Early In The Morning Part 2

I just blinked, impatient because of Juliana that was bleeding and dying. But I still couldn’t help the shock that had gone through my bone marrow. He was just like me, exactly! Oh no! God is so powerful, I had thought as I blinked again.

    “Please help me.” I quickly said as I heard Juliana’s groan.

    “Ooh… come over here.” He said as he motioned to the backseat of the car and got it unlocked. I placed Juliana there slowly and we both rushed to the front seats and seated. Till we got to the hospital, I kept praying for us to overcome accident, because the guy was looking at me all through and so I was.

****

    The doors swooshed open and I shouted. “Emergency!” The nurses ran closer to me and placed her on the carrier, rushing to the ER ward as they told me to take my seat.

    Though, I was concerned about Juliana, I was also concerned about this guy that haven’t spoken to me. We have just been looking at each other.

“I said you should go and dit down there with your twin brother.” A nurse clapped her hands together.

    I said it! Everyone had started thinking that he is my brother. I just chuckled and the two of us made a way to the seat.

“I’m Daniel.” I told him slowly when he started looking at one another again.

    “I’m… Joshua.” He stammered as he protracted his hand for a handshake. We both exchanged the handshake and I cleared my throat. I wouldn’t hold such a thing back. I just had to ask him some things.

“Please, were you given birth too as twins?”

    He shook his head as he remained mum. I wondered what was going on then. Though, many do say that God created everyone in twos, if he was the second one created and placed in another city or town, then the resemblance was too much!

    It wouldn’t even be! Why would it? He was my twin brother! I surmised as I hardly took my eyes off him.

“I hope I have not disturbed your schedule, Josh.”

    “Urgh… No, Dan.” He smiled.
  
    I shrugged. Even if I disturbed it, wetin concern me at least we should get to know each other better and our parents too. But, deep within me, I could smell a rat. What has my mother been keeping away from me? What! If not for him, what else would be making my mother cry? I just wondered until one of the ER Doctors rushed out.

    “See me in my office.” He pointed his index finger and both of us followed the plump man instantly.

****

    I had no source for help, even if I got a cab while Juliana was been rushed to the hospital, heaven knows that I wouldn’t pay the cab driver because I had no money. So, why would this Doctor ask me to go and get thousands of naira? Me I no get oh!

    “I’ll take care of everything.” Joshua who might have understood my predicament said behind me.

    “Thank God it wasn’t so deep. So, make the payment as fast as possible, so that the operation can start instantly.” The Doctor sprung to his feet.

    “Yes, Sir.” Joshua and I chorused.

    I looked at Joshua. “Wait, do you have that kind of money? Sixty thousand naira for operation?”

    Joshua chuckled. “We are paying them right away.” He stood up and I rushed after him.

    To cut my long story short, it was already past seven when we concluded the payment and getting all the needfuls too. I was so happy I met Joshua.

“We have to meet my parents.” I said to him quickly.

    He looked at me for a while and smiled, nodding his head along. “Let’s get going.”

    We stood up and I entered into his vehicle as we began to go. Yes, we kept going.

****

    He parked at the front of the bungalow. It wasn’t fenced and we both came down as we stared at each other again. I really knew there was something going on that day.

“Let’s go.” I said to him and we both moved to the door and knocked.

    My mother walked out and saw us both, standing behind the door as she got it opened. She hardly blinked her eyes as she saw us. She didn’t even look at me as much as she did to Joshua. She started shivering and tears dropped down her eyes.

“Joshua..” She called his name.

    I was worried. How did she get to know his name without telling her at all? No! There’s still an unknown thing or the unknown things I have to know.

    My Dad also walked out with the aim of knowing what had kept my mother by the door, but, he almost fainted as he saw us both. “Joshua?” He called his name too.

    I was just like a fool there. I didn’t know what was going on.

“Mum, Dad, what’s happening?” I started breathing heavily.

    There was no response.

    Joshua also looked as shocked as I was, staring at my parents as they performed before him. I knew there was more to the matter on ground as I pulled Joshua’s hand.

“Let’s go in.” I whispered to him as we both walked inside the house, leaving my parents there.

    Soon, they walked inside the house to meet the two of us. I just hissed quietly, wondering why they eventually came inside. They ought to be living outside with their mouths wide open, I had thought because I was angry that they couldn’t utter just a word concerning him to me.

“Dad, what’s happening?” I asked as he sat down.

    He looked at me and then at Josh before he stroked his beard and rested his back. I expected the response but he kept mum, Mum was still taciturn too, both looking as if they had seen a ghost.

    “Talk!” I exclaimed when my patience got to the breaking point.

    “See, Dan, you just have to take this issue easy.” My Dad stretched his hand as he spoke.

    If I never shouted, they might still be quiet, looking at Joshua and I. I hated being in the dark, really didn’t like it.

“Dad, Mum, explain what it is to us.” I repeated, but now in a more solemn tune.

    “That very day.. your mother gave birth to you as a set of twins but one of you two got missing. That had always caused her sadness whenever she remembered that her son was taken away from her.”

    I sat back as I looked at both with a dimmed face. I was expecting them to continue talking because I needed to know who stole my twin brother away from us.

    “That night was the most horrible one in my life. I lost so much blood in the hospital and underwent a lot of pains while giving birth to the kids. To my utmost surprise, I was told I gave birth to one child and not even two.” My mother said as she wiped her tears.

    I was livid already. It was as if she just said something that wouldn’t give me rest because I needed to know the Doctor or maybe Doctors, the nurse or better said as nurses. I just needed to know them! “Who took the delivery?” I enquired.

    “Dr. Clinton, Messiah Hospital.” My father said.

    Dr Clinton? I thought within myself as I looked at Joshua. “Where’s that hospital?” I looked at my mother back.

    “In Morida Town. It’s old already.” She said.

    “Josh, let’s go!” I said as I walked out as fast as I could. The issue was still needed to be sorted out, I knew.

****

One thing I still didn’t know was how my parents knew Joshua’s name when he was taken away immediately after birth. I still needed to know that too.

    There we went off to, Messiah Hospital in Torida Town to check if Dr. Clinton still existed. If he was a man or If she was a woman, I had it in mind that she would tell the truth that day. I was really serious!

    Soon, Joshua and I hurried to Torida Town to check on the hospital and the evil person called Dr. Clinton. We got there in less than two hours and stormed into the hospital. All that happened was just in twenty-four years back, the Doctor should still be alive, I had thought.

    “Please we need to see Dr. Clinton.” Joshua and I chorused.

    “Hope there’s no issue?” The nurse we met on duty questioned.

    It seemed he was still there. “He asked us to come.” I said.

    “Doctor Clinton isn’t a man, she’s a woman.” The nurse corrected me.

    “Ooh.” I smiled. “I’m sorry. I’m just eager to see her.” I said.

    She gave us a detailed description to her office. She was already one of the head Doctors in that hospital. I didn’t bother to knock before I barged in with Joshua. I could read it in Joshua that he was really annoyed too.

    We didn’t meet anyone on seat as we entered. As I motioned forward, I only saw some pictures on her table and it was Juliana’s pictures and the ones Juliana took with her. Was she Juliana’s mother? I wondered and the door to the restroom flipped open, the Doctor came out.

    ** **