoke as calmly as she could muster the courage to. The words she had spoken calmly seemed to have transformed into bullets that hit the woman squarely in the face. “Ehn!” the woman exclaimed. Tears spilled from her daughter’s eyes; it looked like the worst thing which she was expecting had just been proved right. “Eniola has finished me!” the mother cried out as she put her hands on her head, shaking it vigorously. The nurse sat clueless as regards to what to do. She could not ask a mother not to react this way; her mother would have lost it too if she was in this young girl’s position.
“Take it easy ma´, at least she did not contract any viral infection…” the woman kept shaking her head as she lamented. It was apparent she was not going to listen to her; this information was no good news to her. As far as she was concerned, this was the worst case scenario. The woman turned to her daughter still crying, the disappointment on her face dissipated into bitterness even as Eniola cried harder. "Eniola, e no go beta for you!” she swore, a torrent of curses followed suit as she delivered slap after slap at the girl. The nurse jumped up and pulled the girl behind her.
“Madam, it’s okay! Take it easy” she tried to sound as firm as possible even though she feared the woman might give her a slap of her own. "Easy?” the woman looked at her like she was insane. “oloriburuku omo sha” she directed more insults at her daughter. “Madam, I understand you are angry, but this is a hospital” the woman looked at her once more, then collected herself together as she tied her loosened scarf around her waist. She picked up her bag and walked to the door then motioned angrily at Eniola to follow. As they stepped out, the last thing the nurse heard was what the woman muttered under her breath— “I will not train a bastard!”
Nurse Regina felt helpless. How was this fifteen-year-old who was barely done with secondary school pregnant? She sagged against the door as she remembered the last words the mother spoke. This girl was going to have it really tough at home. She shook her head and walked out of the office, sighing in relief—what a dilemma!
Nurse Regina is a 3-part series that will be published every couple of days on the website. The story follows a nurse who is looking for purpose amidst all the twist and turns life throws her way. Be on the lookout for this exciting story.
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About The Author: Uzezi is a 25-year-old baker, caterer, and writer. She is a young lady of many talents. Her creativity spans across different aspects of life. Whatever she sets her heart to do, she accomplishes it. Her dream is to work with TLC’s Cake Boss one day, and she is well on her way, as she keeps honing her baking skills. Uzezi is also the Creative Director at Let’s Talk Nation for Short Stories, as she is talented in fiction writing. To learn more about Uzezi, visit her Instagram pages on @uzaizie and @FlawlessFlour.