Ill health

Chapter 8

Koshie was gradually recuperating on her hospital bed from the shock of the fall. She waited for Odartey to come and visit her until she was sure something might have come up all of a sudden. She turned her head towards the wall and started talking to herself so loudly that everything stopped because of her. The nurses and doctors came around to see whether she was all right.

"I miss Odartey my friend," she said. They gaped at each other. Some of the nurses knew who he was but others did not. Some whispered the facts into the ears of those who did not know him.

"He's the new neighbour who's sick," they said. They feared to break the bad news to her.

"Something must have come up," they said to her. "Be patient. We don't think he would deliberately leave you alone."

"Okay," she said. "When am I leaving this place then? So I can see him for myself?"

"We don't know yet," they said. "The doctor will be the best person to tell you that." The doctor hid behind the nurses and motioned to them not to build castles in the air. Koshie was a very sensitive person and would not take empty promises lightly.

"Okay," she said, turning her head towards the wall and started reciting her favourite rhyme.

Jack and Jill went up the hill to fetch a pail of water… The nurses tiptoed away. Soon afterwards, she fell asleep. Odartey, on the other hand, could not get out of his bed. He was in terrible pain. When his mother cane to see him, he asked her to send a message to Koshie.

"Take care of yourself first," she said. "I'm sure she'll be fine."

Koshie's father kept visiting Odartey. It was his chance to get his daughter back when her protector was weakest. Odartey did his best to ward him off but it seemed Koshie's father's spirit was now getting the best of him. He probably wanted him out of the way, so he could have his daughter to himself at last. This time, he spoke clearly:

"Take your hands off my daughter!" he said. "Or you will die! She is mine! "

"Let me die in her place then!" whimpered Odartey.

"So be it!" said her father's spirit. Odartey had won for himself more than a marriage contract. Now, he had secured for himself a death warrant too. Koshie would not be pleased to hear this. Good she did not know anyway.

Day by day, he grew weaker and weaker, yet, he refused to surrender to the will of Koshie's father. Odartey was losing so much strength that his parents decided not to disclose his whereabouts to anyone; not even to Koshie. The lesser she knew about his condition, the better. He kept asking of her, but they told him she was away for a while. He did not believe them though. Howbeit, he kept hope alive for her sake.

"Mummy," Koshie said one day. "I haven't seen Odartey in a long while. I want to see him, please. Can I?"

"Do you promise you will not cry?"

"Yes I do. Just let me see him, okay?"

"We'll have to seek permission from his parents first"

"Then it must be serious, Mum. Why have you kept it from me all this while?" Koshie's mother kept beating about the bush, trying to find an excuse.

"We want you to be discharged from the hospital and then you can see him. Both of you have had quite a brash with death."

"A brush with death? What happened to him? You should have told me, Mum. You could have allowed me to see him even if it was only once," she replied.

"Sorry about that, Koshie. It was just impossible," nodding her head.

"Mum, you told me that nothing was impossible?" Now, she's throwing back my words at me. She thought.

A few weeks later, Koshie was discharged from the hospital and, upon the Doctor's advice, needed to recuperate at home for a while.

"Mummy," holding her Mum's hand. "Why won't Odartey come and see me? I miss him." Her mother sighed. She was lost for words. Did she have to keep giving her lame excuses? Mum's the word!

When Koshie was fit enough to go to school, she went alone, kicking every obstacle in her way and muttering some angry words to herself. She felt so odd and lonely. She could not concentrate on what the teachers were teaching. She missed Odartey's jokes as usual. She had obviously not laughed much in a long while. The bullies took advantage of his absence to make her life miserable. Odartey could feel her misery wherever he was and grew weaker as he thought about her.

In the classroom, she felt like walking out of the class to return home to defeat her boredom. She kept glancing at her watch until school was over. All her teachers noticed how disinterested she was during their lessons and made a comment or two on her attitude. A few asked her to see them in their common room afterwards. She wished they had never asked her to do so. It would waste much of her time as she would spend it away explaining her behaviour. She wanted very much to find an excuse for them, but she could not. She was not used to telling lies and she felt they would find out anyway and query her for not telling them the truth. They all knew Odartey's condition anyway but feared her reaction if she got wind of it. The best way to keep up appearances was to try to engage her in conversations to keep her mind occupied.

"Koshie," said the Maths teacher. "You seemed absent minded today. Are you all right?"

"Yes," she replied. "I'm fine."

Although he was not convinced with her answer, he decided to let it pass. She would surely open up to him when she was ready to do so. It would not be prudent to be inquisitive.

She remembered the way Odartey made the journey shorter by chatting with her all along the way until they got to school. It was the same when they were returning. Odartey got wind of the fact that Koshie was sad. He discussed it with his mother and thought it would be fair to let the cat out of the bag soon.

"Mum," he said. "Do you remember the time Koshie got possessed with the spirit at the festival?"

"Yes," she replied.

"If you don't allow me to see her soon, it will affect her."

"How is that going to affect here?"

"She may drop out of school and go mad," he said.

"My goodness! She must see you right away then." His mother agreed. A few days later, Odartey's mother decided to prepare Koshie's mind before seeing Odartey.

"Odartey sends his best regards," she said, perambulating the steps in front of the doorway.

"Can you please tell him I miss him and want to see him? Just tell me what has happened to him and where he is."

"He has sleep apnoea," Odartey's mother confessed.

"What is sleep apnoea?" she asked.

"It is a difficulty in breathing which usually occurs when people are asleep," she explained graciously. "It could lead to death."

"No!" she exclaimed. "Not him! No! He can't die! I forbid it!" With tears in her eyes, she almost shut the door close.

"Wait a minute! Don't leave so soon," said Odartey's mother. "He left a note for you."

Upon hearing that, Koshie returned grudgingly, shaking her head from one side to the other, grabbing the note from his mother without peering at her eyes. Expectantly, she opened it. Odartey had underlined many words and written so legibly that she felt she had to take her time and read it carefully.

His mother watched her as she folded the note. She was expecting her to comment on it.

"We'll arrange for you to see him soon," she added.

"Thank you," she replied and started to climb back to the door. Koshie ascended the steps so quickly that she almost fell as she went.

"Careful, Koshie," said Odartey's mother.

She walked quickly to her study, opened the door, and sat down to read the letter.

Dear Koshie,

I was taken to the hospital because I couldn't breathe whilst I was sleeping. It could be dangerous because I could pass away without knowing. Life can be so short. The only person on my mind every time is you. How could I leave you here alone? You would be too sad. Pray that I get well so I can play with you again.

Odartey.

She pondered carefully on the wording of the letter. Pray? How was she going to do that? Where would she begin? She did not even know who she was going to pray to and what prayer was all about. She had never been to church. Her mother did not believe in all that stuff. Howbeit, she had heard of the sick being healed through prayer in churches and at crusades. She walked up to her mother once again and asked her a simple question:

"Mum, what is prayer?"

"Why do you ask? And why would you ask me such a question?"

"Odartey says I should pray for him," she explained.

"Oh!" she exclaimed. "I think he meant you should wish him well." Although Koshie was not convinced with her answer, she accepted that explanation for the time being. "Remember to get your 'get well soon' card and whatever gift you would like to give him so we can go and rightly do so," said her mother. True to her words, that very weekend, she went shopping for a card and some fruits for Odartey. Koshie chose a big teddy bear for him, knowing he would want something to cuddle.