A regular evening walk transitions into an earthquake, shaking the scale of life and death. A distortion through an extreme tug of war, whether or not life claimed victory and death lost, left a scar till eternity. A reminder, branded in this mortal life because the scales were never meant to be balanced.
Most mornings and evenings serve as reservations for my meticulous walking ritual in order to keep the body in shape and achieving a consistency of great balance. Afterall, I was on the path of preparation toward a list of mountain hikes, therefore making it more of a necessity than it was of a basic hobby. It was Sunday 3rd April, 2022. A fine evening in the beginning of the fourth month. I geared up in my jogging outfit roughly after 4pm, I simply threw on a grey shirt and black tracks with sneakers strapped onto my feet. Getting hydrated first was a must, while I did the usual checks to confirm my smart watch which I use to track fitness and activities, was as ready as I was. I headed out. The breeze was calm, loving and less warm. I enjoyed the silence of the neighbourhood; the typical Sunday spirit lingered through the air.
It was ‘resting day’, as a result, few people paraded the streets. The majority stayed indoors in preparation for the coming week’s activities. My pace undertook a blend of variations at each major curve. I meandered with utmost faultlessness and maintained an admirable level of capacity on my return. An hour of burning muscles, a thumping heart and screaming lungs had me well ablaze. It was time to wrap the Sunday dusk till Monday morning. My steps came halting to a slower trot as I neared my last right bend. A walk to calm my aching nerves seemed like a better choice too, with that, I made my way round the bend- heading home. Off the main road onto the dusty curve of an International Central Gospel Church junction, located in East Legon, Accra Ghana, I noticed a group of people in a scene which looked very much like an anxious debate taking place amongst themselves a couple of yards away.
Several hand gestures flew from east to west while occasionally pointing to the ground as though the target of discussion were an item placed right in the middle. A heap of sand formed a blockade to my vision, making it impossible to decipher what lay before them. It was getting dark, the time read 5:40pm by my watch. As I approached, I noticed a construction site lay on the very side where the heap of sand stood- a house was being built. My immediate conclusion was that these were workers who possibly had a misunderstanding over something pertaining to the construction.
As comforting and ideal as the thought was, it was too far-fetched. As I drifted closer, I had to dissolve this conclusion. It was a Sunday, a day where workers were not expected to be on a site, a day to rest and relax. Secondly, they were dressed in completely different clothes, neither was close to looking like a builder, no traces of dust nor dirt on their clothes, they didn’t seem to be in an argument terrible enough to agree with my assumptions. It seemed more of a ‘what do we do’ situation.
My heart thumped even more, I got closer. In full view was a young lady laying down on the sand, she had on a deep yellow t-shirt with a print in front with white shorts, her hair held together in simple natural twists, close to her hand a mini purse containing her items, surely, she was headed somewhere. One man had a bottle water in his hand, by the look of things they had poured a good amount of it over her face, while another gentleman was down on his knees trying to feed her with milk. An initial reaction from me would have been to mind my very own business and head on home.
A force drew my attention, beckoning me to head over. This was unlike me, although it was nowhere near my business or concern, this needed questioning one way or the other. I crossed over to the very side on which they stood. “What is going on?” I asked. The men began explaining in turns what they had encountered. She lay there, in a state of mild unconsciousness, she had superficially collapsed. According to them, the first man who found her was an elderly bald man who happened to tread that path for a short walk. The man wore a shirt, slippers and pink shorts. He stepped forward to give his witness account, stating that he was recovering from a stroke and decided to get a little exercise that evening. Upon approaching the heap of sand, he noticed the young lady laying there. In panic, the best he could do was waddle his way to the closest provision store. An amount of 10 Ghana cedis was all that lay in the depths of his pockets.
I could from his troubled voice. He stated how one by one the others who also happened to be making their journeys on that very route stumbled upon the situation. They jumped to his aid with hopes of reviving her by turning a reasonable quantity of water over her face and trying to get milk down her throat with hopes to revive her. They knew nothing about her nor where she was headed, it was a mystery case and needed to be solved fast. Witnesses from a provision shop down the road had seen her walk past and made thus made their contribution. It was concluded eventually that she was heading somewhere indeed when the unfortunate occurred.
