You Got What?

Who could possibly be calling me this late at night. It is 9.00p.m. am enjoying my fresh fish and red wine for dinner; watching CNN. Life can not be better. The phone kept on ringing continually as if the person knows that am purposely avoiding the call. With anger, I summoned the courage and picked the phone up. “Why are you trying to avoid my call?” was the first thing she said. Dumfounded, am trying to figure out the person on the other end that have the nerves to call me and greeted me with those words and she is not my mother. After a few silence, she introduced herself. An old friend of mine from the good old days of the past. (smiling.. hmmm) (to protect her identity, I will call her “Mo”) . Noble, she said. (Noble was my nickname when I was at University of Maryland). I saw your number on your facebook page and I decided to call you up since am in Maryland again. Hmm.. Another thought was going thru my head. Lord please deliver me from temptation. I promise to be a good boy this year.

After a few minute of exchanging pleasantries, she still sound as sexy as ever on the phone, she asked me when am I coming to visit her. Coming to visit you! You don't evenly asked me if am married or in a relationship. At this point my mind was in the gutters like every other man in my situation would be. Hmm.. clearing my throat. Lord! This is not part of the bargain. Reluctantly, not to be rude, I asked for her address. She said, am staying at Washington Hospital Center, 3rd floor. Washington Hospital center? I exclaimed in my mind. What is wrong was my next question. She replied with a voice that can melt a rock, I will tell you when you get here. This does not sound good. At this point my mind was out of the gutter and different thoughts were going thru it. Quickly I went to the hospital to meet her. She had lost weight; looking freight like a ghost. “Mo” what is wrong? Are you ok? (Don’t you just hate it when people ask you an obvious question.. No she is not ok. If she is ok she wouldn’t be at the hospital).

She took a deep breath and said, “Noble, will you make me laugh. I still remember your silly jokes and funny faces”. How can I make you laugh, I don’t even know what is wrong with you or why you are here or why you insisted that you must see me. From my look, she realized that am not comfortable in the room. She took another breath and said, “Noble, am dying of breast cancer” “Your girls are killing me” . Speechless, don’t know what to say or do. She was only 34years old. Young and pretty. How? Why? What? And where? This is not a Nigerian disease. This is supposed to be an American disease. Foolish and ignorant of me; breast cancer is a woman disease regardless of the race or place of residence.

There were so many questions running thru my head. But it was too late. All I could do was hold her hand and tell jokes. We laughed and laughed thru out the night. The nurse came in and asked me to leave. We both lied and said I was her husband. Breast cancer at a tender age. All she could say was she wished that she had paid more attention to her health and not try to self diagnose it. According to her, the signs were there but she was too busy with work and self medicated with advil and blame tenderness on her breast with her monthly. When she told her mother of persist sickness and tiredness, they attributed it to some kind of issue from the family back home. By the time she went to the doctor for medical checkup she was at an advance stages. On my way out in the morning, we hugged and cried and laughed more and told silly jokes. Couldnt hold off my tears in the car. The more I cried the more I remembered the good times at the museums in Washington, D.C. and the prank at the Zoo and thank God for her brief life. Days later after my visit, she was gone! Gone forever never again to see "Mo" .

To all my sisters, female friends, please take the time to do your yearly medical checkup. It can save your life. Talk to your parents about past medical history and death history in your family. Xprexxion magazine may be able to pay for a simple mammogram if there is no other alternative. Not everything is caused by your enemy or your step mother or the witch next door or the devil. God can only help those that helped themselves. Learn about your body. There will be no untimely death amongst us in Jesus name again.