Five Hours to Die Read online

Chapter Two

  “Please do have your seat!” Dr Royll said as he made for his door. Mr Ronald sat down while feasting his eyes on the contents that made up the office. An executive desk and a table with two chairs opposite it meant for guest. The desktop is on the desk at the right and the piles of files on the left. The little space in the middle serves as where Dr Royll uses as dealing with current cases like writing prescriptions and jotting down new symptoms for further study. Dr Royll is one of the best doctors in Miami and so far, he has been a successful doctor practising surgery and has saved thousands of lives from dying.

  Mr Ronald has taste for crème de la crème(s) even to the choice of electronic gadgets he uses at his home. Even his lawyer back in Nigeria is the second best lawyer in the whole of the federation and he resides in Lagos state. He has won eighty percent of the cases that has come his way. Mr Ronald of course hired him and made his way to be his number one client. He did not just hired him as an official lawyer where only when he needs to address an issue of international contract and that’s when he calls upon him—no! He made it an important to-do to send gifts and even extra incentives every month end and this has endeared him to the lawyer so much so that, he could have access to the lawyer at any time even if he’s on vacation or sabbatical leave.

  At the right-side of the room is the shutter with a curtain to veil the room from sunlight. And by the left of the room is a stretch bed used for quick medical check-ups and to administer quick treatments to private clients like Mr Ronald. Of course, this is not the first time that Mr Ronald is visiting this place and being examined either while seating or lying on the bed. Close to where the doctor sits is a small book shelf that contains books meant for research. There’s little or no difference between Mr Ronald’s office and Dr Royll’s office. Dr Royll’s awards are only placed on the wall.

  Mr Ronald this morning has to leave the conference hall halfway into the meeting. He excused himself on health-wise ground and he was allowed. He has to jump protocols to see the doctor—one of the advantages of putting yourself as the number one client of any hired personnel. In fact, that morning, Dr Royll has to declare the health condition of Mr Ronald as state of emergency that needs urgent attention. Mr Cole was forced to run through the steps when he got to the elevator that has just being closed. He ran to the fourth floor panting heavily as he explained to Dr Royll that Mr Ronald could not walk by himself and only he couldn’t carry him out of the car. Dr Royll was however surprised that Mr Cole could endanger the life of his boss—

  “Why don’t you consult the emergency unit on the first floor to help you out instead of running up here? That’s a great risk I never expect you could take.” Dr Royll fumes as he made for the elevator walking very fast and Mr Cole running and walking to catch up with him.

  “I only act on order. Mr Ronald asked me to come directly to you!” Mr Cole said defending his action.

  “There are sometimes that order has to be defied especially moments like this where the life of someone is at stake and a useless risk like yours could mean death!” Dr Royll said as he punched the floor number on the elevator with his index finger.

  And since then, Mr Ronald has been admitted and going through series of test. With the help of other doctors, Dr Royll has successfully carried out the test and they now know what’s wrong with Mr Ronald. He’s has just gone to collect the test results when he went out of the office.

  “Sorry for keeping you wait!” Dr Royll said as he takes his seat and opening the documents in his hand that contains the test results. “The results of the test are out and I… I will be straight with you…” Mr Ronald cut in.

  “Why be straight with me? Just go ahead and tell me the results and let’s know the solution to it… and also act fast on it!”

  Dr Royll wiped his face with his handkerchief, leaning forward—

  “Mr Royll, for how long have I being your personal doctor?

  “For good three years now… what’s with the question?” Mr Ronald asked bewildered.

  Dr Royll sighed.

  “And for those three years, I’ve always tried my best to cure you when any health problem arises. Though, we only care we doctors, its God that cures.” Mr Ronald cuts in.

  “What exactly are you driving at? Is it that you want an increase in your salary or what? There are better ways of putting this forward than to be asking status-devaluing questions!” Mr Ronald slammed looking slight furious. Doctor Royll noticed this and apologised.

  “Look Mr Ronald, I don’t mean to say that. I just want you to understand some certain things before I proceed to tell you the result of the test.” Mr Ronald didn’t talk but only sighed. Doctor Royll opened the test results and began this way—

  “With the help of other doctors, we carried out a test and we were able to discover what is really wrong with you!” Doctor Royll paused and wiped his face again with his handkerchief and gave a loud sigh.