At this point I knew it was an emergency beyond milk and water, she was moaning in little whispers of agony, unremittingly in a conflict, complaining about how badly her head ached, I could see she was clearly inundated in pain. Her eyes solidly shut; the sand rubbed on her as she wriggled in slow motions. Her clothes were bathed in dirt, it wasn’t looking good. She needed medical attention as quickly as possible. Without thinking, I asked the men to hold on while I managed to get a taxi from the main junction. At the present it felt as though I was crippling, I needed to put my months of fitness training to good use, a test of time it was, I needed to run! I bolted back, my heart felt the thrust hit harder than it ever did, there was no time for second thoughts, a life needed to be saved. In agony I taught my mind to divert from acceptance of the pain my body clearly exhibited.
I didn’t want her dead upon my return, I picked up my pace and took another curve to the nearest junction. By which time the evening was awakening and people were in the streets. Eyes followed me in wonder, they must have thought I was an extremist when it came to physical health. I felt my sweat heat up as it dripped down my face. Till I arrived at the taxi stop I prayed for her survival, that was all that mattered. An additional three-minute wait was a requirement upon arriving at the taxi rank, the longest three minutes I had ever experienced. I felt time ticking by the second alongside my beating pulse. Nothing seemed right, I saw bicycles, private vehicles swooped by, none of them mattered, I needed a taxi and for some reason scarcity had kicked in that evening.
Under my breadth I hoped one would suddenly pop round the curve. Soon enough I spotted the yellow colour, and a grey, yes, a taxi! Without hesitation I beckoned him to stop. After listening to my call for emergency, he drove quickly to the location, the gentlemen indeed stayed till I arrived and helped place her in the back seat of the car. Covered in red and light brown sand, she was still almost unresponsive nonetheless managing a couple of murmurs. The elderly man who played the first Samaritan role decided to come along to help if the need be. Everything seemed to be happening so fast, as though time had rapidly lost balance. The usual became unusual, a million thoughts hit my mind. What was all this? What had happened? Where was she headed? Where did she live? Why was she walking alone? It bothered me.
I kept looking back at her and noticed some level of responsiveness had emerged just as the other gentleman tried speaking. I took advantage of signs of life and got her drawn into a short conversation, asked her name which she mentioned, her age- she said she was 26, where she lived and what had happened. Certainly, her responses were a bit wobbly. Her words squeezed through the little parting crack of her drying lips. Per her description she lived within immediacy of my very own residence. I had never laid eyes on her though. I kept talking to her just to ensure she was active and not drifting off. She mentioned her boyfriend’s name and to tell him how much she loved him.
I was shocked, in agony on a thin rope her concern was on the man she loved? How was this even possible? She added with a plea, not to mention any of this to the landlord because it was sure to trigger the occupation of her man, his job could be ended. This was all too crazy. How could a young lady in such a critical position be overly worried about the welfare of a man who had no idea what she was going through at that exact moment? Was love more important than life itself? Or was this an extreme case of ‘putting others first’? She kept moaning in agony which galvanised a discussion between the driver, the man who found her and myself. The driver suggested his suspicions were that she had taken a concoction to possible trial to terminate an unwanted pregnancy, the aftermath effect was then the cause of her circumstance.
We unanimously agreed to an extent because she had her national health insurance card in hand when the incident happened. She must have been on her way to a clinic to seek help when her body gave in to whatever pulled the trigger. We could not strongly rest on our assumptions so I asked boldly whether she was pregnant, she responded in the negative but mentioned she previously was and had a miscarriage. Hearing this meant there was a portion of truth to our assumption, we could have been right, something was wrong and she knew, just never expected an extreme hit such as this. This was life and death in its purest realest form. By which time we were near the location of the hospital.
