Louisiana writes of a lady she is presently taking care of at her job at the hospital, where she is a nurse.
The lady in question is from Somalia; she was in America, visiting some friends, when she was struck by a bolt of lightning.
I look at the tanned, thin face of the young woman in the hospital bed in front of me, and immediately, I am drawn to her big, brown eyes, which are full of tears, suffering, and pain. My caring instinct suddenly takes hold of me, and I instinctively take the woman's hand into mine, and try to offer words of comfort and encouragement.
The woman is not from here. In fact, she isn't even FROM America; she is visiting our country from Somalia; she is visiting some friends that live here in America, here in Nashville. Her name is Zakiyyah (zah key yah) Fatma Al Mohammed, and she is in her early 40's. She has long, shiny black hair that is wavy and incredibly thick in texture, and her eyes are big and brown, similar to the eyes of a deer. She is of Muslim faith, and she is very shy in nature. She is married, but her husband treats her cruelly; and she came to America, to escape his abuse and to see her friends.
Zakiyyah was injured just a few short days ago, and yesterday is the first time she has really been aware of her surroundings. She was getting the mail for her friend when she was struck in the upper back, between her shoulders, by a sudden bolt of lightning. She nearly died (she was "down" for over 3o minutes before she was revived in the Emergency Room, and for a while, doctors thought there would be severe brain damage; but it seems that she has somehow escaped it; she is very much aware, and she is only aware of one thing: PAIN), but by a Miracle, she survived; and she is still very much alive several days later since the accident.
Zakiyyah looks at me, tears streaming down her face; and I immediately know that she wants some relief from the pain in her body. I get the syringe ready, put some morphine into it, and gently, but swiftly, inject the medicine into the I.V. line that is attached to a needle in her arm; and she smiles wanly as I tell her that the pain should ease up somewhat in the next few minutes.
A few minutes later, her face looks a tad more relaxed; there aren't as many deep lines etching her face, and she looks a bit more calm. When I ask her if the pain has lessened any, she nods her head gravely and mouths a "thank you" to me.
She then proceeds to tell me her story.
Zakiyyah is the youngest of ten, all girls, and she and her family still live in her native Somalia, which is on the northeast coast of Africa. The countries of Kenya and Ethiopia border Somalia to the west. It is hot, dry, and desert there, and most of the people who live there are of the Muslim faith. There is also a lot of civil unrest in Somalia, and many people have been killed or ambushed there by rebel forces. Terrorism or other forms of violence is always a constant threat there.
She has always dreamed of going to the United States, ever since meeting some friends who now live here, and she has been lucky to have had that chance on several occasions. But this time proved to be very unlucky for her, as she was injured, and now, because of this injury, she is now lying in a hospital bed, wracked with pain, and unsure of her future or whether she is ever going to be able to walk or live without severe pain.
(((karen))) WOW i love your stories WHERE'S PART TWO HURRY UP HURRY UP LOL great write, karen, they *grab* and won't let go...the marks of a great write, methinks...well done! (((((HUGS))))) and love, karla. :) another new character to learn is there gonna be a test LOL
A page-turning novel about a relationship between best friends that is interrupted because of betrayal , deceit, sexual promiscuity and pregnancy happens!
A poignant story about letting go of a narcissist in your life. Have you ever been attacked FULL force by a narcissist? It's the closest thing to being stabbed over and over in the back.
