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Based on a true incident (Names fictitious)

A cry, a whimper, a scream still engulfs me. Even after 23 years, that scream still echoes in my ear. That sorrow is still in my heart." My mother told me.

"What is it mum?"

"23 years ago, I was admitted to hospital-Nagoda at Kalutara. I was really sick. I was treated for more than 5 days in hospital. One day, I think on the third day of my stay, a lady was admitted to the same hospital. Her name was Nilushi. She was pregnant, five months. She was on the bed next to mine.

She seemed to be in bad condition. The doctors were examining her and all of them had grave expressions on their faces. Outside the ward was her husband, near the veranda.

As the doctors went out, her husband approached them. He looked anxious. "Will she be ok, sir?" I heard her husband ask the doctors.

"We can't say anything yet," said the doctors and I heard their footsteps fading as they went down the corridor.

Her husband came in. He was tall and thin. He looked weary. He was dressed in a sarong and shirt. He looked so innocent and humble.

"Nilu, how are you?" he asked with a loving expression. "Jaye, what did the doctors say?"

Worry

"Nothing-you don't have to worry. You'll be OK." There was a sign of hope in his voice. "I have to go now. Our four children are at home. I'll come back soon." As he approached the door of the ward, he turned around. Nilushi tried hard to breathe in. "Don't leave me Nilu," I heard him whisper. There was a tear in his eye. Nilushi looked up and gave a weak smile. However it seemed to brighten up her husband a wee bit.

After he left, I turned to look at Nilushi. She was fair and chubby. She seemed to be of average height. I couldn't tell exactly because she was lying down on the bed. She looked too worn-out, pale and breathless. The house officer came in and took blood from her. Then she gave some medicine to her. Nilushi fell asleep.

The house officer was a short, thin lady. She was young and kind. She was friendly with everybody in the ward. Unlike the other house officers she was always smiling. She had her hair tied in a pony tail. She usually wore white saris which blended well with the doctor's white coat. She swiftly went out of the ward smiling at everybody.

Being sick myself, I turned around and fell asleep. When I woke up it was evening. I had slept for a long time. I looked at Nilushi on the bed next to mine. She was still sleeping. She was wheezing whilst breathing. I looked around the ward. I saw the house officer busy writing something in the ward. I gazed into the clock. It was four thirty in the evening. My heart leaped with joy. I knew my family will be coming to see me soon.

Packet

At exactly five, Nilushi's husband came to see her bringing a small packet with a plastic plate along with her cloths. My family came to see me at about five thirty. Meanwhile I saw the affection and love her husband had towards Nilushi. He had taken that small packet out of the bag, opened it on the plate he had brought and he was feeding her. They were smiling and seemed to be so loving. To see such a united and loving couple, I felt very glad.

The next day, Nilushi was looking better than the previous day. "Good morning. I am Asha. You look better today. How are you feeling?"

"Well, I can breathe in a bit easily than yesterday. I think I'll be able to go home today. Besides I have four children to look after."

"So what are their names?"

"My elder son is Priyantha. My second & third daughters are Pramila and Kumari. My youngest, who is just one and a half years old, is Suresh."

"Who is looking after your children whilst you are here?"

"My husband. He's such a loving husband and father. "What about the children? Their meals?"

"We somehow manage to give a healthy meal and milk to our children."

She seemed very open and friendly. From the way she spoke, I knew she loved her family very much.

"So what happened yesterday?"

Breathe

"I was cooking manioc to give my husband-Jaye and I couldn't breathe. It was so difficult. It was like as if-as if-something was tightening my chest. I really don't know to explain. It was horrible. My husband came home for lunch these days. He doesn't want me to walk because I am pregnant.

Yesterday he saw that I was struggling to breathe. He asked me what was wrong. I was struggling so much that I couldn't answer him. He rushed me to hospital. He was crying and was worried. He'll be glad to know that I am feeling better."

So he loves you that much? I am very happy for you."

"I am very lucky to have him. He's such a wonderful husband. I don't know what I'll do without him. I think I'll rest a bit now."

"Sure"

She fell asleep. I read a book and even I had drifted off to sleep.

