Lisa pushed the door open quietly and walked in with a cup of warm tea. She looked tired, but her smile was gentle. “Good morning,” she said, placing the cup on the bedside table.
Tunde sat up slightly. “You’re here early.”
“I was on night shift,” she replied, kicking off her shoes and sitting at the edge of the bed. “And I checked on you more times than I’m ready to admit.”
He studied her face, the soft worry in her eyes. “You’ve done more for me than anyone has in a long time.”
“You were scaring everyone, Tunde. Especially yourself.”
He sighed. “I didn’t know how bad it was until I stopped moving.”
“That’s how it happens,” she said. “People run so fast they don’t realize they’ve been bleeding.”
Tunde looked away, his throat tightening.
By noon, Chika arrived with food from one of Tunde’s favorite restaurants. He barged into the room dramatically. “Emergency delivery for a stubborn patient!”
Tunde laughed softly. “Guy, you no get sense.”
Chika opened the food containers and set everything on the small table. “If you like, don’t eat it. Me, I’ll eat everything myself. I’m hungry.”
Lisa shook her head with a smile. “You two are impossible.”
Tunde ate slowly, every bite reminding him of how much he had neglected himself. Just as they finished, Tunde’s father walked in quietly. His kaftan was neatly ironed, his expression soft but serious. “I see you are finally eating,” he said.
Tunde wiped his mouth. “Yes, sir.”
His father sat beside him. “Good. Because I spoke to the doctor. She said you must stay longer. Your heart is not ready for stress.”
Tunde nodded, his chest tightening with guilt. “I’m trying, Daddy.”
“I know,” his father replied gently. “But trying is not the same as changing.”
That line sank deep into Tunde’s chest. He looked down, his fingers tightening around the bedsheet.
The room fell into a comfortable quiet. Lisa stepped out to speak with the nurses. Chika scrolled on his phone. Tunde’s father prayed silently under his breath.
At around 4 PM, Emeka finally arrived. He looked exhausted, his shirt rumpled, his eyes heavy from worry. When he entered the room, Tunde felt a wave of guilt wash over him.
“Boss…” Emeka breathed out, relief washing over his face. “Thank God.”
Tunde motioned him closer. “Sit.”
Emeka sat, trying to hold himself together. “I’m sorry if I didn’t manage everything well. I tried—”
“You did well,” Tunde interrupted softly. “I’m the one that didn’t manage myself.”
Emeka blinked rapidly, fighting tears. “We need you. But we need you alive.”
Tunde nodded slowly. “I’ll do better. I promise.”
Emeka exhaled, shoulders dropping. “Good. Because the company survived today without you. And it will survive tomorrow too. You trained us well. You just… didn’t trust us.”
That truth hit Tunde harder than the chest pain ever did. “You’re right.”
“You don’t have to carry everything alone,” Emeka said quietly. “Let us help.”
Silence fell again, this time warm, not heavy.
As evening settled, the hospital lights dimmed. Tunde lay back on the pillow while everyone slowly began to step out, giving him time to rest. His father whispered a prayer before leaving. Chika promised to come back with gist. Emeka squeezed his shoulder before stepping out.
Only Lisa stayed behind.
She pulled the chair closer and sat beside him, her voice barely above a whisper. “You’re getting better.”
Tunde looked at her, eyes soft. “I’m scared of going back to the life I lived before.”
“Then don’t go back,” she said simply.
“But everything I’ve built—”
Lisa took his hand gently. “What you built is important. But if what you built is killing you, then you built it the wrong way.”
Her words slid deep into the quiet corners of his mind.
Tunde stared at the ceiling, tears gathering slowly in his eyes. “I don’t want to die, Lisa.”
She leaned forward, pressing her forehead against his hand. “Then choose life. Every day. One decision at a time.”
He closed his eyes, letting her words sink deep. Something shifted quietly inside him — a new resolve beginning to form.
For the first time in a long time, he felt hope. And maybe, just maybe, a new beginning was waiting for him outside these walls — a beginning he would walk into slowly, carefully, and this time, not alone.
---
To Be Continued...