The nearest medical facility was the EL Hospital (substitute name, not real), in East Legon, Accra- Ghana. The taxi took a bend off the main road and soon we drove through the open gates toward the light green building ahead. Dusk was fully drawn in by this time. The beautiful orange sky was darkening. Without hesitation I flung the car door open and sprinted to the front desk to get the attention of the nurses. My reaction spoke volumes and echoed a case of an emergency but no one seemed moved. The relaxed atmosphere still remained in good balance. I needed to explain the need for urgent attention. The doctor on duty preferred her being referred to another hospital after being informed. I was furious, what did they mean? This was a critical emergency and yet they were inclined to send her off? Why? Was it not their job to ensure lives are saved? What had become of humanity? clearly did not want to handle her case for fear of losing her life in their facility, was that it? That would have been a far-fetched excuse.
Without any delay I blew up like a coal train shooting out fumes from its funnel. This was another version of me being unleashed, there was no way I was going to take no for an answer. I exploded right there and then, yelling at whoever was on duty. Facing the doctor, I did not hesitate giving him a piece of my mind, I blurted out, very audibly, “do you have any idea how long it will take to get to another hospital? This was a critical situation; she was found on the ground! God knows how long she lay there before being found. She will die before we arrive at the next location! All I need is for her to be stabilised, given the necessary care to sustain her in order for a safe transfer’’. The nurses starred at me in awe, a consideration was heavily taken, the doctor had no other option because I was not taking a chance with this young lady, not while her life stood at a crossroad. I was asked to calm down, pacing up and down, counting my steps just as the young lady in the taxi was clinging to her slowly ticking pulse.
I needed to check on her immediately, hence made a rush back to the taxi. To my surprise something seemed off. She was silent, what seemed to me as motionless. I quickly shook her, a trigger strong enough to awaken her if indeed she was drifting into sleep. My heart dropped, I panicked, this was not happening, not right before my eyes. The taxi driver was concerned, with the other gentleman we shouted her name. I kept tapping her, there was no response. It drove me crazy; she was going, yes death had its chilling hands over hers. Its fingers crept up in a tiptoe over hers. At this point I was screaming her name, grabbed her by the shoulders, her head bopped left and right.
I begged her not to go, she had many who loved her, her boyfriend was waiting to see her, family who cared beyond her imagination. My screaming and convincing was deeper than just a call out for response, this was a call being sent into her soul, the soul which was leaving without a valid reason. My heart pounded; death had never been this close within my scope. I shook her body, only response was wobbling silence. It felt treacherous, “come on! Don’t die on me, please!!” I yelled. My fingers began feeling the unanticipated. I knew my brain was not ready to interpret this as vividly as it ought to, but it couldn’t be denied nor ignored. Her body temperature dropped, faster than a gust of wind taking a helium balloon further up.
My hands could feel the creeping effect of the chills running through her, the warmth was fading away like a blur reflection over a troubled stream, the heat was turned off. It was too sudden, she was gone, just like that? Was I right? She died, no response, pulse almost gone, I was struck. I wasn’t going to give up, the colder she got the more I shook her. Praying for a miracle. “God please spare this young life, she has greater things to look forward to, a life and destiny to fulfil, please God don’t let her go like this’’. A prayer ascended to the heavens from my very heart. What was I going to do? I wasn’t ready to give up on her, I was waiting for a miracle. Time was slower than I had ever experienced. All this happened within a minute, she was dead. I mean cold dead. How was this even possible, she was speaking on the way here.
The reluctance of the nurses drove me outside my box of absolute patience. My hopes still remained alive, like a flash she started responding, a little head tilt in my direction was a confirmation. I went cold, goosebumps filled my body, what just happened? A miracle! She was back, as she opened her eyes I was stunned. Nothing like this had I seen, my eyes were witnessing what looked like the rarest of encounters- death. Her eyeballs looked dry and stiff, she looked as though she had seen a ghost, as though from another planet. She said nothing, just looked up at me with a puzzled expression. She had no idea what was going on. I was close to losing my mind. What was this? How was I in the middle of such an experience. By which time a wheelchair was strolled to the car door, she was unable to move, nerves locked up in a knot, I suspected a difficulty in regaining circulation, but I was no doctor.
