By Amie Sillah
Gaa
He thought very hard to trace the source of his infection then alas!
“Yes, I can remember!” He rushed to the clinic and confronted Nurse Jagne.
“You injected me with that needle I queried about but you were adamant and I succumbed but I am now very sure that your unsterilized needle infected me with the HIV virus, I am not a player and I have no blood transfusion and my wife is steady and innocent; shortly after I was injected I started to have this funny feeling of exhaustion, tiredness, headache malaria like symptoms never gone away and I continued to dread clinic and resorted to drugs at the pharmacy which will ease my condition for a while and the cycle continues unabated relapsing after taking pharmacy drugs until my mother through pressure from my wife and her sister lured me to the clinic where Dr. George ran tests on me and pronounce the ‘death sentence’ and since then my whole world and that of my family turned upside down. I’ll crush you as you have crushed me because of professional irresponsibility and recklessness.” He scolded and slapped her amidst denial and protest from Nurse Sally.
Dr. George
The commotion and pandemonium alerted him to come out of his office to part them.
“Stop! What is happening here?”
Gaa explained his point and Sally denied it.
“It is okay Gaa, this is a serious allegation and the clinic will conduct an independent investigation to definitely come out with the truth and take the appropriate disciplinary measure if the accused is found culpable.” He turned to Nurse Sally and said;
“Meanwhile, your services are halted until the investigation is concluded and you are exonerated.”
Gaa
He came for the final confirmation CD Count and it was positive, he became more devastated and totally confused.
Reflection
“Day of trauma and anxiety started. I got my results which confirmed me positive and I decided there and then that I would not tell my wife; how can I explain it to ward off that it was not through extra marital affair? That is my dilemma; Dr. George medical jargons did not help matters at all; that was my reason for my total transformation. But I am resolved now, I am going to share it with my faithful, lovely wife I have really wronged her.”
Gaa visited Dr. George.
“I have now resolved to tell my wife I have not been fair to her.”
Dr. George
“That is the correct decision and I’ve agreed with you one hundred percent. Being positive is not the end of the worldthe HART Treatment helps a great deal, you are not going to die if you adhere to your antiretroviral treatment, good nutrition, physical exercises and healthy sexual life will make you live a normal life like the negative people. Do you know about the story of Magic Johnson who is positively living with the virus and now an HIV Activist running an International NGO for advocacy, sensitization and helping in the treatment of patients and mentoring carriers and families and friends?Don’t be pessimistic.”
Gaa
“Don’t patronize me, my life would never be the same again but all the same I’ll take it in good faith and stop antagonizing my love ones.”
“That’s the spirit, my good friend. Advise her for the need to use condom during lovemaking.” Dr. George emphasized.
“Be rest assured that today is the D-Day, tonight I’ll tell Ti and damn face the consequences.”
Co-incidence
Dad is late and it got Kumuna worried. She dropped the clay tray carrying water melon and Mantome came out and scolded her.
The Accident
Gaa is fully consumed with the consequences of what would happen if Ti finds out the truth. Bang! He ran into a truck and everything became silent.
Kumuna
She could not sleep.
“Mom! I have this premonition that dad is in serious trouble, I can feel it by intuition.”
Ti
“Stop talking big little lady! Why should you think like that? Dad will soon be here nowadays he works late at the office. Go to bed he’ll soon be here.”
Reluctantly she went to bed.
The Phone Rings
“What? Who? Which hospital?” She called Mantome.
“Car keys! Impossible!” She wailed rushing out of the house.
The other Family
Sohu and Saul are enjoying their vegetable/fruit salad diet feeding each other and having fun.
The Phone Rings
Saul picked it up.
“Gaa is ringing; at long last, this is another wonder of the world! Who? What? Where? Which hospital? On my way!”
Sohu
She panicked and dropped her fork on the plate.
“What is it?”
Saul
“Gaa involved in an accident!”
“What? It is not true; let nothing happen to him oh! Let me come along with you.” The couple drove to thehospital.
Ti
Her life suddenly transformed upside down, devastated, shock, a bombshell! She wept bitterly.
At the Theatre
They all met there shock, shattered and devastated. The couple held their breath with grief.
“Get up Gaa! Get up and let us go home! We need you, you cannot die! Get up, let us go home!” Her utteration led to emotional outbursts from everyone present.
At Gaa’ Home
Mourning ensued as friends, family and neighbours came to pay condolence to the family still the couple Saul and Sohu could not believe that within the twinkle of an eye Gaa was gone forever.
Mam Ndaxte
She could not believe that Gaa has past on leaving her kid sis a young widow to cater for 3 young children especially baby Sorgi who would never know his dad.
“Sis I am finished! I am finished! What am I going to do Gaa left me with great responsibility, he was a responsible parent until his transformation and when he repented he is gone forever!” She wept and Mabel consoled her.
“You have God and by his grace we will share whatever we have with your family.”
Sohu and Saul
“By Allah’ grace we will assist the family with whatever we have.”
The funeral was to be held at his village.
To be Cont.
