“How do you mean? Is the ORS fake?” she asked with an undertone of panic. “I got it from a very reliable pharmacy. And I checked the expiry date and NAFDAC number before giving it to him and both were okay.”
Well, after a period of mourning and dejection over my silly mistake, I realized that I could choose to be bitter or better. So I learned everything I could about cerebral palsy. I found great resources online and joined communities of parents…
“I’m saying I don’t want to understand. I just want the treatment. All I want is to be well,” she said smugly.
Dr. Animasaun blinked twice. “You know that’s drug abuse right?”
“Well,… I just don’t want the money we paid for health insurance to waste.”
Dr. Animasaun sighed. Partial knowledge could indeed be catastrophic.
“Are you done?” Chike said mockingly. “Na Naija we dey so. Craze na craze, abi my people?”
“Can I accept this? So you are saying a diabetic person can eat pounded yam?” she asked.
Iren knew her mum could be extremely dramatic sometimes, but she sounded quite serious this time around. ‘Could eating sugar cause diabetes? Or is it just a myth that has been propagated to make people not eat so much sugar and sweet things?’ she wondered as she continued drinking her garri.
Gosh! This was crazy. I had seen things like this before but I never knew it could happen to someone like us. I always felt it only happened to poor people. Yeah, I know. Whatever. Don’t judge me.
“Something is wrong Derin. Her body feels unusually warm. Oh dear God, I pray it’s nothing serious because we just finished one drama of colds, catarrh, and malaria last week.” Imade said worriedly. “Sweetheart, will you try speaking to her? Maybe hearing your voice could calm her a bit.”
Imade was dumbstruck for a full minute. When she eventually found her voice, she said “Imaobong is your child.” Then she picked up her bag and walked out of the living room.
