THE WITNESS

Chapter 16

Adriana arrived at the hospital only to meet a commotion. She could see a group of doctors and nurses wheeling someone towards her direction. She started praying that Ben was fine.
She kept on walking in the direction she was headed. Truthfully, she didn't know where she was going but the nurse at the reception directed to where she was headed.
Most likely, the ward.
She and the group coming towards her met and passed each other. As the group passed her, she thought she recognized the patient being wheeled. So she ran to check.
"Wait." She called out.

She caught up with them and stopped them. She looked and saw that it was Ben. Her heart broke.
"What happened to him? Where are you taking him?" She asked no one in particular.
"We need to operate now. Let's go. Hurry!" The doctor said, and they continued wheeling.
She made to go after them but someone held her back. She turned to see who it was and saw it was Malik.
"Leave me alone!" She yelled trying to break free from his hold.

"What are you trying to do? Go after them?"
She didn't answer but kept on struggling with him. It wasn't until they were out of sight before she ease up.
Malik pulled her into his arms and she started crying. Malik found himself trying to comfort her.
"What happened to him?" She asked Malik, "he sounded fine when I was talking to him earlier."
Malik lifted her head and said:
"Sit down first." Leading to a chair.
"Tell me what happened!" She demanded when she had sat down.

"He had complications."
"Why?" She asked,
"I don't know. We will know the reason after the surgery."
Two hours later, the doctor came out wearing his surgical gown and his mask loosely on his face.
Immediately he came out, Adriana stood and ran to him.
"Are you the guardians of Mr Benjamin?" He asked them.
"Yes. We are." Adriana replied nodding.
Malik was still seated while he was talking. He then stood up and asked:
"How is he?"

"The surgery was successful. He will be okay." The doctor told them happily.
"What caused the complications." Adriana asked.
"I am sorry." The doctor apologised, "we didn't take note. He had an internal bleeding. I am sorry." He apologised again.
They weren't concerned whether he made a mistake or not. What they were concerned about was if Ben was okay.
"When can we see him?" Adriana asked.
"He would be taken to the ward soon. Then you can see him."
Adriana was relieved. She prayed there would be no more problems.
"Thank you doctor. Thank you." She  said delightedly.
Malik was amused at how much love she had for his friend. How a woman can love that much.
"You want to know?" A voice in him asked, " get a girlfriend."
He thought of having a girlfriend and smiled.

***
The gangsters were all arrested and They were all put in the same cell. Some of them sat while others chose to stand. Wale looked at James who sat at the far end of the cell - away from them.
He noticed that he didn't acknowledge them not to talk of their leader. He wondered why that was so. So he decided to talk to him.
"Its good to see you again James." He said as he sat beside him.
"What do you want?" James asked coldly not looking at Wale.

"Is that how you talk to a brother, you haven't seen in a while?"
"You're not my brother." He said, this time he looked at Wale.
Wale was surprised at his reaction.
"What happened to you?" Wale asked him.
"God happened to me. God is the reason for this." He said smiling.
Wale saw him clutching something to his chest. He looked closer and saw it was a Bible.
"So you are saying you are born again now?" Olu asked from the other end.

"I don't expect you to understand. God has saved me." He told him.
"God has saved you? Olu scoffed at his statement. "If he has saved you why are you here with us?" He asked him.
"I was talking about my soul." He said, his right hand on his chest, "As long as it is saved, nothing else matters. But I committed a crime though and so I should pay for it."

The others just stared at him. What he said made sense. Wale suddenly felt guilty. He became quiet while they continued. He wanted to think about his life.
"When did you become like this?" Their boss asked Olu.
Olu looked at him then turned away completely ignoring him.
"You still believe in that God even though you might be sentenced to death?"
James couldn't answer. Not that he didn't believe.

The thought of him hanging on a noose or being shot by a firing squad was scary.
"Yes!" He said finally, " even if I die at least I would be in a better place."
Olu was speechless.

***
Later that night,
Adriana was seated next to the unconscious Ben. She had been there since he brought to the ward. Since there were other people who came to visit their respective relatives, she didn't feel lonely.
"Hey miss?" A woman called her, "You have been quiet and all since you've been here."
Adriana looked towards her and saw she was beside a young female patient. She concluded that she was her daughter.

"I am sorry." She said, "I am not in the mood."
"I can see that. What is your name?" She asked her,
"Adriana." She replied.
The lady opened her mouth in awe. Adriana wondered what was wrong.
"Mary!" She called on another lady.
Adriana thought the girl on the bed could be her daughter. This fact was confirmed when the first lady said:
"She is your daughter's namesake."
Adriana greeted the lady when she turned to look at her and she nodded. 

Adriana looked at her face and she had wrinkles near her eyes and the wrinkles showed more when she smiled. Even with the wrinkles she still looked good.
"My name is Rachel." The first lady told her,
Adriana was grateful for that. The conversation they were having because it has stopped her from thinking. No matter how temporary it was she was grateful.
"Is he your boyfriend?" Rachel asked gesturing towards Ben.
"Rachel!" Mary called.
"What?  Did I say anything wrong?" She asked Adriana.
Adriana laughed and the other two women joined.

Unknown to Adriana, Ben had woken up when they were chatting about. Mary saw that he was awake and wanted to tell. With the little strength he signalled to her to not say anything. Her daughter giggled because she also saw he was awake.
"What is funny?" Rachel asked as she noticed their giggles.
Mary gestured towards Ben. When she turned to look at him, he signalled to her to be quiet.
"Right. Is he your boyfriend?" Rachel asked again.
Ben looked at her as she was about to answer.

"Ehm.....well....he is not my boyfriend. Not yet anyway." She told them.
Ben kept on staring at her.
"What do you mean?" Mary asked her.
"I know he likes me and all. But I don't know if he loves me." She looked downcast after saying that.
"What does your heart tell you?" Rachel asked.
She didn't know what to say. She was still thinking when Ben finally spoke.
"I love you." He said loud.

She turned quickly as she heard that to find that Ben had woken up.
"What did you say?" She asked him.
He scoffed.
"I can't repeat what I said."
She hit him in the chest.
"Ouch!!!" He shouted.
"Sorry." She apologized.
The others were looking at them in admiration.
"I said...." Ben said trying to sit up straight, "I love you. Should I say it again?. I love you."
She went speechless for that moment.

Ben looked at the others and they were trying to hide their giggling.
He smiled as he understood.
"You are not going to say anything?" He asked her smiling, "you are lost for words?"
"I love you. I love you so much." She said hugging him.
"Easy....Easy!" He said to her as she was pressing his wound.
"sorry." She told him. Then hugged him again this time, lightly.
The others who were quietly watching started clapping along with 'congratulations'.