Chapter 1: The Eczema Accusation

“Dr. Musa, abeg help me—my boyfriend dey accuse me say na me give am STD. Now, e wan break up.”

As I read her message on my phone that morning, I just hiss softly. See gobe! Relationship wahala wey don turn medical case—if person no handle am well, e fit reach family meeting. For Lagos, small sickness fit scatter love story, and the kind pain wey follow this kind accusation heavy pass malaria.

Wetin start as ordinary eczema matter come turn to real wahala of life and death, plus relationship wey dey near finish line.

E still dey shock me how something wey look ordinary like eczema fit grow reach this level. Na so e be for Naija—if you no sharp, small palava fit grow like fire for harmattan breeze. Once love enter, even small scratch fit become big drama.

As doctor, your work no end for sickness—you dey solve mystery join.

This our job na real detective work sometimes. You go dey find who thief soup for kitchen, dey piece people emotion, dey join science with street sense. No be beans, especially when wahala don wear coat of suspicion.

And e no stop for solving—your mouth suppose tight like padlock.

Anything wey you hear for clinic, e suppose die there. Some gist heavy like bag of cement—if you leak am, e fit scatter family. Confidentiality for Naija medical line na serious matter—if you no sabi hold mouth, abeg shift.

One fine boy, correct Naija guy with latest fashion, waka enter my consulting room, dey hold one gentle-looking girl for hand. Registration slip for one hand, the other hand deep for pocket.

I notice as the boy package—fresh fade, chain dey shine, shoe polish dey reflect light like Sunday morning for Lekki. The girl sef dey represent: eyelashes wey fit sweep sand, soft voice, Ankara blouse wey fine like new naira note. E clear say both of them dey try impress, even inside hospital.

"Wetin carry you come today? Where you dey feel anyhow?" I ask, adding small smile make dem relax. For here, if you too strong, patient go lock up. Lagos people dey watch doctor face—dem want see say you get small human feeling join all the science.

The boy answer with small vex, "Na this eczema wahala again—e don tey. Just give me medicine abeg. Na my babe drag me come health centre."

E talk am like person wey dem force show. Boys for Naija like to form hard guy, no quick gree say dem need help. But you go see am for body—voice dey hide something.

As he dey talk, he just turn sharp-sharp, lift him T-shirt, show me him back. I notice say the black leather watch for him wrist don crack everywhere, e no really match the fine cloth wey him wear.

That kind watch na code—money never complete, na packaging boys dey do. Naija youth sabi mix original and ‘Aba made’ together—na survival be that.

I look him back, see plenty rashes—light red, patchy, no regular shape, just full everywhere: back, chest, neck.

I bend small, use torch check well. The kind rash wey I see, e get as e be. No be the normal eczema wey I dey see for clinic. For my mind, questions dey line up. This kain scatter-scatters for skin, something dey hide.

I frown small: this one no look like ordinary eczema. E fit be allergic dermatitis, herpes, or even another thing.

As I dey think, my mind flash go those rare cases wey I see for teaching hospital. For Naija, you no fit just assume say na the common thing dey always show.

"Wetin you don use before?" I ask.

I dey try get full gist—people fit use anything before dem finally show for hospital. Sometimes na agbo, sometimes shea butter, sometimes all those mixed creams from Yaba.

"Dermasol. I dey get eczema steady, and this Dermasol dey work well well," the boy talk, as if na magic him find.

I see say he dey defend the cream like say na him padi. Boys for here like anything wey dey give sharp result—even if e get side effect, dem go dey push am.

The girl come add, "He don use Dermasol for one week now, but e no too help am."

Her voice soft, but the worry for her face clear. She dey look me like person wey dey beg for help—sometimes true love dey show when wahala land.

"Dermasol? Use am for one week and e still dey like this?" My voice go up small. Dermasol na strong steroid cream; if na really eczema, e suppose clear am sharp-sharp. If you use am anyhow, skin fit peel like kpomo for market. For this Naija weather, if cream dey work, skin go clear quick. The fact say e no gree go means another wahala dey hide.

So, I begin reason say maybe no be eczema at all.

My brain dey busy—Naija doctor dey always balance textbook and street experience.

The girl notice as I dey reason, she ask, "Doctor, e no be eczema?"

Her eyes dey search my face for hope, like say if I nod, all the worry go just disappear.

The boy, dey vex, shout, "I don get eczema for two, three years. I no sabi my own body? Doctor, abeg, no dey overthink am, just give me the Dermasol."

Typical young Naija man—no wan hear say e fit be STD. E go prefer say na normal skin wahala.

The intern wey dey beside me chip in, "That one na steroid cream o—make you dey use am small small. The more you use steroid, the more your skin go spoil. Eczema no get cure, you no fit dey depend on the medicine like that."

The intern na sharp babe from Ibadan, fresh from school. She dey show say she sabi, but for Naija, sometimes you hold advice till patient open up.

I reason for mind: True, but we never even confirm wetin dey do am. The talk harsh small.

You go learn say for here, if you talk too early, patient fit vex walk out. Gentle approach dey work pass book talk.

Eczema no dey cure finish, e dey come back. Dermasol dey work, but na strong steroid—use am only when e sure.

I dey weigh options, because even for house, my aunty dey use Dermasol like body lotion—if dem hear say I talk am for clinic, dem fit call family meeting.

Small tip: No use steroid for eczema unless e really necessary. If flare up, use hydrocortisone—e soft pass Dermasol, side effect no too much.

I remember my Oga for teaching hospital: "No carry big hammer break groundnut." For medicine, na so e be too.

But for now, I dey suspect say no be eczema at all.

Something for my spirit dey warn me—doctor sixth sense dey strong, especially for Naija where patient dey hide half story.