I woke up. Nilushi had already woken up and she greeted me warmly. At exactly eleven thirty-visiting hours-her husband came in. Though the hospital provided her with food, Jaye had brought her food once again.

"Nilu, how are you feeling today?"

"I am feeling better. I want to come home today."

"No, you can't. The doctors have not told me whether you can go home. And you can rest here. Don't worry about the kids; I am taking good care of them. Besides your mother has come too and she is helping me. Honey, I just want you to be well."

I smiled to myself. They had such a strong family bond. Loving, Nilushi's husband fed her with the food he had brought. Then, with the promise he will visit her in the next visiting hours at four o'clock, he left at twelve thirty. Like he promised, he came at exactly four in the evening with food for her. He fed her. Nilushi seemed to be doing well.

Night

At about seven in the night, she started to struggle for air again. A nurse noticed this and called the house officer immediately. The kind house officer gave her a saline injecting something into it. Throughout the night Nilushi had a saline. Each time I woke up during my sleep, I looked at her. She was breathing heavily.

He said that she had pulmonary oedema. He instructed the house officer to inject a medicine into Nilushi. Pulmonary oedema-what was it?

The house officer never left the side of Nilushi's bed. She didn't go to have her breakfast or lunch. Every fifteen minutes she kept injecting a medicine, not into the saline, but into the tubing leading from the saline. Nilushi was gasping for air. The house officer didn't allow the nurses to take care of Nilushi but she took care of her.

At precisely eleven thirty Jaye came to see Nilushi.

"Madam, what is wrong with her? She will be alright, won't she?" he asked the house officer. "I have given her the medicine she requires. I have been here all the time and made sure that she has been given the medicine at the proper times."

"Madam, please don't allow her to die. We have four children to look after. Her mother, children including myself are waiting till she comes home. Please madam, do whatever you can to keep her well. I love her very much."

He had brought food for her this time too. When he was going to feed her the house officer objected.

Feed

"Please don't feed her. She has to be given a light diet."

"Yes, madam, I won't feed her. You will save her won't you? Thank you madam."

He held Nilushi's free hand in his, and looked into her face. He was concerned. Nilushi had awoken by this time. She couldn't even give a weak smile. She was still gasping for breath. A tear fell down from her husband's face.

"You'll be alright, Nilu. I love you. I'll come in the evening to talk with you. You should rest now. You'll be alright." and then he left.

The house officer made sure that she injected the medicine. Nilushi's gasping had reduced a bit. About five minutes after she left, Nilushi started gasping once again. She was already pale and now her face darkened. Her eyes seemed to be bulging. She was fighting for breath.

The nurse had an expression of dismay on her face. She ran to the telephone and called the house officer immediately. The house officer hurried into the room. But by the time she came in it was too late.

I started crying. She was a mother of four and she had such a loving family, a husband. Oh my God! The child she was bearing, her fifth child, died with her. I couldn't stop crying. I saw that the house officer, who had tried so hard to keep Nilushi alive trying hard to stop herself crying. She bit her lower lip.

Covered

She covered Nilushi's body with a white, clean cloth. She drew the curtains closed. Then she started writing something. At four, Nilushi's husband came to see her. He found the death body.

"Madam, madam, why have you covered my Nilushi's body? He was crying. "Madam, she can't leave me. She's not dead, I know that. She wouldn't leave me. Madam, my Nilushi," he pointed out to the body, 'where is she?'

"Sir she's dead," the house officer said. "But Madam, you gave her the medicine, why did she die?" Then he started crying so much.

The house officer's voice was wavering. "Sir, her lungs, they were filled with water. She wasn't able to breathe. Very rarely does a person live even if he had the medication. I am sorry." I heard everything they spoke.

"Nooooo! He screamed out. He ran to Nilushi's body, hugged it and started screaming. "You can't leave me. Don't leave me! Don't leave me, please! What about our family, your four children? They are at home waiting for you. Come back, Nilushi. Don't leave me. Please don't leave me." He screamed so hard, with so much agony in his voice that everyone in the ward started crying.

And up to this day, I still hear that scream, I simply won't forget it!"

By Sriyani Maduka Jayasinghe, Lyceum International School, Nugegoda.

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