FED UP!

(…continued…)

            They hugged and Glory left. Mabel met Cynthia and they went to see Dr Obinna. When they entered his office, he asked them to sit down. Mabel tried to read his face but she couldn’t tell what he was thinking. If he was smiling, she would have concluded that all went well but he was not. He just held her result paper and swiveled on his seat.

  “Please sit down,” he said to them after a short while.

                Mabel sat, still tensed. He kept quiet.

  “Doc what did the result say?” she asked.

                Dr Obinna hissed and shook his head.

  “Say something na, no matter what it is.”

                Dr Obinna leaned forward and placed the lab result paper on the table. Mabel rushed and checked it. She saw “PT –ve” boldly written on it. She shouted joyfully. Dr Obinna burst into laughter and she and Cynthia joined in the laughter.

  “You wanted me to have high blood pressure,” Mabel said.

  “I was just pulling your legs,” he replied. “Right from when I saw you, I knew you were not pregnant. I just wanted you to see it for yourself.”

  “That means I will wait much longer to carry my neice,” Cynthia teased.

  “You are not serious,” Mabel told her.

  “Imagine that lab woman telling you you looked pregnant.”

  “Don’t mind her.”

  “Being a single mother has its challenges o,” Dr Obinna said.

  “Very true.”

  “And these days, you can’t tie a man down with pregnancy. No matter how much he professes to love you, once he gets what he wants to his satisfaction, he leaves you.”

 “Men are always afraid of commitment.”

  “Not all men.”

  “Doc so what do I do about the dizziness?”

  “Are you bothered about something?”

  “No.”

  “You could be stressed out. Just rest very well.”

  “What could have caused the vomiting and the stomach pain?”

  “I think it is something you ate yesterday.”

  “Ok. Hope I don’t need drugs?”

  “No. It has resolved itself. Just take a lot of fruits and fluid.”

  “Ok. Thanks.”

                They got up to go.

  “Cynthia please finish your drugs,” he said.

  “But you said it has cleared,” Cynthia said.

  “I never said so o.”

  “I am tired of the drugs sef.”

  “I know. Most people don’t take their prescribed drugs more than three days. They dump them when they feel better not knowing that every prescription has a course to run. If you don’t take the full dose, what you are trying to deal with will become resistant to that drug you are taking.”

  “Ok.”

  “So finish it ok.”

  “Ok. Thanks.”

  “Doc, thank you so much,” Mabel said. “You have been a true family friend.”

  “You have not seen any kindness yet. We have been from way back na. Remember when I used to eat in your house?”

  “Yes. We were small then.”

  “One good turn always deserves another. I would have married you if not that I couldn’t wait for you to grow up.”

  “It is not too late o. I want to marry a doctor.”

  “I am joking o. You want my wife will invoke us in mirror.”

                They laughed. Mabel and Cynthia left the office. Dr Obinna rang his table bell and the next patient entered.

  “Thank God it came out negative o,” Mabel said to Cynthia when they were outside.

  “Yes o,” Cynthia said. “Mummy would have been very disappointed with you.”

  “I have learnt my lesson. You don’t try keeping a guy with sex.”

  “But you can help yourself.”

  “You can also hold yourself. All you need is discipline and avoiding staying alone.”

  “Yes o.”

                They walked towards the hospital gate.

  “Where do we go now?” Cynthia asked.

  “To see pastor’s wife.”

  “Is it time yet?”

                Mabel checked her watch.

  “It is almost time o,” she said. “We need to hurry.”

  “I am hungry.”

  “We will just get snacks or better still we wait until we get to her office, so we will not get there after time and look like unserious people.”

  “Ok. Let’s get there first. What will I do about my afternoon drugs?”

  “It can wait till we get home. It is just analgesics.”

  “She may insist we stay for midweek service o.”

  “Then we will stay. Your major drugs are in the morning and in the night. My main concern now is whether these movements are causing you back ache.”

  “Not at all. I am good.”

  “Ok.”

                They got to the road. Cynthia looked left and right in search of something.

  “What are you looking for?” Mabel asked her.

  “Those hoodlums.”

  “If Mrs Biodun tells you she has taken care of something, better believe her.”

  “Ok.”

  “Let me call mummy and tell her how we went.”

  “OK.”

                Mabel brought out her phone and called her mother. She told her mother the test result and her mother was happy. While she was still on call, another call was coming into her phone. She ignored it the first time, but the second time, she checked. The call was from Segun.

(…to be continued…)

-©2015.Chinedu Isaac