Today's Anecdote:

By Ahmed Abdulqadir

I have a humorous anecdote to share with you, which was told to me by a friend of mine. It takes place during his time as a student at Ahmadu Bello University, ABU, Zaria, many years ago.

During the cold season, my friend began experiencing asthmatic attacks whenever the weather turned hazy. At the time, he was unaware of the cause, but he would always struggle to breathe during these attacks. The situation became so severe that he had to spend two days in the sick bay at ABU. Upon his release, he was given an inhaler and instructed to use it whenever an attack occurred.

During the holidays, my friend decided to visit his schoolmate and take the opportunity to greet his friend's mother. When he arrived, he informed his friend's mother about his recent illness and hospitalization. Upon learning about his condition, she advised him to visit a specific person in another part of town and purchase traditional medicine that was known to be effective for his condition. She even provided him with the money to buy the medicine and instructed him to mention her name as the sender. She described the location of the house where he could find the medicine.

Initially, my friend was hesitant to go, as he knew that the area was inhabited by lepers. However, not wanting to offend his friend and his mother, he reluctantly agreed to be accompanied by his friend. In his mind, though, he had already decided not to take the medicine, regardless of whether he bought it or not.

Together, my friend and his friend embarked on their journey to find the house. When they arrived, my friend's worst fears were confirmed. The medicine seller turned out to be a leper with bulging eyes, and tears were continuously streaming down his face. To avoid offending his friend, they went ahead and purchased the medicine before returning home. Once they were back, his friend insisted that he immediately start taking the medicine. Without waiting for a response, he mixed the medicine with water and gave it to my friend to drink. Feeling trapped, my friend had no choice but to consume the medicine.

This routine continued for three days, with his friend mixing and administering the medicine each morning and evening. Miraculously, after completing the course of medicine, my friend's asthma was completely cured. However, he couldn't help but reflect on the cost he had paid for this miraculous cure.

Several months later, one of my friend's neighbors, an elderly man, also experienced an asthmatic attack. My friend generously gave the man the inhaler he had received from the ABU sick bay, which instantly cured him. From then on, the man relied on the inhaler until it ran out. My friend provided guidance on where to purchase a new one when needed.

Years passed, and the man continued using the inhaler until his eventual passing. It was only after his death that his wife discovered a sack filled with used inhaler containers. Believing it to be some kind of treasure, she contacted my friend, locked up the room, and showed him the sack, seeking an explanation. My friend humorously informed her that the inhaler containers held no value and were essentially useless.

Reflecting on these incidents from many years ago, my friend and I shared a hearty laugh, reminiscing about the past.