At the Village
Mom went to the druggist Aunty Ebironke and asked her to help her with drugs to alleviate Dad’s suffering until her daughter arrives from the city. She gave her the prescription and she gave her the drugs and she started to go but Aunty Ebi drew her back; “Where is my money? The past few weeks I gave you drugs free but not anymore, if I keep on giving you free drugs my business will go bankrupt; where is your super rich son? He has more than me a struggling single mom with school going children. Please give me back my drugs until you bring money to buy them.”
Mom broke down;
“I am not blaming you but my wicked son, my daughter has gone to the city to ask him for money to start treatment at the clinic, that’s why I’ve come again for you to assist me.”
“I understand but until your bring money you cannot take the drugs,” Aunty Ebi posited.
At the Village
Pa Filly and Ibra went to the clinic to visit their old friend Dad but the nurses refused them in being in stupor they staggered around waiting for a chance to get in.
Pa Filly
“Is he dead? Why did the nurses refuse us in?” He asked his friend.
“God forbid! Dad has suffered so much, God will not let him die in penury,” Pa Ibra prayed.
Mom
She hurried to the clinic and the friends saw her coming;
“Thank God that’s the ‘cantankerous’ wife coming and they went towards her;
“Where is your husband? Did you dump him?” They asked.
It confused Mom and she asked impulsively;
“Is he dead? I went to the druggist to buy some prescription drugs.” The two friends entered along with Mom drunk to stupor. Mom is disgusted with them;
“Are you hiding anything from us?” They chided her.
Nurse Nyaaling
Nurse Nyaaling asked;
“Did you buy the drugs prescribed for him?”
Mom replied in the negative;
“My daughter is not back yet and Ebi would not give me credit because I failed to pay back in the past and I don’t blame her, she is right.” She became emotional.
“I’ll not kill myself for you and be ready for expulsion. I’ve done my own and will not lose my job for you.” She left enraged.
The Friends
They blamed the nurse for being very rude to an elder their friend; Pa Filly asked for the cost and Mom showed him the form.
“D1500? Okay take this D2000 and buy something for him with the balance.”
Mom is flabbergasted and thanked him.
“Thank you very much oh! Thank you!” She rushed back to the pharmacy to purchase the drugs.
“Where did you get the money to give and you refused me ‘fish money’?” Pa Ibra queried.
“It is not my money but Bangs he gives her father’s allowance through me, it has to be indirect or he dies. That’s why I took him to ‘Seep Ins’. He has to be drunk all the time and I also give him little money to survive.”
“What!” Pa Ibra exclaimed as he shut his mouth;
“Don’t expose our secret, Dad should not hear it,” he posited.
“Now I do agree that Bangs is a ritualist, what a queer arrangement!”
The two friends dropped upon the floor snoring heavily.
Mom
She bought the drugs, came back and saw the friends on the floor as one of them took a blanket to cover themselves; Mom woke them and asked them to leave before the nurses come and embarrass them;
“This is a clinic it is not healthy to sleep upon the floor. You can leave now as it is not visiting time. Come back at 5p.m.”
The two Friends
“When he wakes up greet him for us, administer the drugs and take good care of him as you always do as a good, diligent wife.”
She brought out some provisions;
“I bought it from the remaining money,” she explained.
