Layers of Happiness (Episode 7)
My legs were hanging on the roof of the hospital bed. My hands had stitches. I couldn’t move an inch from the bed. My eyes were glued to the white ceiling. I was in Ward A of the emergency unit of the hospital. I had been unconscious for three days. I had opened my eyes, I was told, on the third day of the accident but I was just staring at the walls of the hospital.

Layers of Happiness
The walls for me had ears. And I listened to their words. I heard the noise of pains from every person around me at the emergency unit. My heart skipped. I realized somehow that pain is personal. I heard the scream of people struggling with pains, with a broken spinal cord as a result of an accident but I couldn’t join them in their own pains. I had mine too. My own pain came in layers.
“Mr Paul, you will be taken away from the emergency unit today,” one of the nurses attending to me came in on the fourth day to inform me.
“you will be taken to the general ward, for you have greatly improved” she continued, “we didn’t think you will make it through but you have to thank your God for this,” She said and walked away from my side, attending to other patients whose conditions were equally severe.
Later that day, I was moved in an adjustable hospital bed to the general ward of the hospital. As I was being wheeled away from the emergency ward, screams of people followed me. It was hinged in my thought. For some moments, I forgot my own pain, I forgot my legs were in Plaster of Paris (POP). I felt like entering into the pains of other people but I couldn’t.
“How did I get here and who brought me here?” I asked myself. I became conscious of my long journey down the street on that Monday morning, my thoughts and the scream of people as a result of the accident.
In the afternoon, Pastor Jide Andrews came to visit me. I was shocked when I saw him.
“Pastor Paul, you see, God is kind to you,” he said.
“I know” I managed to say.
“I think it is time to seek him,” he continued.
“You were going astray but grace found you”
“You should be thankful that God saved your life”
“I know, pastor Jide,” I struggled to say again.
“How did I get here?” I finally opened up my inner thoughts.
“A woman brought you here in her car and she will be here in the evening. Besides, she paid the hospital bill” he said.
I was surprised. Yet, I anticipated the arrival of this good Samaritan woman.
“Pastor Paul, let me pray with you before I leave,” the pastor said.
There was a long prayer of thanks and appreciation to God for the victory he has given us.
Pastor Jide stood to leave after the prayer session, just as he got to the door of the general ward he turned back and took a seat.
“I almost forgot to tell you something that will interest you,” he said.
“it is about Ruth, your wife that left” he continued.
“We found out that you are her second husband and she is getting married again next month to another man.” There was this calmness in the voice of pastor Jide as he recounted the tales of Ruth.
I was alarmed. I looked straight into the eyes of Pastor Jide with tears forming a tiny stream on my face.
…to be continued.
Also Read: Layers of Happiness (Episode 6)
Layers of Happiness (Episode 1)