Umendo Chapter 25

Umendo Chapter 25

They say that your life flashes before your own eyes when you are about to die or nearly die, my whole life flashed before my eyes that day. From when l was in pre-school, to university, meeting Siya, him proposing to me, our wedding day, our first time in bed together, the dozens of pregnancy tests l took, the weekend l spent eNo-4, the day l caught him with Nicole, his mother insinuating that l am barren. But what was weird was I also saw the future after the death of Siya, his mother crying and blaming me for his death, Nicole demanding money from Siya's life insurance to support their child, me being depressed forever and more. But l saw all this in less than 10seconds. I snapped back to reality, I quickly removed my top (l was wearing a vest underneath), and held it to his neck whilst my other hand pressed on to his stomach. I was screaming for someone to call an ambulance and asking Siya not to die on me. He was starting to lose consciousness. Francis and Chris came back, Francis was shouting and pacing up and down with his hands at the back of his head saying "oh nkos yami, bambulele", and Chris was busy saying he was going to kill each and every one of them. People started to surround us, and were asking "kanti kuhambanjani", as if they couldn't see, but no one seemed to be calling an ambulance. I screamed for people to help me, do something, but they just stood there, Chris and Francis were pretty much useless at that point. I shouted for someone to help me get him in the car so l could take him to hospital. Ambulances take forever to come anyway, l thought to myself. 

These two guys helped get Siya in the car, I kept checking his pulse to see if he was still alive. Francis drove while Chris and l sat at the back with Siya on our laps. One of the guys who had helped us get him in the car came with us, he was at the front with Francis. I kept shouting to Francis to go faster, he seemed to be going slower than a snail. "Please don't let him die Lord", l kept saying. We got to the hospital and Francis dashed out to get someone over to help; hehhhhh, you should have been there. The way they took their time! One of the paramedics who was sitting in an ambulance parked outside came over and had a look at Siya. Then modelled back to call someone else who came like a hundred years later with a wheelchair. When he got to us, he decided it was better to get a stretcher, so he too walked as if he had blisters under his feet all the way to the ambulance and took another 100years to come back. I was more nervous then than l was on the way. Umuntu aze afe phambi kwesbhedlela shuwa. I was fuming, l wanted to strangle them kancane ngibamcitshe umoya, maybe they will have a rough idea of what it's like to fight for your life. Mnxx. They finally brought the stretcher and get this, they told US to get him on the stretcher. I don't know if it was because they didn't want to get blood on their uniforms or they were just terrible human beings, but I hated them right then. We got him on the stretcher and I didn't ask them if they wanted us to push him inside, l just did cos l knew that every second wasted waiting for those idiots to do their job could cost my husband his life. I pushed him for about two seconds then one of them said "Hawu sis, you want to do our job for us?". Hehhh, can you imagine? He took over and told one of the nurses to hit the emergency buzzer as soon as he got in. We we following them behind, then a doctor came over with 3 nurses and took over from him. They quickly took him to theatre and told us to wait outside." At last people who know how to do their job", l thought aloud. 

My top was completely covered in blood, l was covered in blood, so was Chris. I went over to the toilet to was my hands. I was washing the blood off my hands thinking this is my husband's blood and l broke down. I felt like someone had punched me in the stomach, it was painful to cry. An elderly woman walked in with a mop and a bucket whilst l was crying , she came over, hugged me and told me to cry it out. "Konke okwenzekayo ebomini bethu, yintando kabawo wethu", she kept saying whilst rubbing my back. She stood there hugging me until I stopped crying. I thanked her and left. Walking back to the waiting area l couldn't help but think if this was some sort of punishment from God. I went to the reception to register Siya in and pay the administration fee then joined Chris and Francis. The other guy took a taxi and left.l was deep in my own world l forgot to ask him his name. We all sat there in silence until Chris asked what we thought his chances of survival were. I knew it was what we all thinking silently, but him actually saying it out loud hit the nerve. I couldn't imagine what my life would be like without Siya, I needed him to survive and come back home with me. When ever l tried to imagine life without him, l only imagined sorrow and sadness. Francis asked me if l wanted him to call Siya's parents to let them know, I was in my own world ngangilibele ukubafonela. I dreaded talking to Siya's mum, so l called his father, then his uncle (babomncane) who lives eKatlehong and his eldest sister ose Pretoria. I called Zandie, Langa, Mike who all offered to come over to the hospital but l told them not to. Having to explain what had happened from when l got the call to come pick up Siya was dreadful, but you know people want to know every detail, especially when it's shocking incidents like these. 

I told Chris and Francis that they should go home, that l would keep them posted but they refused saying they couldn't leave me there by myself. After about 3 hours the doctor came over to talk to me. He said they managed to stitch him up, his brain had been starved of oxygen, so they had put him in an induced coma.