August 25, 2005 – 9:50 PM
[Mombasa Hospital – Children's Wing, Room 7]
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Tak… tak… tak… tak… tak…
"Dhalik!! Come back here, young man!"
Now you're probably wondering what the hell is going on…
Tak… tak… tak… tak… tak…
Dhalik: "No! I'm not going back, Nurse Elli! I'm sick of all these tests you keep running on me. I'm sick of this place—and I'm sick of you! So stop chasing me. I want to go home!"
Tak… tak… tak… tak…
Yeah… that's me. The younger me—running.
Why, you ask?
Well…
Tak… tak… tak… tak…
Nurse Elli: "There's a reason for those tests! You were in an accident. For God's sake, you fell from a building!"
Tak… tak… tak… tak…
She wasn't wrong.
Three weeks ago, I was out playing football with some kids from the neighborhood. I kicked the ball a little too hard… and it landed on the roof of a nearby house.
Now, you might think we'd go get an adult to help.
If you thought that… you'd be wrong. Big, fat F.
Because like most reckless kids—I decided to get it myself.
Next to the house was a tree with low-hanging branches. Easy enough to climb. From there, I pulled myself onto the rooftop.
Tak… tak… tak…
I grabbed the ball… tossed it back down to my friends…
And that should've been the end of it.
But it wasn't.
Tak… tak… tak…
"Sto—!"
—CRASH—
Dhalik: "Agh!!"
Dr. Mwenyeji: "Agh, indeed."
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[Five minutes earlier]
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Dr. Mwenyeji: "Well, I suppose I should check on the troublemaker first."
Tak… tak… tak…
To be this energetic three weeks after such an accident… he thought. Ah… to be young.
Tak… tak…
"Good evening, Dr. Mwenyeji."
Dr. Mwenyeji: "Good evening, Dr. Kale."
Dr. Kale: "You seem to be in a hurry."
Dr. Mwenyeji: "You could say that."
Dr. Kale: "Let me guess… the boy again?"
Dr. Mwenyeji: "You're not wrong. Dhalik is acting up again."
"…Oh."
—CRASH—
Dhalik: "Agh!!"
Dr. Mwenyeji: "Yes… quite painful, I imagine."
Tak… tak… tak…
Nurse Elli: "Are you alright, Doctor?!"
Dr. Mwenyeji: "Yes, yes, I'm fine."
(He adjusts his coat, looking down.)
"Now then… young Mr. Dhalik. Why are you making it so difficult for Nurse Elli to do her job?"
Dhalik: "Because I want to go home! She promised me yesterday!"
Dr. Mwenyeji: "Oh? Did you now, Nurse Elli?"
Nurse Elli: "W-Well… I said he could go home soon—once you approved it, Doctor. But he's being… difficult."
Dhalik: "That's because I am a child. You should try reading the situation."
Nurse Elli: "Wha—! You—!"
Dr. Mwenyeji: "Now, now… let me handle this."
"…Yes, Doctor."
Dr. Mwenyeji crouched slightly, meeting my eyes.
Dr. Mwenyeji: "Dhalik… I spoke with your mother today. Do you know what she said?"
Dhalik: "You talked to my mom? What did she say?"
Dr. Mwenyeji: "She said she'll come pick you up the day after tomorrow."
(A pause.)
"So… how about this? One final test tomorrow… and then you go home the next day."
Dhalik: "…Fine."
(Not like I can escape right now anyway.)
Dr. Mwenyeji: "Excellent. Now, back to your room. Nurse Elli—please escort him."
Nurse Elli: "Yes, Doctor. Come along."
(You annoying little—)
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As we walked back, I figured I might as well finish my story.
Where was I…?
Ah, right—the roof.
I climbed up, grabbed the ball, threw it back down.
Easy.
But getting down… that's where everything went wrong.
To get back, I needed to jump from the roof to the tree. It wasn't far—but I needed a short run-up.
What I didn't realize… was that the roof wasn't stable.
As I ran—
Crack.
One of my legs went straight through it. Something caught my foot—
And just like that…
I fell.
Five meters.
Head first.
Like I was diving straight into the ground.
In that moment… I was terrified.
Completely frozen in fear.
But what do you expect?
I was eight.
The second I hit the ground…
Everything went black.
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Later, I was told my friends ran for help. Some adults came… and I was rushed to the hospital.
And then—
I died.
Yeah… I died.
Funny how that works, right?
I was clinically dead for eight minutes and thirty-one seconds. The doctors had already given up.
Until…
I came back.
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But while they were trying to save me…
I wasn't there.
I was somewhere else.
A world of black and white.
No sound. No movement.
Just… everything.
My past.
My present.
My future.
All at once.
It felt like time had stopped—
And I was standing at a crossroads.
To be continued…