  “Mr Ronald… I’m afraid you have cancer… an inoperable one and that makes you vulnerable to death… in five hours time to be precise. And…” Mr Ronald cut in.

  04:59mins

  “Pardon? Can you please come again if you don’t mind?” Mr Ronald said wryly.

  “Okay! I said you, Mr Ronald is having a cancer lump right beneath your ribcage and that’s what brings about the pains you’ve being experiencing. Then, you have just about five hours remaining to live because it’s inoperable. However, we’ve injected you with a vaccine that’d keep you active until zero hour!” Dr Royll explained closing the files and forwarding it to Mr Ronald by sliding it across the desk.

  Mr Ronald gave a loud sigh. He brought out his handkerchief and wiped the beads of sweat forming on his forehead. He sighed again.

  “Tell me doc, are you just playing an expensive joke on me or is this an April-fool? How can I have cancer just like that and there will be no solution to it? C’mon, this hospital is one of the best in the world…” Dr Royll cut in.

  “Mr Ronald, I’m sorry! This is no doubt a bad news not just for you but also for me. It will however be better if you can stop wondering and work with time before your death. Probably, there are things you need to put in place especially your organization. Till now, research is going on this very case and no positive result yet. In the last two years, only one survives out of ten people treated in here and even till now, the person is still not active; he’s more or less a liability. Your chance of surviving therefore is only ten percent going by the previous cases we’ve dealt with. There’s an exigency therefore that you make your way to Nigeria within this five hours and set things right before your departure! I will…” Mr Ronald cut him short.

  “Thank you doctor Ronald… sorry… doctor Royll… I shall see you some other time maybe in the afterlife and maybe you can continue your job there as my doctor and… whatever happens… thanks for everything!” Then he stood up, wiped his face again and made for the door. Just then he turned back like he forgot something.

  “Hitherto, I’ve always espoused that science has every solution to human’s problem. But I’m afraid; I’m dropping this belief and embracing another one which is… I’ll rather keep the belief to myself… and maybe die with it!” Mr Ronald concluded, opening the door and he went out.

  “Mr Ronald… you forgot your test results… what am I going to do with it huh?” Dr Royll bellowed standing up from his seat and holding the test results in his hand. He sighed while crashing on his chair. He flung the file into the waste bin—I guess it was involuntary; it was due to frustration because he got up immediately and picked the file back, tucking into the pile of files on his desk.

  “This might still be important… a reference material!” He said as he sighed and rested his back on the chair—what a hectic day.

  04:35mins

  “Less than five hours?” Mr Cole asked not expecting answer though as he flung the suitcase he was carrying to the couch and removing his tie almost immediately. Mr Ronald sat on the couch dejectedly th
inking of nothing but how death is definitely going to look like. Is he going to see this death? Or is this death just going to cease his breath and then, the end? No one knows— not Mr Ronald.

  For once, the thought of dying very young has never crossed his mind, let alone sitting down and thinking about how death looks like. The tide of the business world is enough to take over his mind and only allowing little time for other issues—maybe when he’s going to get married… an evangelist came ministering to him to accept Christ into his life and the idea of raising just a very small family of four but death, that’s an exception. Mr Ronald is of course not different from other business tycoons that litters the country today—their business is their priority; it serves as their means of survival and without it, a sudden end is prone to happen—this to a very large extent is their belief. Religion, as important as it is and as an integral part of the society means little; if not nothing, to them. The advent of technology and the flux of scientific knowledge have contributed to their belief that nothing is impossible without religion. And for so many years, this belief is widely acclaimed and practised. To make these people deviate from this belief, you must of course be a sound debater—a scholar of your belief.

  Death must after all be a checker of so many fallacies that has engulfed the universe and the illusions that we are force to believe. A scrutinizer of the popular opinions and individual philosophies that has been imbibed that of course and in a clear contrast contradicts the law that governs this life-supporting planet. In a more concise language, death—and the thought of death, especially in a situation like this—hammers the reality most; not to everybody but the very individual in that situation. The face of death is very ugly and not too many can stare at it but right here, Mr Ronald just have to regardless of how coward he may be.

