PROLOGUE
The ambulance sped past the road into the hospital with its siren noise filling the air. The back door was flung open and the patient was immediately transferred from the stretcher to the mobile bed. The doctors were up to speed and some other doctors had to join them in transferring the patient onto the mobile bed.

‘Is the theater ready?’ The doctor asked the chief nurse as they wheeled the patient quickly into the theater.

‘Yes sir.’The nurse replied

'And all I need is available?’

“Yes sir.” She responded while the patient was being wheeled quickly into the theater.

No sooner was the reception flooded with relatives and friends of the patient, all panicking for the life of the patient. It’s only amazing how no one wanted an old woman who was well over ninety years of age to die. Everyone was desperately hanging on the hope that she somehow survived.

Would she live? Would she die, just like that? Could she survive the accident? But then, isn’t she old enough to die? Hasn’t she done enough while she lived?

‘One, two, three!’ Back in the theater, the doctor said and immediately applied the defibrillator but the life machine did not produce any positive response.

Life cannot be lived forever but there are some very special people who seem too special to die.

Loved ones and well wishers; pacing, praying, sitting or standing- all restless- hanging on hope, some on faith that their loved one lived.

‘One, two, three!’ The doctor applied the defibrillator again being bent on resuscitating the poor old woman who looked as good as dead.

It is not over until it is over. Some very religious set had begun to pray fervently for the patient. Even some unbelievers had to join the team in praying- all support was needed to resuscitate the poor woman. But as far as Ife was concerned, she was at peace with the decision of fate.

‘Fate? Fate can’t do this to me.’ Remi said to himself, finding it difficult not to get angry.

Remi, the woman’s first son couldn’t join the praying team, he was just too restless for that. He had just completed the mansion he built in his mother’s name with her name written boldly and placed above the mansion for all to see. ‘Haven for the hopeless’ was the name of the mansion which he had built for the motherless home children in his mother’s name and he had planned to officially open the building on his mother’s birthday which was on Friday- three days from this day. Everyone knew about the surprise except for the one who was to be surprised and who was about to surprise everyone.

The life machine went flat; it was time up, all the doctors and the nurses in the theater knew that, five minutes ago.

Life cannot be lived forever. For Ife, she had to make space for others to come in. She was at peace with the decision of fate.

love is free!

It cost money.