Leukemia: Yasmin & The Death Of Abul-Khair -By Hassan Idris

Abul-Khair is a  25 years old man battling depression for years. His depression started when he couldn’t understand himself while at the office, collapsed and was rushed to 44 Army Reference Hospital, Kaduna. When he was rushed to the hospital, laboratory tests were carried out on him only to discover that he has Leukemia diseases and has undergone two surgeries before without anyone knowing.  Leukemia – A group of diseases where white blood cells grow uncontrollably. The doctor said he has a few months to live on this earth and this keeps him thinking and thinking. He has  refused himself food, drinks or even friends. He stays indoors and cries till his eyes itches him and his face gets swollen.

There are no blessings from the lord than seeing yourself alive and healthy. Health is wealth they said. Abul-Khair  has battled and is still battling to survive after undergoing several surgeries with all his money that he almost became poor. The money wasn’t his biggest problem but his heath. If there’s health, he will surely get wealth if God wills. This disease stopped him from falling in love or getting married as the doctor said the best thing he needed was love, prayers and company. But, he didn’t trust anyone to love, and he feels if any girl should love him now, it would be all about the money he has or for the fact that he would soon die, be buried seven feet underground. She will inherit all the properties and investment he has. The world today has turned into a world where money rule and people don’t care about love, so far they would get what they want. It’s a world where one can’t get free bread from the bakery or balanced reciprocity.

On Friday 12 June, 2022, before he collapsed in the office, Abul-Khair tried harder despite the pains he feels and the depressed condition he was to visit the mosque and pray. After prayers, he still stood up to pray for a dead woman whose dead body was brought to the mosque for the funeral prayer and he wept profusely.  He wept while praying the funeral prayer because he knew in few months  time, he would be wrapped in that white garment and prayed for.  Everyone is a friend to death for surely the constant company we would all have before we leave this earth is death. A mere mortal under the yoke of death Abul-Khair was as death will stroke him 12 feet unto the shores of the earth.

Whomsoever death met should be ready to go along with him. He’s that fearless soldier that’s gallantly ready to take the souls of the living. A soul-monger that’s always tasty for the soul. Once an order is given, he’s there already to shoot his shot. A shot that he never misses. He’s the bravest theif that has no respect for the old or young. A theif that is bereft host of helpers when the time is set. He only answers the call of the soul when it calls.

The worst thing about Abul-Khair’s life is that he didn’t worshipped his lord enough when he had the time and opportunity. When he was healthy and strong, he never knew God existed or even cared about him until he reached 23 years of age. When he got to know God and started worshipping him, that was when he was stroked with a semi-death and was hospitalized. If he dies today, what would he tell his lord? That he spent his years of maturity being a cassanova; following skirts and bra here and there and even smoking cigarettes from point A to point B. There’s no time he has regretted his actions than on his dying bed.That he wasted the time given to him on this earth on worldly things and just when he repented was when he was stroked  with leukemia disease.

Abul-Khair has the money and the fame but where’s the health? What’s money and fame without health or a good ending? He’s doomed and he prayed on his dying bed that his soul finds forgiveness in the bosom of the lord even though he knew he doesn’t have that time left to right his wrong. On his dying bed, he’s still trying to tarry on even when his body is complaining of his haste. On his dying bed, he met me- Yasmin when I came to check on my sick sister.  I’ve never knew he was suffering from leukemia. When I saw how handsome he was and quiet, I got closer to greet him and we got talking and he got his younger sister to collect my contact. 

Abul-Khair was discharged from the hospital on the 29th of July, 2022, when he started getting better and alhamdulillah, the third surgery was successful but he needed to be loved and cared for. The third day after he was discharged from the hospital, I came and checked on him. We got talking and talking and by Allah, he has never been happy and loved as he was. He later had to open up to me about his leukemia disease and the remaining days he has to leave this earth.

I started crying and crying. Just when he found love was when he didn’t get the time to feel that love to the fullest.  A beautiful 21 years old Fulani girl like me stood with him throughout his trying time and pampered him with love and care until we later got married with him. That was his dream, to be loved and to complete half of his dean. On our honeymoon, we made love and spent time reciting the Qur’an and playing together until his eventual mortality. I had begged him to stay with me and not leave me. 

My love has changed him even in his trying days and I was different from all other girls he has met before. On that night we made love and slept, I woke up in the morning to meet the corpse of my husband.  I tried severally to wake him up but, it was already inalillahi wa ina illahi rajiun. When death comes, it takes you unaware and whomsoever is to die, nothing is added or reduced from the time allotted to him.  May Allah forgive the soul of my beloved husband.

© Hassan Idris

Sociologist & Poet

idrishassan035@gmail.com