BLIND ACCUSATIONS

The ambulance siren was all over the place, the church hall was in shambles, there was confusion everywhere as people went in and out of the hall, murmurings, yelling and screaming filled the air. 

Diana held her gown, following the stretcher being pushed by the paramedics, the tears in her eyes had destroyed her makeup and her light blue eyes were starting to get dark, she was holding the helm of her gown as she followed the stretcher, the girls were with her. They were trying to console her but Diana wasn’t hearing anything at the moment. 

The only thing on her mind was Carl, what happened? Was he dead? Was he sick? Everything had been fine the whole time. Why now? Why this particular time? Diana couldn’t answer any of the questions that flooded her mind, as noisy as the church hall was, she didn’t seem to hear anything, it was as if she was deaf. She had the hunch that something wanted to disrupt her happiness, and this was it. 

The paramedics got out of the church and was trying to transfer Carl into the sick bed of the ambulance, Diana wanted to go with the ambulance but she was denied the opportunity, she fought back, cried and yelled. 

“He’s my husband, let me go with him please!” Diana cried out. Tears streaming down her eyes. 

“I’m sorry ma’am, but this is protocol, I’m just doing my job,” one of the paramedics replied calmly, her eyes filled with sympathy. 

Sandra Flames and the other girls held Diana as she struggled and cried, the pain in her heart was beyond normal. Her heart was shattered, her wedding was scattered, all her happiness had been taken away, in an instant. 

“Get inside the car Diana, we’ll follow the ambulance,” Miles called out few meters away, he was standing beside his old Mercedes and there was no actual expression on his face.

Sandra and the other relatives helped Diana to the car, when they got there; only Diana and her mother entered the back seat. 

“We’ll handle things here,” one of the relatives said, waving at them as the Mercedes ignited and zoomed off. 

The church was still filled with crowd, some few people had gone to their houses; however, the gossipers wouldn’t. They stood in front of the church and murmured words to one another. 

“What just happened, I can’t believe this!” Carl’s mother kept yelling at the priest as if he was the one who caused Carl’s collapsing. 

She had been too shocked to run after Carl, when he was being carried, it was still like a dream to her. 

“Calm down Benita, we’ve to get to the hospital too,” Carl’s father held her, trying to console and keep her under control. 

“We’ll go to the hospital too Father,” he said, dragging Benita with him, she was still yelling and crying, she and lost control of herself. 

The priest just nodded acknowledging what Carl’s father said, but what Benita said afterwards got him startled. 

“She killed him, that witch, she killed him, Diana killed him!!” Benita kept yelling, until Carl’s father forced her into the car. He heaved a sigh and went ahead to enter the driver’s seat, Carl must not die, or else something bad would happen. George thought, as he drove out of the church premises. 

“This is going to get way worse if he dies,” the priest murmured to himself and started towards the entrance of the church. In his thirty five years of being a pastor, he had never for once experienced this kind of situation, which was why he was dumbfounded. He had no words, he was lost; but the priest believed everything happens for a reason. 

****

Diana and her parents had been in the waiting room for ten minutes when the doctor came straight to them, he was a man in his early thirties; a young but experienced doctor, this was the part of his job that he didn’t like; updating the families of a patient. 

As soon as Diana saw him coming, she stood up with her wedding gown, dragging it all over the floor as she approached him before he got to them, she had cried her eyes out, and the tears didn’t stop streaming down her ducts. 

“Take it easy ma’am, I’m coming to you,” the doctor said when he saw Diana staggering towards him. 

“Tell me he’s going to make it doc, tell me he’ll survive,” Diana cried, Sandra was behind, holding her from leaning on the doctor. Miles didn’t stand up from his seat, he just sat there; covering his face with both hands. 

The doctor breathed out heavily before he spoke. 

“We’re trying our best at the moment, although i cannot give you an answer now; but I don’t want to put your hopes up either, the patient’s situation is very critical; all i can say his only God can save him.” The doctor reported, and sighed. He knew for the most part if Carl made it, it would be a hell of a miracle; but nevertheless they’ve seen different miracles happen in this hospital, he held on to that faith. 

“What did you say? Don’t tell me that doc, my son mustn’t die,” Benita yelled from the entrance of the hospital, even though she didn’t hear what the doctor said, his expression told her it was bad news. 

Diana and Sandra both shifted their gaze to the woman yelling, it was Carl’s mum; from the look of her face, Benita had been crying throughout the journey to the hospital. 

Carl’s father was following quickly behind her, trying to stop her from causing a scene in the hospital; he knew how impatient and violent Benita was, this could get ugly real quick. 

Benita got to where the doctor stood, she knelt down grabbing his legs, tears dripping furiously from her eyes. 

“Tell me our son is okay Doc, tell me he’s going to be fine Doc,” Benita cried out, holding on tightly to the doctor’s legs. 

