Ada's misery had begun. More fame, less husband. At first she was convinced that a woman was involved, but she was wrong. Now she was insisting on breakfast. 'Take what you like egg, bacon.... Take your choice, honey'. Havea good breakfast in case you don't find the time to eat again.
He washed quickly, grbbed a coffee, jumped into his clothes and ran out of the room. She heard his car start downstairs. Later , she heard an ambulance siren outside. A man in a white coat came over.
Mrs Kalu.... Is doctor still here? He wore heavy glasses and looked like one off the specialist. Where is Doctor Kalu?
'He just left for work' she said. Good. Everybody is waiting for him. He's our most brilliant medical research fellow. Perhaps the best Africa has produced...quite indispensable....
She stood up, 'do you really mean that? ' i Mean it. There are few people like that in the public service. People who are dedicates ...one in a million. Without him....' without him? ' something in the tone of her voice made him start. ' .....the hospital would closw down. Hundred of er.. Of live we are saving would be lost.
He moved away as he spoke. Time is against me. I must be rushing off.'
Mrs Kalu had a lot of questions to ask him, but he was already waving at her from the ambulance. She would have killed to know what would happen when they worked this willing horse to death. 'What do i get out of it? - a black dress, new proposals of marriage before his dead body get cold. '
She went back to her lesson notes, but she could scarcely concentrate. Try as hard as she could show would never convince him that he must work and live, not work and die.
When will we go on leave? She once asked him. ' leave? There's no one to take over my work'. Then -just leave the work! '.
He lauhghed.' Ada, how like a woman! You just don't understand.
'I understand that you are my husband, father of our children, and head of the family. Your Children never see your face. Your father is an old man, and you have not seen him for a long time. I understand that your presence means more than the money to all of you.
'The work will suffer'
She was weeping.
'What's wrong?' He placed his hand on her shoulder.
