ALESSANDRO
"Is that the white man?" an elderly man asked the manager, Ambrose.
Ambrose dropped his cigar on the floor and squashed it under his boot, then, he turned to me in maybe his gentlest manner, his hand poised towards the man.
"This is the father of the patient," he said, "He is a veteran of the United States Army, but he came back to his roots after many years of living in the United States, only for the bad news to meet one of his sons."
I looked the old man in the face, he seemed like a veteran because even though he should be worried over the hard decision that was to be taken over his son's condition, he looked unshaken.
"And, Veteran, meet Alessandro Greco, special surgeon and orthopedist from the New York United States of America." He added.
The man held his hand to me, "Colonel Waa, retired though."
I shook hands with him, but I didn't just know what to say at that moment because even as we stood there, my eyes were busy scaling through the corners of the compound in search of Sita.
"My son is waiting inside with deep injury," he started his line of petition, "I believe in America, I believe in you."
"Thanks," I said and strutted off with Ambrose to see the patient. The man's words were nice hype for an average American, but people get amputated even in the United States of America when their case stands a chance of costing their lives.
We ambled into the hall and met him sitting on a sick bed that had been assigned to him, and his injured leg was channeled into a bucket in which it was drooling drops of water.
I scoffed, for the injury to be drooling water, the hard decision of amputating might be the only choice to be considered.
The doctor who he was initially assigned walked into the hall bearing the patient's medical report.
"Good evening doctor Greco." The doctor offered me a handshake. I accepted his pleasant offer and returned my hand in my pocket.
"This leg is damaged, no one would have the time to cut it open and check it out, so, the best thing is to do what should be done even without killing time in an unnecessary query." The doctor's words were without remorse.
I felt the urge to ask him how many amputations he had done in his medical and surgical career, but I chose to be cool even with him raging intelligently.
"Check this out." He passed me the report.
A doctor had initially done the bidding before now, and he gave the patient the right medication and did the right inspections and surgeries, but one of the toes had been amputated because there were no more veins connected to it and the nerves were completely dead, now, the wound is drooling smelly liquid.
I returned the report to him. Other legs might be amputated without further diagnosis, but this one is the leg of a United States naval veteran residing in this hell of a village.
"What do you have to say, doctor Greco?" he asked.
Ambrose was eager at his corner, he seemed to wish for the magic to happen, such will add to his philanthropy profile, I guess.
"You can't see his leg off without proper check." I turned away from him to avoid being convinced to dance to his tune. "Do you still feel your feet?"
"This is stupid, you know that." The other doctor snapped, "You don't have to play the hero in this case, it doesn't have to do with your skin color or where you came from."
"Enough!" I thundered, "Kindly leave the job to me, and stop cheap talk."
He dropped the medical report on the floor and edged out of the hall, leaving just me, Ambrose, and the patient behind. The veteran entered the hall.
"Why did he leave?" he asked.
His question was ignored as though it was rhetorical.
"Hey, I'll check your leg, don't worry." He turned to Ambrose. "Come with me."
He followed me to the end of the hall, and there, we both turned to watch the patient from where we were. I folded my arms, I'm not the type that keeps late nights at work, but this job might be a really big deal for me.
"Is there hope for him?" he asked.
"There is nothing bigger than hope," I uttered. "I could have borrowed your cigar to keep my ears strong to hear that ranting doctor."
I felt I was speaking to him like he was my friend. I had suddenly forgotten I nearly swore for him when I realized he and Sita were missing in the cafeteria. How dirty my mind has grown within a month and a week.
"I need a few persons," I spoke up, "Three nurses, a sack of blood, as a doctor for the things needed for a leg surgery, and bring me two positive-minded doctors."
He smiled. "Is that all?"
"I need many people in this hall who would stay awake and talk till the surgery is over," I added.
He narrowed his eyes and I narrowed mine in response, causing the both of us to bust in laughter, the sort that is far more barbaric than is expected of us.
"I need them to keep the hall lively while we work, I don't want to meet an empty hall when I walk out of the operation room," I said for clarity.
He nodded and laughed once more. "I had no idea Americans are scared of being alone in such a massive, lonely hall." I tapped my shoulder like a friend would do. In fact, to me, he was already a friend. "I'll gather as many people as possible and bring them here, we will make videos and remain awake till you are through."
"Thanks, buddy."
"You are welcome." He walked off, while I remained at my post.
***
Ambrose did more than was required, he brought the best set of doctors among the team of doctors, three Nigerians, and one South African.
I had no clue of their nationalities until they introduced themselves. The tall one whose skin was shocking brown and his hair a good fit was Nigerian. I had no idea people grow that tall in Nigeria because we were meant to believe that most of the tallest people from Africa were from South Sudan.
His name was Dike, it was easier to pronounce his name than even my name. the second one had round shoulders, I had no intentions of mocking him, but he was round like tennis, and he had a hoarse voice that made him a little scary.
His name was Micah, and he was Nigerian, while the third was another Nigerian by the name of Yinka, and the last of them was South Africa, with the name Maxwell but I chose to call him Max.
One was a phlebologist, and the rest were surgeons.
"Do we need nurses in this room?" one of them asked.
"Just a few, maybe two or three," I replied.
"We all will not function on the same leg, some of us will assist while the rest will do the job." Said the tallest in the room, Dike.
"Very good, so, we aren't bidding for nurses." I raised my brows.
"They need to stay close to watch and learn." Said the round fellow. "That's the essence of having nurses in the room."
The South African was preparing the medication that would go first before the surgery. The patient was still awake, listening to our conversation we numbed his nerves with Anastasia.
We began work with me leading the team. The leg was bad, but there was hope, a little one, and there was the option to amputate it in case severe damage was detected, we were lucky, the damage wasn't bad, and the former doctor had done a good job, but a little was to be done, due to what appeared to be the negligence of the patient.
We got it right, the Nigerian doctors were wonderful, and the South African doctor was prudent, so, the work went on like we had done magic.
"Time?" I asked.
"11 PM," said the South African. "The night nurses will take care of the rest of the medication some hours after he wakes."
"Very good." Hollered was the third Nigerian doctor.
"Thanks for helping." I hollered.
"I'll stay back and keep close eyes on him till he wakes." Said the South African.
"Good choice then," I commended.
***
So, who would lead us out?" the tall Nigerian asked.
"Alessandro will, he is the white man amongst us." Came the second Nigerian.
I smiled. It seemed Nigeria had no business being intimidated by a white man's presence, rather, he saw the reason to help.
"Okay, I'll gladly accept the honor." I raised my hand above my head. "Call in the nurses, he should be moved into the special ward."
"I'll take care of that." The South African said.
"Thanks again." I made for the door, but it was held open by the first Nigerian doctor. I walked out of the operation room and met a jubilant crowd in the hall.
Amongst them was Sita, she was smiling amongst others, her eyes fixed on me. I felt the urge to go grab a kiss now everywhere was hot with everyone celebrating.
I thought of walking down to her but then came the biggest surprise of my existence, a sudden, loud thud.