Just like Adel 9

When the office door opened and Henry walked in I just stared at him. "What is it?" He asked immediately. I looked away, realising that my expression may have given me away. I wasn't sure what to say to him. He thought I knew about his condition when we spoke the other night and the thought of me helping him find a drug lit him up. I decided to play along. "Nothing. You took a little longer than I expected that's all." I lied. He nodded and apologised. I honestly wasn't sure I could keep my composure. It prayed it was just a bad dream. "You look tired. Let me drop you off at home. We can do this tomorrow." He said picking up his keys. I nodded and we left.

When we got to my apartment my mind was a lot more settled. Maybe it was the silly jokes he was telling on the way or the fact that he was able to smile in such a condition. "Does it hurt?" I asked. He looked at me and replied, "I'm not in that stage yet so I guess we are safe." I nodded. Just before I stepped into my apartment he called me back. "I know this is a bit strange. If you ever feel like helping out is too much for you I totally understand." He said. I smiled at him. The guy I had fallen for had only 3 months to live. How on earth will helping him live longer be too much for me? I wanted to tell him this but all I could say was, "Oh naa. You can count on me." The smile that formed on his face was priceless.

That night I found it hard to sleep. Too many things run through my mind. Henry was going to die in 3 months. Why was the first serious looking guy I ever liked being taken away from me. I realised how selfish that sounded. His family had to just watch it happen. When I got to work in the morning Dean saw me and instantly knew I didn't sleep well. "Why didn't you tell me that Henry is dying?" I asked. He looked at me in shock and asked me how I found out. "Henry made me swear not to tell anyone, especially you. He said he didn't want the whole sympathy thing." Dean explained. He told me everything he knew. When Henry was diagnosed, how they tried to fight the disease but it was too late. "We just wanted him to have a happy life no matter the length that's why we tried to get you two together. You seemed to like each other too so Adel and I just thought it would help." He confessed. I asked Dean about Henry's research into a sustenance drug and Dean said Mr. Broke said it was impossible for orgosis. I spent most of my free time at work reading about the disease. The things I found weren't good at all. I understood his family now. They just wanted him to spend his last days happy.

After work Henry called me and arranged to meet at a restaurant not too far from his house. I took a cab straight there and smiled when I saw him wave at me sitting by himself in a corner. He was smiling from ear to ear. He hugged me when I got there. It was so unexpected I almost fell over. "I've found it." He said almost giggling. I smiled too. I couldn't help it. His smile was just too infectious. "I reached out to a doctor in Denmark who has been studying orgosis for 19 years. He has finally got a medicine for it." He started. I pulled my chair closer. "wow is it a cure?" I asked. Henry shook his head. "He's not there yet but he has a drug that, well in layman terms it sort of jump starts ur organs when they enter the failing stage. The drug testing worked on 8 out of 10 patients. The 2 it didn't work on both had diabetes. The drug sort of feeds a lot on insulin. Thank God I don't have diabetes right?" He continued. I smiled.

I asked if the drug was on the market yet and he explained how the diabetics issue according to Danish medical rules is not prevents it from being used so he had to find a way to work around it. He told me how he had reached out to the doctor in charge of the experimental drug and he said he could come and be tested in exchange to helping him launch the drug. We had dinner at the restaurant and Henry went on and on about doctor Graham and his research. It was like life had been poured into him, new life. This drug was his life.


To be continued... 

Just like Adel

Dean walked to my desk and when I saw the look on his face I knew he wanted me to do something. "What do you want this time?" I asked turning away from my table. He led me to his desk and asked me to fix an issue on his computer. Dean was so bad with computers it wasn't funny. "So did Henry call you?" He asked. I shook my head. "Chale I don't think he's interested oh." I replied getting up from his desk. Dean frowned. He was just about to talk when our boss walked into the office. I turned around immediately and went back to my desk.

Henry was the older brother of Dean's girlfriend. I thought he was cute the day I met him and Dean gave him my number. That was a month ago. I hoped he would call judging by his wide smile when we met but after a week I just gave up. "Doris I have a new job for you."  my boss said and signalled for me to come to his office. I walked briskly behind him. He handed me a file and said it was a pharmacy advert I was to work on it with Dean. He made it clear that they were a big shot client and so I had to bring my sharpest ideas. I smiled and rushed to Dean's desk. I'm a copywriter who loves her job and challenges excite me. My thoughts of Henry disappeared just like that.

Even though we were nowhere on our project Dean suggested we go to a coworkers wedding. I tried to play the workaholic card but he would have none of it. I finally agreed and we went. It was a beautiful wedding I must say and it really refreshed me. We sat on the same table with Sedem another lady from work. Half the time Dean was on his phone most likely chatting with his long distance girlfriend Adel. He always kept in touch with her and talked about her all the time. My buddy was smitten. It made hanging out with him so much easier because I knew there were definitely no strings attached. "Guess what?" Dean asked as I stuffed my face with a huge slice of wedding cake. "Henry said he lost your number. Adel just told me." He added. I wiped my lips with a tissue. "That again? I thought I told you I was over him. Crushes don't last remember?" I said. Dean just ignored me and kept on typing. Sedem was interested in the topic all of a sudden. Dean told her a very badly fabricated story of the day Henry and I met. I rolled my eyes and looked out for another person serving cake.

