The Day Chinedu Scared Everyone

The Day Chinedu Scared Everyone

Chinedu was the kind of person who always put work first. If there was money to be made, he was there. If there was extra work to do, he volunteered.

One Monday morning, he woke up late.

"Ah! I'm finished!" he shouted as he jumped out of bed.

His mother called from the kitchen.

"Come and eat before you go."

"No time, Mama!"

He grabbed his bag and ran out.

The day was unusually hot. Chinedu attended to customers from morning till afternoon without eating or drinking much water.

Around 2 p.m., his friend Ada noticed something strange.

"Why are you sweating like this?"

"It's nothing," Chinedu replied.

"You don't look fine."

"I'm okay."

A few minutes later, a customer called him from across the room.

Chinedu stood up quickly.

Immediately, the room began to spin.

The voices around him sounded distant.

His vision became blurry.

He tried to take another step, but his legs refused to cooperate.

The next thing he heard was people shouting his name.

"Chinedu!"

"Chinedu!"

When he opened his eyes, he found himself lying on the floor surrounded by worried faces.

He was taken to a clinic where the healthcare professional asked a few questions.

"When last did you eat?"

Chinedu looked away.

"This morning... actually, I didn't."

"What about water?"

He scratched his head.

"Not much."

The healthcare professional nodded.

After the examination, he explained that Chinedu's blood pressure had dropped. Skipping meals, not drinking enough water, and working for long hours without rest had contributed to it.

Chinedu was surprised.

"I thought people only worried about high blood pressure."

The healthcare professional smiled.

"Your body doesn't care whether you're busy. It only knows what it needs."

Those words stayed with Chinedu.

A week later, another busy morning arrived. As he hurried toward the door, his mother called after him.

"You're not leaving without breakfast again, are you?"

Chinedu stopped, smiled, and walked back to the dining table.

For a few extra minutes, the customers could wait.

His health could not.