"Khadijah!" I heard screams from sleep. Ngozi and Tolu's voices echoed into my dreamland. They were on Senior Khadijah's bed, shaking her out of sleep.
"Khadijah. Wake up. It's just a dream!" The seriousness in their voice got me off my bunk and in no time I was with them shaking the wheezing Khadijah out of sleep. She looked like she was losing her life. Her body temperature was hot beyond normal and the wheezing sound that came out of her lungs suggested a heart attack. I just could not process why this should be happening to Senior Khadijah from her sleep. Probably the same thing the others were thinking.
"Aholah, maybe you should go call the portals. This is already beyond us." Ngozi suggested. I found my bones groaning at the fact that i'll have to climb down three staircases to the head portal's room.
"or may be we should pray?" Tolu said. my head rejected it immediately and legs gave into the sprint i needed to get to the head portal on time. This is not prayer matter. Someone's life is at stake here.
The portal lovingly called the hospital and in no time Khadijah was rushed to the hospital leaving us with same question "why?". Why should someone who was never sick sleep and then wake up with something that looks like a seizure? I have never seen Khadijah visit the hospital all the time i've been her roommate. She's not even the type that falls sick often. Why today? And why so bad?
***
Later that day i took the clinic bus with the excuse of going for my asthma checkup to know what was going on with Khadijah. It was easy to find her because i knew where always took me whenever i had attacks. I was so happy that she was awake. There was a young girl in the ward but that didn't stop me from sneaking my way in. She forced on a smile on seeing me. Trust it was that obvious.
"Wura," she said, more like a whisper.
"Senior Khadijah, are you okay?" I sat.
She shook her head. "I'm going home. And i may not be able to resume till i graduate."
She wasn't making sense. Why would she be going home? The seizure had been stopped. What's more?
"Why?"
"I was diagnosed with tuberculosis and the school..."
"Tuber what?" I shrieked. "How come?!"
She was quiet. I blamed myself for being too forward.
"I'm sorry," I said. She shook her head.
"No, you don't need to."
"But why are they asking you to go home? You can treat it in school na"
"it's contractible." She paused and then went on immediately as if convincing herself that everything would be fine. "I'll still graduate with my mate just that I'll have my remaining classes online and complete my project virtually with my supervisor and..."
"You will be fine Senior Khadijah."
"I know." she groaned.
I turned to look at the girl by my side and back to her, there was a creepy resemblance. Her response came as if reading my thoughts.
"She's my sister, Miriam. My family is here. They just stepped out a while ago."
"Oh. Gush you scared us today. BUt does that mean we wouldn't have a student chaplain again till the end of the session?"
"It's just two weeks left. Two exam weeks, my presence would not have made any difference."
I suddenly began to feel her pain. No, this is not right. She entered this school as a complete human and is living with a disease that is not even sure to have a cure, for what sin? Senior Khadijah serves God in the chapel for her four years at Convent Faith University, She doesn't deserve this, not from God, not from anyone. No, I don't want to see her parent. I don't I'll be able to stand the look on their faces.
"I should be going now. Senior Khadijah. We would miss you."
"Please don't tell anyone yet about..."
"Sure I won't. I promise." I hugged her on her bed.
"One more thing Wura."
"What?"
"Your name is Adediwura Toluwanile right?"
"Yes."
"Do you know the meaning of your name?"
"Crown of Gold, God's land." I have the best names in the world, I tell you.
"Please never forget them. Your name is Wura. You are Gold in God's hand, not just an Aholah."
I was quiet, speechless. I didn't believe that. I can't be Gold in God's hand. I'm a mess. God can't even have me in hIs hands. She doesn't know me and it's a pity she will never get to.
"Bye, Senior Khadijah."
"Bye, love."
No, wrong word...
I walked out in anger and obscene depression. If anyone passes their boundary with me today eh, them go collect!