Pls FOLLOW 👏 up and stay tuned for the next episode. Tnx 👏
Egbo Emmanuel Friday - EmmyWise Stories
Tunde sat up slightly. “You’re here early.”
“I was on night shift,” she replied, kicking off her shoes and sitting at the edge of the bed. “And I checked on you more times than I’m ready to admit.”
He studied her face, the soft worry in her eyes. “You’ve done more for me than anyone has in a long time.”
“You were scaring everyone, Tunde. Especially yourself.”
He sighed. “I didn’t know how bad it was until I stopped moving.”
“That’s how it happens,” she said. “People run so fast they don’t realize they’ve been bleeding.”
Tunde looked away, his throat tightening.
By noon, Chika arrived with food from one of Tunde’s favorite restaurants. He barged into the room dramatically. “Emergency delivery for a stubborn patient!”
Tunde laughed softly. “Guy, you no get sense.”
Chika opened the food containers and set everything on the small table. “If you like, don’t eat it. Me, I’ll eat everything myself. I’m hungry.”
Lisa shook her head with a smile. “You two are impossible.”
Tunde ate slowly, every bite reminding him of how much he had neglected himself. Just as they finished, Tunde’s father walked in quietly. His kaftan was neatly ironed, his expression soft but serious. “I see you are finally eating,” he said.
Tunde wiped his mouth. “Yes, sir.”
His father sat beside him. “Good. Because I spoke to the doctor. She said you must stay longer. Your heart is not ready for stress.”
Tunde nodded, his chest tightening with guilt. “I’m trying, Daddy.”
“I know,” his father replied gently. “But trying is not the same as changing.”
That line sank deep into Tunde’s chest. He looked down, his fingers tightening around the bedsheet.
The room fell into a comfortable quiet. Lisa stepped out to speak with the nurses. Chika scrolled on his phone. Tunde’s father prayed silently under his breath.
At around 4 PM, Emeka finally arrived. He looked exhausted, his shirt rumpled, his eyes heavy from worry. When he entered the room, Tunde felt a wave of guilt wash over him.
“Boss…” Emeka breathed out, relief washing over his face. “Thank God.”
Tunde motioned him closer. “Sit.”
Emeka sat, trying to hold himself together. “I’m sorry if I didn’t manage everything well. I tried—”
“You did well,” Tunde interrupted softly. “I’m the one that didn’t manage myself.”
Emeka blinked rapidly, fighting tears. “We need you. But we need you alive.”
Tunde nodded slowly. “I’ll do better. I promise.”
Emeka exhaled, shoulders dropping. “Good. Because the company survived today without you. And it will survive tomorrow too. You trained us well. You just… didn’t trust us.”
That truth hit Tunde harder than the chest pain ever did. “You’re right.”
“You don’t have to carry everything alone,” Emeka said quietly. “Let us help.”
Silence fell again, this time warm, not heavy.
As evening settled, the hospital lights dimmed. Tunde lay back on the pillow while everyone slowly began to step out, giving him time to rest. His father whispered a prayer before leaving. Chika promised to come back with gist. Emeka squeezed his shoulder before stepping out.
Only Lisa stayed behind.
She pulled the chair closer and sat beside him, her voice barely above a whisper. “You’re getting better.”
Tunde looked at her, eyes soft. “I’m scared of going back to the life I lived before.”
“Then don’t go back,” she said simply.
“But everything I’ve built—”
Lisa took his hand gently. “What you built is important. But if what you built is killing you, then you built it the wrong way.”
Her words slid deep into the quiet corners of his mind.
Tunde stared at the ceiling, tears gathering slowly in his eyes. “I don’t want to die, Lisa.”
She leaned forward, pressing her forehead against his hand. “Then choose life. Every day. One decision at a time.”
He closed his eyes, letting her words sink deep. Something shifted quietly inside him — a new resolve beginning to form.
For the first time in a long time, he felt hope. And maybe, just maybe, a new beginning was waiting for him outside these walls — a beginning he would walk into slowly, carefully, and this time, not alone.
---
To Be Continued...
Pls FOLLOW 👏 up and stay tuned for the next episode. Tnx 👏
Egbo Emmanuel Friday - EmmyWise Stories
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