AVBOB
I'm lying on the mattress on the bare floor of the bedroom. I can hear the old secondhand fridge I bought whirring in the kitchen. I just moved into this flat in Bloemfontein, one of the three capital cities of South Africa. This was a city that might as well be foreign to me.
I felt so utterly alone. No friends and no one to talk to. I started thinking about what I needed to assist me in taking my own life. I don’t own a gun, and my apartment doesn’t have beams, so I can’t hang myself, and I don’t have any medication that I could use for that purpose.
A knock at my door interrupted the silence around me. Who could it be? I don’t know anyone here.
I opened the door and found a young gentleman standing before me, dressed in a suit with glasses and holding a book.
“Good morning. I’m from AVBOB Funeral Services. "Are you interested in buying funeral insurance?" It will cover all your needs in case of death."
For a moment, I stared at him.
Next, I stumbled back against the door. I started to giggle, then my laughter became uncontrollable. I found myself rolling on the floor in a fit of laughter. I thought to myself, God has a sense of humour, and He knows exactly how to reach me.
The reason I am in Bloemfontein is that I was referred to the medical students at the university hospital for the diagnosis and treatment of a bacterial disease. My life took an unexpected turn due to ill health. Now I’m stuck here for at least a few months. This was not what I wanted for my life right now.