  “If we are going to take a normal flight back to Nigeria, I’m afraid the time would be against us and that’s disaster!” Mr Cole explained as they pack their luggage while considering the fastest means to get back to Nigeria.

  “Hmm… Can’t we hire a private jet—that should be faster and it will save us time.” Mr Ronald said while he concentrates on his phone—planning to make calls.

  “That’s very thoughtful of you sir and in fact, it’s affordable.” Mr Cole remarked and continues. “We need to make a call straight away… time is not on our side. The jet should get us to Nigeria in two hours or less… that will give us more time to put other things in place and race against time in a swift way then…” Mr Ronald cut in.

  “Make the call and stop being a parrot mister!” Mr Ronald said irritatingly.

  “As your Lord pleases… your wish is my headache and the medicine is my obedience!” Mr Cole said while bowing and heading straight to the telephone. For reasons best known to Cole, he’s happy at the sudden change of everything—a kind of schadenfraude. Imagine his boss promising him a five percent of his asset—and that’s pretty large. If Mr Ronald did not later die, then Cole would be one of the assassins that will eventually take his life. The African proverb that said the downfall of one man marks the beginning of the rise of another man is no doubt a wise and a thoughtful one. Even if Africa is clouded with superstitions and illusions and unproved mystical theories and ologies about life; their proverbs remains touch-bearer to the path of this present generation.

  “Sir, the Jet will be ready in the next twenty minutes… that’s a lot of time but…” Mr Ronald cut in again.

  “Get the damn luggage and get your ass moving mister. There’s no time and you are still standing there telling me stories I’d rather listen to on my radio!” Mr Ronald slammed!

  “But to where sir? To the airport or the…”

  “Are you out of your mind? Didn’t you make the enquiries?” Mr Ronald stopped abrupt turning back to face Mr Cole with stern face.

  “They must have forgotten or was it a mistake on my part? A kind of mix up…” Mr Cole said as he heads back to the telephone. Mr Ronald only shook his head and went into the bedroom to pack the remaining of his documents into his suitcase. A-you-are-fired-letter should have being given to Mr Cole following the series of his mistakes and negligence but thanks to death.

  04:00mins

  “The remaining ninety-five percent should be distributed evenly and I think your girlfriend should have a larger share of your properties. However, we should put in mind that after selling off the company, the value of your total asset will decrease by a whooping thirty percent regardless of the profits we garnered from the shares and again, the bank is still owed by your company by a sum of five million dollars. Paying up this debt will further cut down your asset value by thirty-two percent!” Mr Cole explained as he turns the page of the file that contains the records and asset values of Mr Ronald’s company and personal properties. Mr Ronald has asked Cole to work out the percentages as they were about boarding the jet earlier today. Mr Ronald has decided to share out his assets to his friends and his girlfriend and other organizations as in form of charity. He also decided to throw a party for his staffs and everyone on getting back to Lagos. He’s not stopping there as he plans for himself the to-be- most elaborated funeral in the country. He wants to leave this earth as honourable as possible and planning the burial himself seems to be the best option he opted for.

  “To this world I came with nothing and now that I’d be going back soon, I will be left with nothing but a good epitaph and my encomium sending me to the world beyond; maybe there, I’d be rewarded for my goodwill as proclaimed by many religions’ doctrine!” He thought to himself as he peeped through the window. For the very first time, Mr Ronald is sharing the belief that a world exists beyond the walls of this planet and you must be dead before you can have access to this blissful world where you die no more; a place called eternity—a place with no sorrows nor tears they say. Built on and with gold… but only when you are a good person and a believer of that faith, righteous and holy, then; you’d be allowed passage else the alternative—hell! And you know those things they say about hell… if it be true, then; Ronald doesn’t want to be there. To escape this, he must source out a panacea. And this he thought in his mind—“I will find a pastor that will pray for me and then just don’t think of anything evil till my time is over!” Such is the thought of Mr Ronald as he journeyed back to Nigeria through the fastest means known.