Chapter 1: The Call to Duty

Dem rush am come with half body stiff, mouth bend like person wey chop bitterleaf. Nobody for this country fit cure am, so I travel two thousand kilometers just to do surgery for am.

Before I even start the journey, my phone no rest—patient people dey call every hour, beg like say na only me fit save am. Family dey pressure, community dey expect miracle. My mind heavy, but I gats answer the call.

The journey no be small wahala o. As doctor wey get conscience, I gats go. Inside the night bus, my body dey weak, my spirit dey heavy. I close eye, whisper Psalm 23, beg God make journey safe. Still, my mind strong say I dey do wetin God send me. As I reach the city, everywhere strange—accent, food, even the air. But for Naija, we dey try for each other, no matter where you land.

But as the patient wan comot from hospital, e call media people come, begin shout for public say I collect 'chop money' from am.

See as my heart cut that day! For front of everybody, where crowd full corridor—some dey record with phone, others dey hiss or dey shout "Ole!"—the guy dey point finger, dey call my name, dey para like say na thief I be. Even cleaners pause to hear the gist. Na so shame grip me like cold water wey soak cloth.

Even though everything wey I do follow rule, to calm the storm, my oga still demote me.

My leg weak, I nearly fall as I waka comot office that day. The way dem carry my matter go front of management, e pain me. My oga look me for face, but e mind dey somewhere else. For Naija, sometimes dem fit sacrifice you just to quench public wahala. Dem no even care to hear the full story.

Unlucky, one year later, the same patient sick again, na the same problem.

As God go do am, e be like say some people dey destined to cross path more than once. My mind weak when I hear say na the same person. Na wa o—life get as e be.

I still be the only doctor wey fit treat am for this country.

I sigh sotey my spirit almost comot. E mean say no matter how people treat you, your calling no go let you rest. Doctor na doctor—if you no answer, wetin you gain for this world?