They hugged and Glory left. Mabel
caught up with Cynthia and they went to see Dr Obinna. When they entered his
office, Mabel tried to read his face but she couldn’t explain his expression.
If he was smiling, she would have concluded that the result was negative but he
was not smiling. 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 does the
result show?” she asked when she could not hold herself anymore.
Dr.
Obinna hissed and shook his head.
“Say something na,”
Mabel said, impatient. “No matter what it is, I can take it.”
Dr.
Obinna leaned forward and placed the lab result paper on the table. Mabel
rushed and checked it. She saw “PT – negative” boldly written on it. She shouted
joyfully. Dr. Obinna burst into laughter and Cynthia joined in the laughter.
“You wanted me to
suffer high blood pressure,” Mabel said.
“I was just pulling
your legs,” Dr. Obinna 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 niece,” Cynthia teased.
“You are not
serious,” Mabel told her.
“Imagine that lab
woman saying you looked pregnant.”
“Don’t mind her.”
“Being a single mother
has its challenges o,” Dr Obinna said. “It is not advisable at all.”
“Very true,” Mabel
said.
“These days, you
can’t tie many men down with pregnancy. No matter how much they profess to love
you, once they get what they want to their satisfaction, they leave you.”
“Men are always
afraid of commitment,” Cynthia said. “I don’t know why.”
“Not all men though,”
Dr. Obinna said
“Doc so what do I do
about the dizziness?” Mabel asked.
“Is something
bothering you?” he asked. “Are you being stressed out by work or an issue in
your life now?”
“No.”
“Sure?”
“Yes doc.”
“Your man is not
giving you trouble abi?”
“No.”
“From the questions
I asked you initially, you are not presenting other symptoms consistent with
sickness. Just rest very well and eat well. You will be fine.”
“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. Just eat well,
with a lot of fruits and fluid.”
“Ok. Thanks.”
They
got up to leave.
“Cynthia please
finish your drugs,” Dr. Obinna said.
“But you said it the
infection 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.”
“Anything for your
family. 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 finish growing up.”
“It is not too late o. I want to marry a
doctor.”
“My wife will just
use prayer and finish us.”
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. Never try keeping a guy with sex.”
“But you can help
yourself from time to time.”
“You can also hold
yourself. All you need is discipline and avoiding staying alone with a guy when
you are in the mood.”
“Yes o.”
They walked towards the hospital
gate.
“Where do we go
now?” Cynthia asked.
“To see pastor’s
wife,” Mabel replied.
“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 I will not get
there after the appointment time and look like an unserious person.”
“Ok. Let’s get there
first, but 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 pain.”
“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.
“To see if those
hoodlums are around,” Cynthia said.
“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 with her mum,
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)
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