Jahdiel

Chapter 1

CHAPTER 1

jahdiel's POV

I, Daramis and mama were in our choked up living room waiting for papa to return from work. We usually ate the little food we had together. so every night, we had to wait for papa to return from the field before we ate together while papa would tell us stories or discuss about what happened that day with mama. He unusually got home around 6pm or sometimes, that's if there's much work by 7pm, it was 9pm already and was mama worried. The living room was very quiet which was something that rarely happened when I and Daramis, my 12 year old younger sister were in the same place.

"Mama what's with the face?" I tried starting a conversation

"Your papa isn't back yet and I'm having a bad feeling about this, I don't know why."

"Mama, papa might just be very busy, it's harvest season, he'll be back soon." I said hugging her by her neck.

"Daramis you should eat now, Jahdiel serve part of the food for you and your sister. I and your dad would eat whatever is left. It's his punishment for returning late" Just then we heard a knock on our broken bamboo door.

"Papa is back!" Daramis exclaimed

We all went outside to welcome Papa with mama in our front leading. Getting outside we saw a van I assume to be from papa's work place and a man I recognize to be a colleague of papa's. I was trying to think of any possible reason why Papa is not here and why this man is here instead with a van from papa's work place while the man approached mama.

"Good evening ma'am" he greeted

"Good evening sir. Where is my husband, please?" mama asked obviously anxious. While the conversation was going on, my mind was racing and traveling from one thought to the other.

"Mr Haitham was involved in an accident, he fell while workinh and I can't say what's wrong with him"

"Where is he?"

The man led us to the back of the van where Papa laid unconscious. Mama and Daramis immediately ran to papa while I just stood watching like a log of wood stunned and confused. The whole thing was happening too fast.

"Why didn't you take him to the hospital immediately?" mama shouted furiously as tears raced down her cheeks

"Our work place doesn't cover medicals ma'am. The best I could do is bring him home"

"But he fell at work" I finally found my voice

"Please take us to the hospital" mama instructed and I entered the van.

"You can't cry, you can't cry " I kept saying to myself as the van moved unusually slow to the hospital. Mama had already cleaned her tears and she just sat close to papa looking pale and deep in thoughts.

We arrived at the hospital and Papa was rushed to the emergency unit. We waited for more than 2 hours without any information as to what was going on. Mama kept pacing up and down. She stopped every nurse or doctor passing but none of them could give her the information she needed. Finally a doctor approached us.

" Mrs Haitham? " he asked

"Yes, I'm Mrs Haitham" mama replied

"Follow me to my office" he Instructed and mama followed leaving I and Daramis to our thoughts. A nurse came and told us our father was in one of the wards and that we could see him already, if we wanted. We got into the ward where papa and three other patients laid. Papa was already awake when we reached his bed.

"Jahdiel call your mom, we should leave this place now. You know the medical bills here are too expensive for our level." Papa struggled trying to pronounce each word.

"It's okay papa. We just need to make sure you are okay first" just then mama came in and called me out of the ward. She looked really worried as she spoke.

"Jahdiel, your papa's condition is very critical, the doctors say he has been exposed to too much silica dust at his work place, and it affected his lungs"

" what?" I screamed wide-eyed
This is worse than I thought, the only type of treatment our doctors are qualified for involves pills and injections, lung disease is not good. "What are we going to do?"

"Dr Haris said he will give him some medicine to ease the p..." mama crumpled to the floor subbing.

" Daramis look after mama" I shouted running to find Dr Haris.

It wasn't an easy task because when he came call mama I was too grief stricken to look at his face well enough to recognise or describe him, I had to scream hysterically at a few nurses before I finally located him.
" what's wrong with my father?" I demanded.
" Miss Haitham why don't you come into my office."
" just tell me what's wrong with him" I felt tears threatening to fall and I fought hard to keep my composure. People were starting to stare so I decided to follow him.
" Miss Haitham, your father has been inhaling silica dust daily which is slowly damaging his lungs. I will prescribe medicines to help him breathe better and hope for the best."
I felt a flicker of hope"so what you are saying is its not really serious, right?"
"No" the little light of hope I had died with that one word, " sadly the damage can't be cured with medicines. Silicosis is a chronic disease of the lungs. He is going to need far better treatment than we can provide"

As I walked home, I kept thinking of possible ways to make sure we don't lose papa. The only one I can think of is as impossible as it gets. Can our lives get any worse? This is unbearable. I walked absent minded I didn't even realize when i reached home. At home, I saw fadila waiting for me in my room wearing a worried look.

"Oh! Fadila" I said trying to hide my depression

"Hi besty, how are you? The news already spread, I heard what happened that's why I rushed here. I was just about to leave for the hospital"

"Oh"

"Oh? Is it that bad? " it was obvious that I wasn't myself "How's papa?" she asked further

"Fadila papa has silicosis"

"What does that mean? " she asked
" its a disease of the lungs" I forced the words out. "Apparently working to put food on our table is killing him gradually."
"What the heck? I can't remember the last time I heard anyone afflicted with an illness like that. I'm so sorry sweetheart"

"Mama is worried and Daramis has been crying since she saw papa"

"Poor Daramis. What are you going to do"

"I have been thinking of some things, but saying it out will make me look like a crazy person. Fadila it's been a long day, mama and Daramis needs to rest so I need to take these to the hospital."

" I'm so sorry sweetheart, it'll be fine. You should rest too. I'll go home now, I'll tell mummy what happened so we'll visit you at the hospital tomorrow. Goodnight" she said and left as I made my way back to the hospital.

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