“Hey, wake up,” someone tapped me on my shoulder as I sat at the hospital’s waiting lounge.
“Your wife is doing fine, even though she has given birth three weeks before the due date,” the nurse, dressed in white stated as she smiled.
I scratched my eyes, waking myself out of slumber, looked around and heard a young child crying at the other end as her mother calmed her down, trying to lull her to sleep. A young man and a lady were arguing at the other end. The pungent smell of the hospital disinfectant invaded my nostrils. I sneezed.
I paused scanning the blue and white colour schemed waiting room and turned back to look at the nurse, who had given me ample time to come back to reality.
“She isn’t my wife. That’s my boss,” I answered as the nurse rushed to apologize.
“How long have I been here?” I asked, looking at my wristwatch. 10 pm.
“Three hours, I guess, you slept off,” the nurse, I think a medical student, answered.
Oh yes, I had rushed Maria, the sales head to the hospital. I had found her struggling to get out of the office, pleading for help, and lucky enough I was the only one around. This incident taught me that every sunrise invites us to arise and make someone's day. At times, such incidents come our way.
A short story. That Friday as I headed home from work at around 3 pm. I bid goodbye to the staff. The firm had hired our cleaning company and I was posted to clean twice. In the morning before the staff arrived and the evening after they left.
So, literally, I worked for two companies, haha! I hope you now relate. I was a favourite at the workplace. A storyteller, from football, politics, family issues etc. Some staff had even suggested that I ought to complete my studies and advance.
“Yes, I will do so. I got a certificate last year and I will pursue further studies once I save enough,” I always responded.
Nairobi, you got to hustle. Nothing’s easy. Anyway, while I was at the bus terminus trying to beat the traffic to get to Coop bank, I remembered having forgotten my phone. I was to send my wife some cash so I rushed back.
I knew Maria had stayed behind to write a weekly report and prepare her junior to take over before she left for her maternity leave. She had requested to go home from the ninth month, and then stay two more to breastfeed.
As I rushed into the office to check if she had left, I heard someone groan, and then ask for help.
“Maria!” I called and rushed to her office.
“Justus, I think my water’s broken. Aaargh! Labour pains,” she cried, clutching her desk.
“What do I do?” I asked, tilting my head quizzically. A look of puzzlement crossed my face.
I had never been in such a situation before. Her phone was ringing. Should I pick up the phone, should I carry her outside, should I call for an ambulance?
“Call a cab or an ambulance or whatever. I can’t drive,” Maria shouted, she was seemingly angry.
“I can drive. I know how to drive,” I added, as the situation would have worsened if we had waited for a cab.
I put my hand across her waist, picked up her phone and purse and let her rest on my shoulder as I went down the lift. I hit the gas pedal and down the highway to a hospital in the leafy Parklands, a ten-minute drive from our Westlands offices.
“We are lucky we didn’t drive into traffic,” I stated. I screeched the car’s tires and sped into the emergency after the guard let us in. He would come, later on, to pick up my details for registration at the gate.
Maria was attended to and rushed into the wards for examination. I guess that’s when I dozed off at the waiting lounge.
“She was due in three weeks' time,” the nurse reiterated. “She requested to see you.”
I walked into the maternity. It was my first time inside the wards. I saw a lady who, with each contraction, came a pain that dominated her whole body. One was walking around trying to scream, but she couldn’t pick her voice. Another was heading into the delivery room.
“You won’t stay for long. It's past visiting hours,” the compassionate nurse added.
“Thank you, Justus, I spoke with my mum and she is heading here. My fiance will pass by tomorrow as he had travelled up-country. I also informed everyone at work that you rushed me here,” she stated and squinted as a sharp pain crossed her back.
My wife called and I just realised around 6 pm that banks were closed.
“I explained to her the situation. I was to send her some cash but banks are closed,” I added.
“Which bank?” Maria asked.
“Coop Bank. There is one just down the road past Sarit Centre. I was rushing there at around 3 pm when I rushed back to the office.
“But Coop Bank has the MCo-opCash App enabling you to carry out a variety of banking transactions straight from your mobile phone. You can pay bills and check account balances via the new upgraded Mco-opCash App,” she said.
“Making time for the bank can be tough especially when we are meeting a number of clients daily, but banking shouldn’t be an inconvenience. Coop Bank, has therefore made it possible for you to bank anytime and anywhere! Transact straight from your phone by simply dialling *667# or via the MCo-opCash App which you can download on Google Play,” Maria added.
“So is this App secure?” I asked after we downloaded the App.
“Yes, every time you do a transaction, you’ll receive an OTP (One Time Password) to verify that you are the one transacting. The OTP can automatically be picked by your phone, you don’t have to memorize and type it in. This is one of the security features Co-op Bank has put in place to secure your accounts and transactions,” she stated.
“You can also access MCo-opCash Salary Advance of up to Ksh500,000 with a repayment period of up to 3 months,” she stated, joking that she was a sales guru and I’d ask her about any financial issues anytime.
“Easy as pie. Cash sent,” I added as I prepared to leave.
“You can go home in my car and drop it at the office tomorrow. My mum is driving her own,” she added.
“Congratulations Maria. Such a bouncing baby boy,” I added as I left. One day my wife and I will be back here. Haa!