The young doctor wasn’t shocked, he had seen this scene many times. As much as he hated giving reports to relatives of patients, he had no choice. It was his job after all, and he knew how to handle it. 

“There’s nothing i can do right now ma’am, i cannot possibly give you hope when I’m not sure of it myself, your son’s life is in God’s hand,” the doctor replied calmly, helping Benita stand up from her knees. 

Carl’s father quickly embraced her, Benita continued sobbing, she had no more words to say. The Adam’s weren’t much of a Christian, they couldn’t put their faith on God, but Benita still prayed underneath her breath, a prayer she hoped God will answer; even though she had doubts about it. 

The doctor walked away at the slightest chance he had, that was the only way to escape them. The look on Diana’s eyes gave him aches in his heart, it was clear that Carl had collapsed during his wedding ceremony considering the fact that they were all dressed nicely and Diana’s wedding gown confirmed the answer. How heartbroken, pained, traumatized, confused she’d be right now. For once in his life, he felt something for a patient; he never does, as a doctor, you really shouldn’t. 

Diana was confused, she didn’t know how to take the news, seeing Mrs. Benita cry made her pain increase. The doctor’s words kept replaying in her head “only God can save him.” The phrase alone was more than bad news. 

Unlike the Adam’s family, Diana’s parent were devoted christians, and she was one too, but she wasn’t sure about her faith. Everything was so difficult at the moment, she wished it was just a terrible nightmare. But if it was, then it just began, because Benita next words frightened her to the brim. 

“You killed him, you murderer, you killed him!!” Benita suddenly yelled, glaring at Diana with so much evil in her eyes. 

Diana’s heart almost stopped pumping blood to her veins, for a few seconds; she couldn’t breathe. How? How could Benita accuse her of killing Carl, a man she had giving everything to, she was already suffering so much but right now, Benita just heated the furnace she was in. 

She wanted to speak, but she couldn’t; it was as if those words carried a freezing spell with them. 

Carl’s father wasn’t struggling to hold Benita anymore, he had this stern look on his face and was also glaring at Diana. 

Sandra was starstruck, her mouth was opened agape, she wasn’t expecting that kind of a threat at all, not from Benita. 

Benita had been so sweet during the preparations of the wedding, she fully agreed to everything; why would she be accusing Diana of killing her son when everybody saw that he suddenly collapsed. 

When Miles heard the word “murderer” he quickly raised his head. He was confused, who was the murderer? There’s no way there should be an accusation in a situation that seemed so clear. 

He had been thinking the situation through and all he could get at was Carl must have kept one of his underlying ailments secret. Maybe he just wanted to feel that moment before he died, Miles had seen how calm he was; throughout the wedding ceremony, even during the little commotion that happened. He had been staring at Diana throughout the ceremony. 

“You rubbed poison on your lips, didn’t you Diana, he collapsed after he kissed you. How do you explain that Diana, how?” Benita screamed loudly, she was loosing it big time and Carl’s father wasn’t making any attempt to calm her down anymore. He was fueling with anger himself. 

People in the hospital had started murmuring, some stood meters away watching the scene; even the people talking to the receptionist now focused their attention on the what was going on in the waiting room. 

“How can you say that Benita? How can you accuse her of killing the man of her dreams, i know how you feel right now; but you’re taking things far. If there was poison on her lips, she’d also be dead. All we can do now is pray for Carl,” Sandra Flames reprimanded, she spoke as calm as she could but there was no hiding the hint of retaliation in her voice. 

Wrong accusations could affect the mental and physical health of the accused, and at this point, Diana might pass out if it tarries. Sandra feared that. 

“She might have taken the antidote, I agree with my wife; this is the only possible explanation to this. As far we are concerned, we do not know of any underlying illness that Carl had, there was no way he’d hide it from his mother even though he hid it from me. If Carl dies, something bad is going to happen.” Carl’s father spouted angrily, his hands were folded around his chest and he wasn’t removing his gaze from Diana. 

Sandra was dumbfounded, how could this family suddenly turn their backs and accuse them right out, immediately forging an evidence that was never real. She had no reply for Carl’s father counter, before she could think of any. Miles chipped in. 

“It’s no doubt that your accusations are surprising, but the facts are clear. Diana doesn’t have poison on her lips neither did she take any antidote, this evidences are what you forged out of anger, bitterness and pain. Carl won’t die, but if the worse happens, an autopsy would solve this case. Accusations like this is too early to begin with,” Miles stood up from where he had been sitting, staring right into Carl’s father’s eyes. 

He had to back his family, it was his job as a father. 

Carl’s father almost gave a response but was interrupted by the doctor’s voice, they all concentrated their attention on him, ready to hear the news. 

Anxiousness filled the air. Their gazes locked in with the doctor’s. He sighed and made his face expressionless as possible. 

“I’ve the final report on Carl Adams situation, he.......”