LIFE, ABOVE ALL
Episode 34
IN MR. PHIRI’S OFFICE
He was at his desk typing when he felt a sharp and unexpected pain in his stomach he tried to ignore it at first but the pain hit him harder a minute later, he jolted & twitched in his seat a little.
‘Where is this coming from?’ he asked no one in particular as he poured himself a glass of water.
As fast as it had started it went away and he sighed in relief.
He started typing again while humming he couldn’t wait to finish working on the report so he could finally go home and rest, he was exhausted, the past few days had been hectic.
A few minutes passed before he felt the pain again, he clutched his stomach & tried to stand up. As soon as he stood up, he was a hit by a wake of nausea and his mouth began to fill with warm saliva. He swallowed it down.
It was at that moment that his legs felt jelly and his knees gave out under the weight of his body. As the pain became intense, he curled into a ball and turned onto his side shaking and trembling.
Moments later, a knock sounded at the door.
Taking a deep breath he said, ‘come in and his secretary Emily walked into the office, she almost dropped the papers in her hands when she saw him curled up on the floor.
‘Mr. Phiri? What is it?’ She knelt next to him. ‘Are you okay?’ she desperately asked
He almost couldn’t speak from the pain but somehow he sputtered a sentence.
‘I am in so much pain, please help me,’ he said
‘Can you try and stand,’ she said
He tried to stand but fell into her holding his stomach, the pain was too rich for him he couldn’t handle it.
‘I will be back,’ she said before she rushed out of the room and went to call for help.
He winced in pain clutching his stomach and squeezing his eyes shut tight.
All of a sudden he felt this change within him. Opening his eyes he felt a strange dark presence then the hairs on his body stood up and Goosebumps formed all over his skin.
All the air whooshed out of her as she felt another stabbing pain penetrate through his stomach. He had no idea what was causing the pain, it felt as if someone was stabbing him in his abdomen.
He cried out involuntarily at the pain then his vision became blurry and he drifted off into a deep slumber.
‘Mr. Phiri!’ they rushed into his office a few minutes later. They shook him but got no response.
‘What did you say happened to him?’
‘I just walked into his office and found him on the floor, he said he was experiencing pain in his tummy,’ Emily said
‘We need to rush him to the hospital,’ his colleague said
‘You are right.’
They carried him and out of his office to the car and drove him to the hospital.
Not thirty minutes later they arrived at the hospital there he was immediately taken to a private room. The nurses and the doctors flew around him
Seconds seemed to turn into minutes and minutes to hours yet they waited for the doctor.
‘Did you call his wife?’ Emily asked
‘Her line isn’t going through he mentioned she has traveled to the village.’
‘I will have to drive to his house when we leave this place,’ he said
‘Okay.’
Finally the doctor walked out and asked to see them in his office.
‘Doctor, what is wrong with him?’
‘Nothing,’ the doctor responded
‘What do you mean nothing? Is he awake?’
‘No, he isn’t awake but we did the necessary tests and nothing seems to be wrong with him.’
‘I don’t understand.’
‘We don’t understand too, he seems to be perfectly fine but we shall keep him here on observation and try to do more tests tomorrow.’
‘Okay.’
‘Are you his wife?’ the doctor asked Emily
‘No.’
‘Okay, we need someone to fill in some paper work and make payments.’
‘I will do that though I am yet to inform his family members.’
‘Okay.’
They stood up, ‘Thank you doctor.’
‘You are welcome,’ they walked out of the doctor’s office thinking about what the doctor had said.
***
Ganizani was sitting on the couch next to his grandmother and Thoko was sitting on her laps, their grandmother had just arrived from the farm.
‘So this woman has turned your father against you?’ Granny asked
‘Yes,’ Ganizani said
‘They will meet me here, they must tell me what they did to my grandchild,’ she said angrily
‘Auntie Stella is not here at the moment, she travelled.’
‘Well she will come back and when she does all hell shall break loose. And who is that girl in the kitchen?’ she asked
There was a knock at the door before Ganizani could respond to his grandmother, he excused himself and went to open the door. At the door step stood his father’s friend.
‘Uncle Mark,’ he said
‘Hey kiddo,’ he smiled
‘How are you?’
‘I am fine.’
‘Who is home besides you?’
‘My Grandmother.’
‘Even better.’
‘Please come in,’ he opened the door wider and stepped aside to let him enter.
‘Good evening ma,’ Mark greeted Ganizani’s grandmother
‘Hello my child. How are you?’
‘Not so fine.’
‘Is everything the matter?’
‘It’s your son,’ Mark said
‘What about my son?’
‘He fell ill at work.’
She looked at him intently waiting to hear the worst.
‘How is dad?’ Thoko asked
‘Yes, how is my son?’
‘We took him to the hospital but the doctors said there is nothing wrong with him though he hasn’t woken up.’
‘My enemies have succeeded,’ she exclaimed
‘It shall be well,’ Mark said
‘Take me to him,’ she said
‘Okay.’
She stood up, ‘Don’t you kids want to see your father?’ she asked
‘No,’ Thoko shook her head
‘You will find us Granny.’
‘Okay.’
*****
ABOUT TIYA
She was huddled into small quivering ball, she was hungry and feeling very weak, she stared at the room again and this time around it was empty, the girl who had been occupying it was no longer there.
She wanted to leave this place, she wanted her siblings she missed them so much she knew they would be dead worried about her now.
The door to the room finally opened later that day and Ivy walked in with a glass in her hands.
‘Ivy?’ her eyes widened in shock
‘What?’
‘What is going on?’ she weakly asked
‘You wouldn’t understand but I want you to drink this.’
‘What is that?’
‘Here,’ Ivy handed her the cup, she got the cup and saw blood in it.
‘Blood?’
‘Just drink.’
‘No,’ she shook her head.
Ivy laughed and spoke in a language that Tiya couldn’t understand.
‘You need to drink this or else hell will break loose.’
Tiya shook her head.
‘Fine.’
Getting down on her knees, Ivy’s eyes gazed upwards and started chanting in some strange language. Then all of a sudden, a strange force slapped her so hard she fell to the ground.
A mixture of fear and adrenaline ran through her, she couldn’t understand what had just happened, there was no one in the room besides her and Ivy so who could have slapped her?
Before she could process what was happening, she received another hot slap and another until her face became bruised and her lip was bleeding.
Then Ivy stopped chanting and stood up, ‘Are you ready to drink this now or should I call for help?’
She shook her head sat upright and got the glass from Ivy’s hand then she took a large gulp and handed the cup back to Ivy.
‘Get ready for what’s about to happen now?’ Ivy said.
Tiya didn’t understand what had just happened and when looked at Ivy, she saw flames of fire blazing in her eyes.
****
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