Just a Ball of Puff Puff

Who could imagine that just a ball of puff puff, a fried mixed dough, could be the basis for offsetting huge medical bill facing a distressed family? Such was the Thomas family’s experience.

It was midnight when Thomas began to experience acute pain in his body and most especially in his head.

However, he was well throughout the day, but what happened during the night was a real negation of his midday experience.

He was gulping the bitterness of pain while he didn’t want to disturb others from their sleep. Meanwhile, he knew well, how tirelessly they had worked in the day.

Amidst this, he remembered he kept a sachet of certain analgesic and painkilling drug in his wardrobe, which is not far from the cushioned chair near the window, just because of some minor incident like that.

“Thank God,” he said, as he went straight to take doses of them. After some minutes, the pain crashed, and he returned back to his sleeping bed and slept off. In the thought that it’s over for that night.

But, unfortunately for him, after two hours of convenient sleep, he began to experience the previous pain that he thought was over. Before he knew it, the pain increases, perhaps many folds of what he experienced earlier.

“Ay, ahh, ay,” he kept wailing and hollering under his voice not wanting to wake the whole house but suddenly, “moku ooo”, he shouted as if the whole world crashed on him.

Just a Ball of Puff Puff

His voice pounced the whole house tympanum and they all woke up, even Desmond that could sleep in cold water, woke up.

They reached out to him and asked him what had happened to him? ‘My head!’  He shouted as he kept running his flabby hands on his head.

In fact, before they knew it, all the neighbours have gathered there to know what has caused the unusual ruckus that woke them up, but as they got there, they saw Thomas held tight onto his head while tear had trickled down his humble face.

“What has happened to him?” That’s everybody’s question. ‘Headache’ that’s what he told us” his mother would shout tenderly and helplessly. That was how everyone ran to their room to bring drugs, herbs drug and among others, thinking they could be of help.

But, unfortunately for the whole edifice, as they were given him the drug, instead of the pain to subside, it grew unbearable.

However, Mr Badmus, one of the neighbours saw the unfriendliness of the situation, to save things, and he promptly suggested that he should be taken to the hospital, as he knew herbs could not cure him.

That was what made him have a shift from house to the hospital, even as an emergency. ‘Everything will be alright’ Mr Badmus and his hopeful words. However, when the doctor came out of his office, he shook his head to pity Thomas’ condition.

The doctor called his father and told him that his son was suffering from a malignant tumour, which had encompassed his brain.

Especially battling the right side of his brain, and the only thing for them to do now was to transfer the young Tunde to the Neurosurgeons to do their best, but it’s the most expensive surgery.

“Oh! I have nobody, to seek help from” Thomas’ father burst into tears as he explained what the doctor told him to his wife.

She thought of where to get help as well, but she doesn’t have one either.

In short, they transferred him to the Neurology Center, and as they examined him, the Neurosurgeon checked the name on the bill and that was Odulaja Thomas’, “what! Is this the Odulaja that I know…..doubt it, I have to know”. The Neurologist said.

After everything the surgeon discovered, it’s was the same Odulaja that helped him when he was young, though, he didn’t mention anything until they finished 12hours operation.

The patient’s parents were still away seeking succour from people, they have lost hope. They returned with tears drenching their wears, as they continuously flapped their eyebrows like a guilty.

They were timid to enter when they got to the hospital front door. They later composed and tapped some courage. “Ay! Maybe Thomas has gone, no! God forbid.” she cushioned herself from bad wishes.

Just a Ball of Puff Puff

However, the young patient had survived the severe pain and the marathon complicated operation which negated his mother’s thought, though not yet fully recovered.

His parents were happy to see their beloved son back but in the same way, they were sad for the elephantine amount of money to be seen on their bill. The dominant thought on their minds was – who will help them to offset the medical bill?

“Mr Odulaja”, one of the nurse called out, “yes!” he answered, she handed the bill over him, and suddenly he began sweating as if he was near a lit oven.

In trepidation, he opened it, but when he set his eyes on the total amount of the bill “JUST A BALL OF PUFF-PUFF” was what the doctor wrote there.

He was extremely confused. The kind that he had to get to the office to correct the mistake, because to him it was a mistake but surprisingly, the doctor said that’s your bill and its error-free.

‘Why just a ball of puff puff, the amount?’ Thomas parents asked inquisitively. This surgeon who crossed his leg over a plastic table started narrating the story of the day he was about to die of hunger while he reached their house and found Mr Odulaja sitting on a rocking chair eating puff-puff.

Mr Odulaja as a kind-hearted person read the rough handwriting of hunger on my face and he called me and gave me the remaining three-ball of puff-puff in black nylon.

Hmm, he continued, that was what saved me that day. Maybe I would have died that day if I had seen nothing to eat.

That was why I gave his son just a ball of puff-puff out of three, which I will surely give you the remaining two in a new dimension which I never can tell.

Therefore, just a ball of puff-puff paid Thomas’ colossal bill.

Although, the above is fiction, how many time have you helped others that really need your help?

How many time have you wiped others tears? How many people have you rescued from death?

Never think you must become great, rich or wealthy before you could help. Use what you have at where you are to help others because you are building a future for yourself and offspring.

Ultimately, nothing you give out is lost, who knows that just a ball of puff-puff could save a life? Is it just a stick of sweet you have with you? You can use that productively, as well.

Just a Ball of Puff Puff