Caught In between

Chapter 21: Coming Home

Marlise watched the doctor's mouth move but she refused to believe the words the woman was uttering. The doctor's office was a small square space crammed with several wall charts of different diseases adding to her misery. It was 9am the day after Viva had another health crisis where she struggled to breathe. As she spoke with the doctor that morning, the child was on oxygen.
"What are you saying doctor?" She hoped that when the doctor repeated what she'd just said, something will change.
"I'm saying the cardiac surgeon who can perform the surgery on such a young child is not in the country. Doctor Kamara is currently in the US for a Fellowship and she will be back only in three months," The doctor repeated.
"But...but, I have money. We can find other surgeons here," Marlise pleaded.
"Its not about the money. Its about the success of the procedure. If you like, I can refer you to a heart hospital here but I cannot guarantee the outcome. Doctor Kamara has a 97% success rate when it comes to these cases," She said.
Marlise stood up and hurried out of the office without waiting for the end of the conversation. As she passed through the waiting area, she lowered her eyes, avoiding the faces of those waiting to be attended to. She knew that seeing the misery on their faces would make her lose the last ounce of willpower she had.

"Marlise!" Someone yelled her name but she didn't stop. Her chest burnt. Her composure was coming loose so she hurried out of the hospital building. Now in open air, with wind blowing in her face, she opened her mouth, breathing deeply and gulping in air to sooth her aching lungs. Her nostrils felt too small to push out the rush out air as she hyperventilated. The hospital premises was covered with green lawns with benches in the centre. she hurried and dropped herself unto one. Her mind went back to how she had found her daughter when she arrived the living room the day before. She watched with horror as her child struggled to breathe, her rib cage rising and taking forever to come down, a sound coming from her throat like someone being strangled. While she fell on the floor, rolling and wailing, her mother was already at the door, calling a driver to come and take them to the hospital.

"Marlise! Marlise! I have been calling you," Cherish's voice broke into the painful memories. She blinked back tears and looked up at her sister who stood with hands on her waist and a worried look on her face.
"Sis, You walked past me in the waiting area, I thought something has happened to Viva. Is she okay?" Cherish asked.
"I don't know," Marlise replied.
"What do you mean you don't know?" Cherish asked in panic.
"I mean, for now, yes but I don't know for how long," She clarified. Marlise lifted up her head and wiped a tear from her eyes.
"I need to make a call," Marlise she suddenly said as if a thought just dropped into her mind.
Taking out her phone, she dialed. as soon as she heard 'hello' she lashed out.
"You are a fool. You abandoned your current family because of something that happened in your past. Your son Jay is traumatized and your daughter is dying!" Marlise said angrily.
"Don't ask me stupid questions! I just called to tell you that we don't need your help because this is the last time you will hear or see me," she said and hung up.

A few seconds later, the phone started ringing. She didn't pick. It continued until she blocked the number. Cherish sat there dumbfounded at the sudden switch from sadness to anger.
"Sis. You didn't have to do that for me, I believe you have nothing with Levi," Cherish said.
"Its not about you. I needed to get it off my chest. Since you told me that he walked away, I've been pitying him but six months is too much! He doesn't deserve a second chance. Besides, we have a way out for Viva," she told Cherish.

***
Levi stared at his phone in disbelief. Marlise had never yelled at him like that before but what baffled him more were the things she said.
That Jay was traumatized and her baby...his baby was dying?

When he suddenly disappeared, he had not thought of the consequences of his actions. He'd just been so overwhelmed that he took a bus to Bamenda hoping to trace his roots. He went back to the General hospital where he was born but nobody could give him information.

Since he didn't want to go back to his grandparents house, Ma Eli's parents, he stayed with his childhood friend Oben.

"You're not in some Filipino movie where you'll find your long lost parents and it turns out that they are billionaires or something. Go home to your family," His friend Oben had explained the story of his life. Like a joke, he'd spent six months until he could feel his friend's wife's agitation as his stay had no definite plan. "How does he expect us to continuously feed him? Which man leaves his family for this long? I know he's living in the boy's quarters but he has to leave" He'd overheard his friend's wife complaining to her husband one evening. That was a week ago. As he was still trying to process Marlise's words this morning, he heard a knock on his door.

Oben walked in with a serious expression. Levi knew what the conversation was about.

"We need to talk," Oben said then his eyes fell on Levi's open valise on the bed where he'd already started to pack.

"I know what you want to talk about." Levi said.

"Look man, I'm not kicking you out now. i just need you to understand something," Oben said, placing his hand on Levi's shoulder. His friend was about five years older than him and he'd always relied on his wisdom.

"Family is what you make it. if you don't like where you came from, you can create one where you'll like to go to every evening," The words hit him deeply.

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