It was a rainy day, Mama had left early for Afor Ogbe with her wares for the market for which the market day was named after. Each market day comes back after every four days cycle for there are four market days. Afor Ogbe and Afor Oru were Mama’s best Market days and both markets were closer to home. For three weeks Mama has not been to the other markets like Afor Eke for fear of being too far from home. You see Rosaline has been so sick and might require urgent attention from Mama. Mama wished she could stay back home most especially today as Rosaline’s body temperature was causing Mama deep worries; she hissed and sighed several times too many while pounding the Fufu for the second time, lamented about how the gods or ‘Alukwu” (as she preferred to call them) stole her Joy years back and now they want to take away her Hands. Whenever Mama talked about the gods stealing her Joy, I always wince in pain for she says it with so much bitterness that seems to transfer straight to my heart; so much bitterness and hatred for the gods with curses to accompany them too! The gods really hurt Mama, her only son was snatched by Death- the god’s messenger for stealing people’s Joy or was it Mama’s Joy alone? I feel sorry for Mama each time she laments about it, but this day I feel sorrier for the gods; they have not known peace since morning Mama woke up! I avoided Mama’s wrath by all means; swept everywhere in and out, washed the dishes, fanned the coals and even started peeling melon seeds so early (usually an afternoon chore). All these I did without Mama reminding me, for if I had wait for a reminder surely a curse would follow! Mama swore she would have stayed home to attend to Rosaline but then what if the situation gets out of hand and she needs money to take Rosaline to Dr. Onyeagwuogbulem’s Clinic it would be too bad for there was no money at home to pay for treatment bills. So off Mama left for the market with a stern warning to stay very close by Rosaline’s side, sponge her down with water at intervals and give her the decoctions Mama had made from experience she had living with traditional healers as a little girl. The decoctions smelled so bad and I wondered how Rosaline took them, Poor Rosaline! She would have put up a fight about taking this decoction if she had an ounce of strength in her.
This day did not seem so good, first Mama woke up before the cock’s crow and I was forced to do same as I did not want Mama’s wrath upon me. This day did not seem right more especially as Mama left for the market without a single swear or curse towards me. What must have softened mam’s heart towards me I do not know?! For she pounded Fufu twice for me to eat for lunch. She always shouted and cursed how lazy I was and I should get my lazy ass up and do things for myself. You see Mama calls me no pet names so I assume I am her stomach for she once said her stomach is the laziest part of her body -always does nothing but wanting food. Stranger things are happening in our house these days as I see myself trying to be Mama’s Help, Joy and Stomach, for she hardly eats these days. I really don’t know why though, perhaps I know nothing as Mama usually says or perhaps I do for she once said women who have monthly signs know a lot of things. I started seeing some signs two months back. I must know something after all! Perhaps that is why Mama has softened towards me, or could it be fear of losing her “Help, Joy and Stomach”- Me now her total package (I can only assume in my mind!).
Rosaline’s temperature scared me for hours! I was hoping and praying Mama comes back home earlier. I need to call A-Boy to come stay with Rosaline while I go call Mama. A-Boy was nowhere to be found that very day, things got worse as Rosaline started to shiver and shake vehemently. Could it be what Mama calls “Akwukwu”? No, that’s epilepsy this must be “Alanmiri”- Convulsion! I must know something, I must act! I ran out screaming for help, fortunately De Willy the one legged kinsman hopped towards me and in haste almost lost balance with his stick. I shouted please stay with Rosaline while I go call Mama. I ran faster than I can imagine (or so I wish to think). I have to act like I know something, what am I supposed to do?!
I saw Mama gathering her wares as she had sighted me from a distance and knew why I was there. The bicycle she had could not carry both of us, she gave me some coins and said “Run to Dr. Onyeagwuogbulem’s clinic and give him this money tell him we are coming”. I ran in the opposite direction. I vaguely remember the path to Dr. Onyeagwuogbulem’s clinic; but I must remember for I must know something. I had only been there once when Mama’s Joy was so sick, Dr. Onyeagwuogbulem had been so expensive for Mama that she only spent a day there. You see Dr. Onyeagwuogbulem is a “Foreign Doctor”, the story around was he had worked as a nurse in England and had acquired enough medical training to qualify as a doctor here in Ogbe. Rumour had it that he could not practise beyond Ogbe, perhaps his qualifications had boundaries, now I don’t know much here but it confuses me a bit you know as rumour also says he is the best Doctor in Ogbe environs. Mama could not afford to pay Dr. Onyeagwuogbulem’s bills for a week’s admission of her Joy and had to go to traditional healers where Mama’s Joy was stolen.
Within minutes of my arrival, Mama and Rosaline (carried in by good Samaritans) were at Dr. Onyeagwuogbulem’s clinic. Rosaline was admitted and I kept wondering what part of Rosaline’s body would receive the dreaded injection as every part of her body was on fire. You see, Dr. Onyeagwuogbulem’s reputation on giving injections at “Specific Areas of Illness” was very well spread, and how effective that was! Once a relative had severe toothache and Dr. Onyeagwuogbulem gave him injection in his mouth! He just gives injections on ill body parts even if it were a feet in pain the injection goes straight to the feet, his treatments were very specific! Well I do not know much, I just clocked thirteen but I fear for Rosaline because she might be given injections all over her body.
Mama slept in the clinic for several days before Rosaline was discharged. I was scared that Rosaline might have bumps of injection sites all over her body, but when I saw her it was not so. Excited I ran to hug Rosaline and asked how she coped with the dreaded injections. Rosaline did not reply me. Rosaline is a chatterbox! For days Rosaline did not speak to me; perhaps she disliked me for giving her those decoctions, she must resent me! When she finally spoke to me, she stammered and spoke straight from her lungs and not with her lips, I wondered for a minute if Dr. Onyeagwuogbulem transferred a kind of speech spell on her for he speaks through his nose and not his lips! Her words were echoes, it took me several long minutes to understand her incoherent speeches. Rosaline could not understand my replies either! She was very deaf as we found ourselves communicating with sign languages.
Mama grew older faster with regrets on her chest for taking Rosaline to Dr. Onyeagwuogbulem’s clinic and not the big City’s Hospital at Owerre. Mama regrets not selling her cocoyam farmland to have enough money for the City’s Hospital. Few weeks after Rosaline’s return from Dr. Onyeagwuogbulem's clinic, the gods began to have peace from Mama, they must have been happy with Mama for none of us fell ill again- a good thing too for Mama swore that was her last visit to Dr. Onyeagwuogbulem’s clinic!
This was supposed to be a post for the Air-clinic contest but I did not meet up with the deadline- Stomach Me! Thanks Air-clinic for the inspiration!