I woke up and found Dee looking at me. I tried to get my head up but I was in pain.

“You’re in hospital Tumi. You were mugged,” she said.

“What? NO, NO, NO, My bag!” I exclaimed.

Now I was sure I was cursed. Just when I thought of starting a new life, the new life started with a mess. Where was this God really? I cried. The Doctor came to tell me how badly hurt my body was. I was bleeding internally, and considering the fact that I just had a baby, things were bad. It seemed like I got kicked hard on my abdomen, leading to the uterus to open into a wound. As the doctor carried on, I could hear what he wanted to tell me: I wouldn’t have any more children.

Now this was too much to take. Dee held my hand to comfort me as I cried. Not only was one baby taken from me but all of them. So I’d never know how it feels to be a mother. I had no home, no money, no identity, no family, no friends and no plan. Why did life have to be cruel? Why me?

I laid there, couldn’t move, tears rolling non- stop. Having flashbacks of my past good life, wondering where I went wrong. All that ever happened after sleeping with Kgotso was trouble. One thing after the other. When was it going to end? Where was I going to go?

I knew I still had 50 grand but it was locked. There was no way I could access it now. Sadly, I asked Dee to give me some space. I just wanted to be left alone. After she left I poured my heart through a shower of tears. I wanted to commit suicide. Maybe I’d be better off in the grave.

As I was laying there feeling hopeless, trying to think of a way I could use to get rid of myself, Dee came back.

“Get up, we’re leaving,” she said, taking clothes out of her bag.

“Wait, what!” I exclaimed.

“We’re leaving girl. I can’t leave you here alone, you’re too vulnerable to consider suicide. So I need to keep an eye on you,” she said.

“But I can’t even get up, how are you planning on getting me out of you here? Does the doctor know about this?” I asked.

“Stuff the doctor. He won’t be watching you 24/7 and he’s planning on keeping you here for longer than a week. You’re coming with me to my house so that I’ll be able to take care of you. We’ll get you my family doctor to take it from there,” she continued.

Well, I must say, this person was weird. She was stealing me from the hospital? What if complications happened and I was forced to come back here? Was she crazy? I couldn’t even wake up from this bed, how would I be able to sneak out? Just as I looked at her like a looney, she went out and came back with a million-dollar wheelchair.

She helped me get out of bed, put the clothes on and off we went. I still had a lot of questions in my mind but the most important thing was, at least someone was here by my side. We managed to get out of the hospital. I thought, with this plan, she must have a car, but to my surprise she called someone to fetch us. Things didn’t really make sense but anyway, I was not going to ask, yet.

***

Tell us: Do you think it’s wise for Tumi to leave the hospital without the doctor’s permission and with a stranger?