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Sitting beside my mom on her hospital bed were my dad and me. The clock is ticking, and we are hopeless in getting the required money for the emergency surgery to keep mom alive. Seeing my lovely mom in such a situation broke me down several times. The last time I cried, my father joined me in shedding tears—my first time of seeing his tears. It was then I vowed not to cry in his presence again—his health was fragile too. Though tears built up in my eyes, I suppressed them from escaping my eyelids.
"Will I watch my mom like this to the point of losing her?" I asked myself.
The doctor walked in with his stethoscope around his neck. Known for his contagious smiles, his white teeth and dimples were on display as he addressed us.
"Is there any development?"
My dad held his lower lip with his teeth in emotional pain.
"No development yet. I will soon go out to meet a friend who promised to help. Please, Doctor, don't let me lose my wife," my father went on his knees holding the doctor's scrubs.
"It's not about me allowing your wife to die; it's about depositing the required amount for the surgery to be conducted. We need to get rid of the tumor as soon as possible." He lifted my dad from the ground with a hug. "I wish I could help, but I am an employee here, and we are following the hospital's policy. I wish you good luck as you go out to meet your friend for financial assistance."
Shortly after the doctor left the ward, my father went out. I knew he had no friend as buoyant as assisting him with the huge sum needed for the surgery. He was a peasant farmer whose farm produce was barely enough to feed the family. For him, remaining in the hospital and watching his wife dying slowly was heart-wrenching. He left for nowhere in particular to look for money.
I buried my head in-between my palms, thinking of the way forward. My mom was in a deep sleep—the only time she did experience breakout pain.
A call came in to my phone. It was Sandra, my colleague at work, who called to check on how my mom was faring.
"Has your dad been able to raise the money for the surgery?" Asked Sandra.
"No development yet. My mom is still lying down in pain. My hopelessness increases by the day."
"There is hope. I believe your mom will be fine. Have you considered relating it with our manager? He is a listening boss. You can plead with him to allow the company to give you a loan," Sandra suggested to me.
"Have you forgotten the company's policy? Confirmation of appointment before being eligible for a loan," I responded to her.
"If your appointments had been confirmed, I wouldn't have suggested that you meet the boss. You would have just applied for a loan through the official channel. But for the fact that your appointment hasn't been confirmed, meeting the manager in person could make him intervene and waive that requirement for you to access a loan and save your mom."
I had only spent a month on the job. The joy of securing my dream job was short-lived with my mom's sickness. The policy of the company was to issue a fresh employee a temporary appointment. After two years of satisfactory performance, the appointment is changed to permanent, which is also termed as confirmation. It is only after the confirmation that an employee is eligible to take a loan from the organization.
"Not even 18 months or a year but just a month out of two years requirement, this is a far cry," I told myself.
The company had already given me an undeserved paid leave of absence to take care of my mom. "Won't I be requesting too much?" I asked myself.
Later in the evening, my dad returned to the hospital with no money to pay the surgery bill as predicted. He was only able to buy fruits for my mom.
The following morning, I was woken up by Sandra's call. Despite knowing her for only a month, Sandra has proved to be a loving friend.
"Hope you are coming to work today to meet the manager," she enquired .
"I am scared of taking this step. Will it not affect my relationship with the company? What if I am reminded of the requirements in the company's handbook?"
"Desperate moments call for desperate actions. For the love of your mother, please meet the manager."
I was convinced by Sandra. I prepared immediately after the call and headed to the office. "Whether good or bad outcome from my boss, my mom's well-being is more than the risk," I convinced myself in the case of unexpected outcome.
I arrived at the organization and went straight to the manager's office. I was welcomed by the office secretary.
"How is your mom's health?" she asked me. "Has she been discharged from the hospital?"
"We are still struggling to save her life. That's why I am here to see the manager, I responded to her."
"I wish her a quick recovery. You can go inside and see him"
I presented my request to the manager as soon as he offered me a seat.
"My mom is dying. The ultimatum to perform a surgery that will guarantee her safety is almost here. My family has nowhere to raise the 2 million naira required for the surgery. Please, I need the assistance of the company in granting me a loan to the tune of the stated amount. I am ready to concede my whole salary monthly in repayment of the loan. Help me to save my mom," I pleaded with tears flowing down my cheeks.
The manager stood up and held my hand to rise up. After having my seat again, he held his pen in between his teeth for many seconds without uttering a word. His sight was fixated on me while he swerved his chair to both sides. While my face was to the ground to avoid eye contact, I was praying for a welcoming response.
"2 million naira. That's a huge amount. The company can't give you such a loan. You are required to be confirmed after two years before qualifying for taking a loan, but I will waive that requirement for you in the spirit of saving the life of our lovely mom. I share in your pain. However, you can only take a loan amount that you can pay with 30% of your monthly salary for a maximum of a year. I will instruct the finance department to process the loan for you before the end of today."
I went on my knees to appreciate the manager. Though what I would be eligible to take as a loan was a little above 700,000 naira, I was glad for the fact that I could plead with the hospital to do the surgery with such a deposit while we strive to raise the balance. As I stepped out of the office, the manager called me back.
"I have a gift for your mother. I will visit her to deliver it tomorrow morning. The gift will be delivered in your name. You are such a loving daughter. Keep me out of the picture."
I was confused about what the gift from the manager to my mother could be. I went to the finance department for the required paperwork. Later that evening, the loan was disbursed to my account. All was set for my father and me to meet the hospital management the following morning to plead with them to start the procedure while we raise the balance.
My organization manager was the first to call on us in the hospital early in the morning. I was shocked to see his message that he was at the hospital gate. I went out to take him into the hospital. After spending a little time with us in the ward, he demanded that I join him to see the cashier of the hospital.
"Let's sort out one or two things with the cashier," he stated.
Many things were running through my mind.
"Is this man going to confirm if I lied about the hospital bill? What is he meeting the cashier for?"
We got to the cashier before I received the biggest shock.
"I want to settle the bill of her mom; referring to me," the manager told the cashier.
I couldn't believe my ears. Right there, he sent the sum of 2 million naira to the hospital's account. The cashier confirmed the payment. I didn't know where to start the appreciation from.
"Thank you for helping my family at this critical moment."
"Like I told you yesterday, this is a secret gift to your mom.
"You took a loan to partly pay for your mother's surgery, and an anonymous individual who heard about the case balanced the money. That's the narrative that should get to your parents. I have informed the cashier too. Your kind of daughter is rare. Take the whole credit for getting to this stage."
The surgery was performed successfully, and my mom had another chance at healthy living after recuperating. The loan I took served as a pool of funds for the family to navigate through the recuperating period. My manager saw me as a unique and loving daughter of my parents, while I saw him as one of the best gifts to humanity.