The nurses stood in shock; they then checked her vitals from where she sat in the back. One young nurse in a green uniform darted back to the building to prepare a room for her. With help from the taxi driver, we moved her gently out of the car and into the standby wheelchair. She was still, recovering from whatever had happened. I could not say for sure where her soul had visited but it left her body, now she was back. She was quickly strolled inside. I was right behind, making the necessary enquiries of what was going to be done. After a moment I was informed by a nurse to make the necessary payments for what was needed to stabilize her- she needed an intravenous treatment; a pint was already set up, other medications needed to be purchased from the hospital pharmacy, and a major payment deposit of 500 Ghana Cedis was inclusive for her care. Using my MTN mobile money service, I settled the required finances.
An urgent call needed to be made once I knew she was being stabilised. I called the security at the complex to get the contact number of her supposed boyfriend since they lived within the same complex as I did, and he was said to work for the landlord, as she had mentioned earlier. Upon reaching the security and given the number. News indeed spreads like wild fire, it had already reached him and he was on his way to the hospital. He soon arrived within minutes. I took him aside and introduced myself, providing him with a brief as to how we found her and what was happening. The look of worry masked him entirely, he clasped both hands together as his fingers dovetailed, they quivered. He thanked me and the others for our concern. My enquiries followed. I asked whether he knew her, what their relation was, whether or not her family knew him or in any way aware of the relationship since they lived together. I needed to hear from him although she had given her narration.
He confirmed the positive to all the above, referring to her as his wife. In addition, an explanation of a domestic misunderstanding earlier that morning was also picked. He seemed perplex. I ensured schooling him, letting him know he needed to do everything to save her life else if anything should bend into the red zone, he was definitely going to have a cross to carry. He nodded in agreement. I left my number and requested to be sent any updates on the situation. If anything was needed which was beyond their grasp, I was a phone call away. Arrangements were made for an ambulance to transfer her to another suitable hospital.
Leaving the hospital grounds that day had me in an infrequent reflection zone. Taking a bend onto the main road I saw the flashing lights of an ambulance approaching. I was engulfed in so many numerous thoughts; how fragile life could be, how quickly the hands of time could change, with so many things happening within seconds. I couldn’t help but think about how merciful God was; enough to grant a second chance at life. A golden opportunity for a golden soul was sporadic. This young lady was a pearl in the eyes of God, a rare gem. I for one looked up into the night sky, the cool breeze rushed up my nostrils, my lungs hurled up a tank full. I exhaled with slow bursts. My eyes clanged to everything it captured, I was tired, my body was worn out, my soul experienced a gentle reminder which had a thunderstorm effect, my mind was wondering in so many ways. I stared out and noticed how people simply went about the evening, some laughing, others tired from a long day, many were out in the streets getting one thing or another.
I went deep into thought, what happened today was extraordinary. Life was like a withered leaf being hoisted by gust of wind, one gush had it far gone at any time. Out of our hands, not within control. God was the giver of life, I had just watch him breathe life into a young lady. A spiritual reflection was in session at that moment. It was a question without an answer. No human could explain what had happened. When God grants life, indeed no man can take it away. My reflections were far too deep. I knew this was divine grace at work. It was as though life and death had a battle before my eyes. It was hard to ignore such an occurrence. I thanked God for his power over this young lady. It shall remain an experience of a lifetime. It was basically the greatest reminder of how much of a special gift life was. How each day meant God had given it. I was closer to home. It dawned on me, humanity needed to be kinder and nicer to people we encounter.
It was no coincidence I ran into her that very time. It felt like the universe speaks to us and it becomes a duty to listen and respond. Pulling to my home was like a new chance, seeing something I had always been but this time it felt different. I needed to appreciate what I had; the baseline was that every day was a gift. My reflections got me in a memory lane. A reminder about what life was and what it truly meant rang as clear as a church bell chime. I said a prayer and just hoped God listened well enough.
The night crept over as the sky darkened pass, I looked at my time. It was almost 11pm, I couldn’t do anything besides think about her. How was she doing? Did they manage to get her to another good hospital? My phone buzzed, an incoming call interrupted my thoughts, it was her boyfriend/husband. He provided details of what transpired after I left. My ears paid attention. He mentioned the ambulance arrived and he paid 400 Ghana cedis for its service. She was moved in stabilised position and taken to another facility. For one reason or the other an inconvenience occurred which demanded her being taken to another facility a bit further away.