Just then a guy came out of no where and shook Dean's hand. They laughed and joked for a while and he turned to me and shook mine too smiling so widely. "I didn't know you were around." He said to me. I stared at him not sure what to say. Then he continued. "You two are not matching colours this time?"  then it hit me. He thought I was Adel. This wasn't the first time. Before I could correct him Dean jumped in and did me the honours. The guy stared at me again and apologised. "Wow, this is.." He started but the phone in my pocket vibrated and I jumped to answer the call.

After talking to my boss over the phone I realised we had less time than we thought to finish the project. We had until Monday afternoon to come up with 10 scripts and Dean hadn't even taken a look at the file. Even though I insisted we leave to do our work Dean still managed to let me stay. "We haven't met with a representative from the company yet even." I nagged. "Don't worry. I'll do that on Monday morning. Have I ever failed you before?" He asked. I shook my head. He was right. I looked around and took in the beautiful environment with my glass of champagne.

Monday morning Dean and I got to work very early. I gave him the file to read while I finished up on a script I had written the night before. "Heh for real?!" He shouted. I turned and looked at him confused. I rushed to him and asked if there was a problem. He shook his head. "You know what? Let me stay and finish up the scripts while you go speak with them." He said and quickly turned over to his computer without even bothering to listen to what I had to say. I complained a little and just left when he didn't badge.

When I got to the client's office I was asked to wait. It was one of the biggest pharmacies in Ghana. "Hello, Mr. Brock will see you now." The Secretary said. I smiled and walked into his office. It was a very big office with very beautiful decor. I wondered if I was going to meet Lestor Brock himself, the CEO. I noticed the man sitting at the desk didn't have grey hair. As I got closer I noticed he looked familiar. "Henry?" I asked. He looked up at me, clearly surprised. "Hi, what are you doing here?" He asked, taking off his glasses.


To be continued... 

My passion

My mother is so annoying sometimes. When I spoke to her over the phone some days ago I told her I was coming home for the weekend to rest after my stressful mid semester week. She was so excited and said the house had been boring without me. I knew she missed me. Hannah, my older sister had moved out of the house when she got married. Being a single parent we were all my mum had. Well sort of. On Saturday morning my mum came into my room at about 6am! She tapped me and asked "oh are you awake?" I was so close to saying no. "Oh Frank. Wake up." She said when I didn't mind her. I turned around and looked at her with my eyes squinted. "Sweety, I need you to pick some roses from Mrs. Quaye's place for me." She said pulling my cover cloth off me. "Oh Ma, at this time?" I complained. She made her usual surprised face and nodded. "I have a client coming to pick up some orders this morning." She said, looking through the magazines I had on my bedside table. I stretched and took them from her. "Ok, I will go. Give me some minutes to get dressed." I quickly said. She smiled and rushed out. She was so close to opening my magazines! They weren't even mine like that. I was just, you know...keeping ...them for..ermm..whatever! I think my mother just manipulated me.

I dressed up fast and went to the dining table. My mum usually did her hamper arrangements there. She works as a teacher for a junior high school but she makes hampers and gift items as a side business to substitute her income. When my father left us she realized her lean salary couldn't take care of us so she turned her hobby into a business. She makes so much money from it too oh, purely because she has very satisfied clients and knows how to bargain. Eii, that woman can bargain! "Mum, I'm ready oh." I said with music plugged into my ears. "Ei Frank isn't your music too loud? I can even hear the lyrics." She said. I giggled and reduced the volume. She leaned over and pulled the phones out of my ears. "Oh." I said. She giggled and replied. "Oh sen? Because you are in the university you want to do things by heart eh?" I rolled up the phones and put the ipod in my pocket. I laughed aloud. "Sorry oh but you know I love music. It's my passion." I said playing with one of her ribbons. "Just like how making hampers and gifts is yours." I added. Then something super funny happened. My mum shook her head and said. "Me my passion saved me financially oh. Yours will make you deaf. That's the money. Please hurry up eh?" I picked up the money and walked out. Just before I got out I heard hear shout. I turned around. A needle had pricked her finger. "Aha! Your passion has hurt you." I teased. "Herr! Go away." She said pretending to throw something at me. I rushed out laughing.

I walked to the junction and waited for a trotro. The woman's shop wasn't far from ours at all. In less than 6 minutes I was at her shop. She already had the roses ready. I paid her and collected them. And left immediately. I hopped into another trotro and was about a minute to my junction when I realized that I hadn't listened to my music at all. Ahh, this woman made me forget. I plugged in nicely and increased the volume to the max...just for shege sakes. Lol. I didn't like the song that was playing so I took the ipod out to change it but it slipped out of my hand and fell. It was a big trotro too so I had to bend real low for it. Just when I grabbed it I heard an odd sound. It was a bit piercing. Then I felt the bus move sharply to the left. I hit my head on the lower metallic part of the seat in front of me and everything went black.

The next thing I heard was a beeping sound. I woke up and realized I was in a hospital. A doctor was standing beside me and talking to a nurse. I heard him say "his mother can see him now. Oh we can discharge him too." The nurse left and a few seconds later my mum was here. She was smiling but I could tell she had been crying. The doctor spoke to her and she came to me. "I'm so sorry Frank. I should have let you rest." She said. "Oh mum its not your fault. If I had not been listening to loud music I wouldn't be here." I said feeling bad. She laughed out loud. "You must have passed out pretty soon." She said and took my ipod from her bag. She took a deep breath and said. "The bus run into a crane...you were the only one who survived. Looks like your passion saved your life." She waved the ipod at me. DON'T LET ANYONE STEAL YOUR PASSION!