It's been six years since I took in Simbi whom I found by the road side crying.At first when I saw her,I thought she was a lost girl looking for her way home.The good samaritian spirit in me urged me to come down from my car to see if I could be of any help."Hello my dear!",I greeted,moving towards her."Why are you here all by yourself?,have you lost your way home?".She stopped crying for an instant and raised up her head to look at me before lowering it to start crying again.This time,it was with full force.Seeing she was quite troubled,I introduced my self."My name is Nneka",I said,offering her my hand."There is no need to be afraid".She stopped crying immediately and wiped her tears with her rather dirty and tattered clothes."Aunty Nneka,my name is Simbi",she said,trying hard not to cry."So Simbi,what were you doing that made you loose your way?",I inquired moving to stoop beside her."I did not loose my way aunty",she replied angrily."My parents abandoned me"."Just like that?",I asked."Yes",she replied starting to cry again."Oh my dear Simbi,you don't have to do this to yourself",I said trying to console her."Why don't you come home with me so I can get you something to eat and a change of dress?",I offered.She took a long look at me amidst her tears before agreeing to come with me.That was how Simbi became a part of my life.I later found out from her why her parents abandoned her.
Her parents who were low income earners had her sell oranges after school hours to contribute financially to the family's upkeep.She was seven months into the business when she got the cut that changed everything.It was from a razor she found on the floor and was using to peel the oranges she was to sell that day.The bleeding was severe so she ran back home to tell her parents who then rushed her to the local clinic that operated based on funds from NGOs.The doctor on duty took a blood test and treated her promptly.He told her parents to come for the result the following day.Her parents according to the doctor told her she was HIV positive.They said they were not going to allow her carelessness to ruin their name in the village hence they brought her to Lagos and abandoned her.She was in her third day of wandering the streets of Lagos when I found her.I wanted to take her to an NGO at first thought but after due consideration,I decided to let her stay with me.She needed time and assistance to heal from the emotional trauma her parents caused her and I knew she was not going to get that healing in an NGO.I took her to a family doctor who put her on 'Antiretroviral' drugs to lower the levels of the virus.I enrolled her into a school near home and ensured she took her drugs regularly.We became so close and bonded to each other that she started referring to me as her mum.We were practically inseparable.Everything was going on well until now.She suddenly lost weight drastically and was always having fever. She complained of swellings on her body that she couldn't see but knew were there.She was constantly feeling very weak and collapsed on two occasions while in school.I took her to the national hospital to know what was wrong and I was told she had to be admitted for full observation.I took my leave from work earlier than planned in order to be with her.
It was on the sixteenth day of her admission into the hospital while I was chatting with her in her ward that the overall doctor in charge called me to his office."Miss Nneka,please have a seat",he said as he sank into his big chair."I understand you are the mother of Simbi,am I right?"."Yes doctor,that's correct",I replied feeling nervous."I am sorry to break this news to you.According to the result of the series of test carried out on your daughter Simbi,the HIV virus in her body has reached its final life threatening stage.She now has full blown AIDS and can die any moment from now".I was still recovering from the shock of knowing that Simbi could die any moment when the doctor stood from his chair and came to my side."Miss Nneka",he said holding my hands,"Simbi is passing through the last moments of her life.Please make sure that this final moments be her best in life"."I have to go now",he said releasing my hands,"Other patients need my attention".As he closed the door behind him I began to cry.
Simbi was waiting eagerly for me by the time I returned and couldn't wait to hear the supposed 'good news'.However,my moody face made her downcast."Simbi,please I want you to know that I have always loved you and...",I couldn't finish the sentence before I started crying again in her presence."Mum what is it?",she asked.I stopped crying and quickly wiped my tears."I'm going to die,right?",she asked looking at me in the eye."Simbi don't say that,you are not going to die"."Mum,should anything happen to me,I want you to be strong",she said holding my hands."I thought I would die a long time ago but your love and care kept me this far.You took me in and gave me hope when no one seemed to care.When I get to heaven,I will ask God to give you a husband that will treat you well and children that will give you joy"."Simbi lets enjoy the time we have together",I said hugging her like it was our last."Mum you are choking me"."Sorry",I said releasing my grip."Please can you go home,rest and prepare rice as you come tomorrow",she pleaded."No problem,I'll do just that",I replied."Till tomorrow",I said as she managed to see me off.What I didn't know as I left the hospital was that it was the last time I would see Simbi alive as she died in her sleep later on at the tender age of eighteen.
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