The second facility accepted her without cause for delay. Hearing that alone brought a calmness to my heart. The news was positive, I knew she was going to be okay. I made enquiries about tests and anything else the doctor may have requested for. In response he said yes indeed, there is a demand for a CT scan however he would need to wait till the following day because of insufficient funds. It broke my heart. The idea of an emergency encountering a delay was another lake to cross.
I told him not to worry, a cost yet again I was going to cover, I requested for the number of the hospital, one through which I could communicate and make the payment. A little chat about how she was doing came in, he sounded as positive as my heart hoped, soon after the call ended. I quickly sent another sum of 500 Ghana cedis to the confirmed number. I felt the silence of the night creep into my thoughts and concerns filled the space. A confirmation of the electronic fund transfer beeped. I breathed a sigh of relief. My life flashed before my very eyes
This whole situation drew my attention to the purpose of life and how life in itself was dependant on many elements. The top ranking was finance, availability of finance in itself unbolted the weighing scales of life or death. Poverty truly had a rope round the necks of many, inability to make the required from desk deposit simply meant the patient could not be attended to. Lack of ‘cash and carry’ left many people at the mercy of detrimental effects and results. It saddened me. How human life was still under the weight of financial strength, how extensively it led to preferential treatments.
This young lady could have died without the payments, the huge sums of money requested could be more deafening than a series of gunshots. People were struggling, lives were claimed to be a top priority and yet money mattered. It hit me once more, the taxi driver who drove us to the hospital grounds still requested money after I asked what to give him. He could have honourably said it was unnecessary because a life mattered, but he awaited ‘something small’. How tragic, I heaved a sigh.
Afterall, I needed to understand that he too was doing his job and needed his pay. Everything came to the bottom-line of capacity. Life was tough, our strives needed to be in the right direction. Our dreams and hard work needed to be catapulted into a space of zero gravity when it came to financial dependency. We need to ensure we could afford to live but more importantly afford to sustain and save lives, if not our own, that of others because they were people too.
The earth spun with a chime; midnight came. A tingling feeling bugged me to go to check on her. It was late to move out, my body was still very exhausted, I could only wander in thought-land. Soon it was 1 a.m., the bugging feeling didn’t wear off. I grabbed my phone and made a call to the hospital to make enquiries. The response was positive, she was okay and responsive to medical care being given. I was glad, my heart rate was calmer. I reflected over everything once more and this time it was more vivid than before, an army of goosebumps lined up over my skin and disappeared. Life was mystery.
I took a much-needed rest and checked on her in the morning, by mid-morning I received news about her discharge from the hospital. She was cleared to go, everything was alright. She reached out to me over the phone personally to extend her gratitude, a request to see me in person was proposed, to which I granted. A chat I looked forward to. God was in the centre of all that transpired. Truly, being at the right place at the right time is no mistake when you realise God orchestrates the universe and everything in it. A journey away from life and back into it played right before my eyes, a memory and reminder which will never fade.
LESSONS
- Always be kind and willing to help people in need when you find yourself in such a position. You just might be saving a life.
- Life is fragile, anyone can pop off at anytime
- Treat people with love and care, burn off negative energy and grudges.
- Always listen to your gut and the universe, sometimes they speak as loud as your conscience
- Pray and commit all you do to the Lord because he is the greatest power and giver of life. Many times, people forget how quickly things can change
- Let financial security and independence be a priority because in the end money moves the world. Health is valuable but money drives things. Do your very best.
- Find your purpose and live by it. Life is too short to go around in circles.
- Act with urgency whenever you find yourself in a position of providing a service to any person. Be the best professional you can be in the moment; it can make a difference between life and death.
- We must be compassionate with others because we are unaware of their struggles.
- Leverage as much emotional intelligence as possible. Our acts of insensitivity can push people of the cliff into a dark pit, where their own actions become harmful to themselves.
- Fight for whatever you believe in. Give your best, just as I pushed against what the Doctors said in the case of the young lady- I believed she needed to stay alive, and did not relax until I was certain she was going to be alright. Always listen to your heart.
