A woman came to the hospital, in the morning with her child.  Eliza was the only person around.

“Who is on duty?” The woman asked.

“Good morning madam. My name is nurse Eliza. How may I help you?”

“Nurse Eliza please come and check my child he is not feeling well,”the woman informed Eliza

“This people have started again. They will not come to work on time. When I attend to her now, they will start blaming me,” Eliza murmured.

“What are you saying?” The woman asked.

“I am coming ma”

Eliza reluctantly  went to attend to the woman.

“What is his name?”

” His name is Emeka,”the woman answered.

“What is his class in school?”

“Do you mean to ask me his age,” the woman asked Eliza.

“Madam please, this is early morning. I don’t want stress. Answer the question I asked you, “Eliza responded in anger.

“He is in grade  4.”

“I did not ask his score in English language and mathematics. I am not talking of his result. Please I asked of  of his class,” Eliza emphasized.

“I said that he is in grade 4.”

“Madam, you are confusing my confusion. Anyway let’s move ahead. How many children do you have?”

“He is my only child,” the woman answered

“Is he the first or last child?” Eliza asked.

“Nurse, I don’t have another child. He is both the first and last.” The woman responded in anger.

“Okay, I understand now. When did the illness start?”

“It started last night.”

“What are the medications you have given him?”

“I have given him paracetamol, ” the woman told her.

“Ha! You don’t have any herbal medicine at home?” Eliza asked.

“No,  I don’t have any.”

“Madam, please permit me to put it to you that you are a careless mother. How can you say that you don’t have a herbal medicine at home?”

“I beg your pardon”the woman responded in anger.

“Don’t beg me, I will not give it to you.What level of carelessness is this? This is a little issue that you can handle by yourself yet you brought it to hospital to disturb us. Why would you be wasting your husband’s money?”

Eliza was still ranting when  Nurse Blessing came in. The woman breathed a sigh of relief when he saw Nurse Blessing.

“Good morning madam.”

“Good morning Nurse Blessing. I have been here for a while.  Please help me and attend to my son.”

“What is the problem with him?”

“His body is hot,” the woman explained.

“No problem madam. I will quickly check his temperature and give him some medications that will stabilize him. Afterwards, we will run some tests on him.”

“That’s good . Thank you so much,”the woman appreciated  Nurse Blessing.

“You are welcome ma’am”

Within few minutes, Nurse Blessing was through with the boy and directed them to the lab section of the hospital to run the necessary tests.

“Eliza, why were you ranting when  I entered here? What was the matter?”Nurse Blessing asked.

“Can you imagine that the woman does not not have any herbal medicine at home? I suspect that the child is having malaria.”

“How do you know that the child is suffering from malaria,” Nurse Blessing asked.

“Didn’t you look at the child’s eye. It is showing in his eyes,”Eliza explained.

“Eliza please I beg you,” Nurse Blessing said but Eliza quickly interrupted her.

“Point of Correction, I am nurse Eliza”

” I don’t care what you call yourself, but If you want to sell herbal medicine or recommend it to people, please  do it at your house. Don’t try it  in Dr. Bernards hospital. You will not like the outcome,” Nurse Blessing advised.

“You don’t understand me. There are some leaves that can cure malaria.

 Leaves of guava, pawpaw, lemon grass and neem, if thoroughly washed and boiled together works very well.”Eliza explained.

As they were still talking, the woman came out. 

“Please, is Dr. Bernard around?”she asked.

“No ma she is not around. Are you not satisfied with the doctor that attended to your child?”

“Not at all. I want to see Dr. Bernard to find out where he brought this woman. Also to  know exactly what she is doing here?” She said, pointing at Eliza.

“Please ma, she is not a nurse. She was just saying those things in order to wait for me to come. Please forgive her.”

” You mean she just wasted my time for nothing?”

“No ma, I was trying to keep you company. Please don’t report me to doctor Bernard. He will sack me.”  Eliza begged.

“She just  said that you are not a nurse. But when I came in, you told me that your name is nurse Eliza. ”

“That’s my nickname ma,”Eliza explained.

“Now listen to me. Anytime you see me in this hospital, avoid me,”the woman warned.

“Even outside this hospital I will avoid you. Please don’t report me to Doctor Bernard.” Eliza pleaded.