"Tell me something girl, are you happy in this modern world? Or do you need more? Is there something else you searching for? I'm falling...in all the good times I find myself longing for change and in the bad times I fear myself......"_Shallow (Bradley cooper and Lady Gaga)

NEW YORK CITY, FEBRUARY 2015

PAMELA

Do we ever fully know anyone? Their thoughts, intentions, pain, struggle sometimes cannot be fully understood unless you walk in their shoes. Sometimes I wish we could take away the pain on their behalf but to each human their own path right?

I stared at the ceiling a while before deciding to interrupt her. Liz was crying again, I could hear her sniffles muffled by the pillow, but as usual her tears were noiseless almost like she was afraid to make a sound except for when she blew her nose. She folded her arms around herself as she rocked back and forth. "Lizzy stop doing this to me please, I always hurt when you do this."

Liz wasnt going to give me any reply and the tears still cascaded freely. Some nights she woke up crying, other nights she woke up screaming, Five years of friendship and I still did not know why. Her pain was buried deep down and I guess that was one of the reasons she was studying psychology, always covering it up with a façade of smiles and a bubbly personality.

Elizabeth or Liz as I always call her was drop dead gorgeous. I knew I looked okay but even I could acknowledge beauty when I saw it. A dim wit though, I chuckled a bit at the thought, she forgot stuff a lot and it was a miracle how she survived med school, but she poured out all her love into psychology. She fought her demons by helping others fight theirs I guess.

I shushed and comforted her, whispering soothingly while holding her in my arms. "Sleep baby, sleep. Baby do not cry. You will be a fine girl. God bless you." I sang to her.

She smiled and said "I'm a fine girl already."

I continued with a little sad smile till her eyes began to droop.

This posture is going to cause me body ache but it was all worth it. Some friends, you would move mountains for and she was worth mountains and valleys. If only I knew how to heal her pain.

*********
Clad in blue jeans trouser and a white shirt with my Nike sneakers, I hailed a cab and dragged myself to St Bonaventure hospital where I was on call. It was my last day as an intern doctor. I walked in, and got right to it.

Four hours later, with hunger twisting my insides, I trudged to Liz's office. Right now I could eat a beast and a feast still. I had the worst patients for the day; a 10-year-old boy who had a nail piercing his brow. I had to do an MRI and pull it out. The fool was looking at my boobs all through. If he wasn't hyper sensitive to opioids, I would have knocked him out or better still with my fist.

At such a small age he was so gone, I mean American kids were well grown above their ages anyways. Scratch that children of this generation regardless their country are well advanced above their age.
Well done o! Child of Methuselah. My subconscious mocked.

The other lady wanted me to bandage up her hands and give her bed rest so that she could be free from her triplet boys, that one was funny.

I walked into Liz's office. She graduated earlier because of her programme and was working already. A plate was in front of her with a sandwich in it. When Liz saw me, she tried to drop her diet coke and quickly pick it up because she knew what was going to happen.

Oh, not so smart Lizzy bear.

Hehehehe! I got my hands on it first of course and stuffed it in my mouth. In my rush, the ketchup she squeezed on it splashed on my blouse, I noticed but ignored it.

There were soft raps on the oak door -stopping whatever objection Liz had about her now stolen lunch -and it was pushed in. An elderly woman entered with a man on her heels.

"Elizabeth, take this patient please. I want to discharge him but I can't. Without adequate rest he will be back here and he can't sleep. His MRI scan shows nothing pressing against his frontal lobe, and shows normal serotonin levels. It must be psychological" she said in a cool and soothing voice.

I looked at the person in question and saw the most endearing set of eyes I have ever seen. Eyes like molten honey, the white dots looked like whipped caramel. If you looked deeply, you could see specks of gold in it.

"Sure ma'am" Liz replied. He was looking at me.

Why was he looking at me? Its not like I was his doctor or anything.

He sat and I took the cue to leave, I turned to pick up a napkin to wipe residual crumbs from the sandwich and then I heard "Wipe the one on your blouse too" from him.

It was like someone pressed pause to my life and actions, my embarrassment quickly turning to anger "What?! Pervert! What took your eyes there in the first place?" as I remembered the large stain on my breast area.

"Wow and I am the one seeing a psychologist? You obviously have issues. I'm just pointing out the obvious" he shot back, staring at me with a tiny smirk.

"Ode ma ni bobo yi sha (this guy is a fool) o" I said in Yoruba.
He just smiled and said nothing. I doubt he even knew the meaning of what I said. Maybe he thought I was giving him praises.

"Werey (mad person)" I added and he smiled still. I smiled then evilly, enjoying myself. Insulting people in a language they can't understand gives me a weird sense of pleasure.

Liz cleared her throat softly, maybe this was awkward for her too "Come back later babe."

"Alright" I said and left knowing I wasn't needed there anymore.
Unknown to me the last words the mystery guy was thinking were "Iru eniyan ni eleyi?" (What kind of person is this?) with a knowing smile playing on his lips.

***
Liz was waiting for me to walk out at the end of the day. I jumped in and rolled down the window of her chic sports car, pulled out my head and sang out loudly. " I can be your hero baby. I can stand by you forever. Yes, you take my breath away" to Liz.
She shook her head with a small dainty laugh.

"Please pull your head back in, I don't want to get pulled over and stop remixing songs. Your voice is making my head ache." Then she placed her hand on her forehead like she actually had a headache.

"Ehn? See this girl. I'm your next Grammy winner if you don't know." I said, nodding in fake seriousness.

"For stupidity right?" she replied, shifting her focus from the road to look at me incredulously.

"...yeeeeh! My chest, I swear that one entered. It was so painful. You will get your own share" I said, holding my chest in mock pain.

She laughed and I sat quietly, sulking. Liz on the other hand swerved through the night rush traffic and after a full day's work, she still managed to look well put together with a grace I could only envy.

"Do you want me to take you to watch the Giants game tonight? she asked cutting me from my silent admiration.

I hissed loudly and crossed my arms while frowning like a petulant child. In addition, I gave her the classic Nigerian eye roll; the one where your eyes go up and down, then added " Please don't talk to me, I'm stupid remember?"

"Alright I'm just going to give out your ticket. Since you want to be a drama queen." With an evil grin on her face. This girl can be mean sometimes with no remorse.

"Liz my boo! Take it easy. I love - unnecessarily drawing out the 'o'- you from the yansh of my heart." I said and smiled brightly.

"Why do you even keep saying yansh? Say ass" she shot back, laughing out loud.

"Leave me, I'm a Nigerian girl. I can't change all my ways. It yansh" A large smile sat on my face. Of course I'm a basketball fan. Who in his or her right mind isn't?

Liz shook her head laughing at me and muttered "Weirdo" I laughed in return and said: "back at you boo."

****
QOTC: what's the most embarrassing thing to happen to you in front of the opposite sex.

PS this ride will get crazier soon.

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Love😍😘😘😘
Orex.