She smiled

Odd Celebration

...The driver seemed quiet through the momentarily tears rolling down her cheeks while she spoke. He responded softly... "madam make you no cry again, I think I be know wetin de do your pikin... he be like say na measles...if you allow me, I fit prescribe one leaf to you. Just cook am, use am bathe your pikin make you give your pikin some of the water drink".

"Madam don't, I think I know what is happening to your child. I think its measles. I will prescribe one leaf to you, cook it give her some to drink and use the rest to bathe her, including the leaves"

Chloe's mother completely speechless, briefly spoke up saying, where can I get the leaves? The driver drove up the road and parked close to the bush around the hospital, after about five minutes he came back with what looked like a bunch of weeds. Handing it over to Chloe's mother, he said, "madam your pikin no go die...just do as I say immediately".

"Madam your child will not die, do as I have told you immediately"

Arriving at the hospital, the journey seemed like a waste of time, no doctor was available, and all the nurse could do was to place Chloe on painkillers. The doctor finally arrived and confirmed the illness was measles at the epic state. The doctor said, "Chloe could have died if she was not brought in when she was". Initial medication was given to her, with respites on her temperature. They headed back home to try the old man's herbal prescription.

At home, her mother immediately cooked the herbs and used the leaves to bathe Chloe. Within three days of repeating the same procedure as directed she was back to health as the taxi driver stated. However, the effect of the measles did not end there, it had a lasting effect on Chloe for the rest of her life. Once Chloe started teething, her mother noticed they were golden rather than the usual white teeth and soon after Chloe started complaining of constant eye ache.....

   Thank goodness! She has made it this far, Chloe is a year-old today! As the fourth child, birthday celebrations were not an expectation. Her mother, Ruth (or Mama Joe, as the children called her) was under constant pressure. She had to raise the family on her own. Since their father, Richard (Papa Joe) was always absent. His drive was to make the success of his profession. Ruth's heartbeat elevated with every drop of rain touching down on the aluminium roof.

Peering through the window, she saw the rainbow beaming from the trees. Her reality was pallid, as though she had never seen the sun.

Wishing her world could be as colourful as the rainbow. Mama Joe looked down at her daughter lying in her tiny baby cot. In hopelessness, she reached out to the wet towel. She sat on a stool to cool the high fever that was ravishing her ever so sick body. In tears, her nose runny, coughing in discomfort with inflamed eyes. Tears dripped down her cheeks as she contemplated her impossible situation.

"What can I do? If only I could take her place. Is there something I should have done that I have not done? Have I offended anyone that my baby should pay for it?"

She untied her wrapper to clean her nose, a mixture of tears and mucus. It flooded like the stream outside her home.

From the rain flooding of her house in the middle of nowhere. To the absence of neighbours to reach out to her. There was so much to contend with around her. Her only blessed companions were the cool breeze: the evergreen trees and a stream flowing beside her home.

A constant quiet sound was soothing her soul. Her four children filled her world of loneliness. The children sauntered into the gloomy room when they heard her sobbing in tears.

Reaching out, Joe said, "Mama, Mama, Chloe would be all right. Why do you keep crying in sorrow? We don't want to lose you too." Their empathetic hands formed a circle that drew her in their full embrace. Singing one of her favourite comfort songs: