Alacrimia | √

Chapter Nineteen

08:51am, September 24
Nsukka, Enugu State.

It was a bright Tuesday morning when Mrs Okenwa took Eniiyi back to the hospital for check up. Lastborn, afraid he'd get bored if he went, had opted to play over at a neighbour's.

Now they were in the doctor's (specialist, said the nurse) waiting room, doing what people did in waiting rooms; waiting.

Eniiyi wiped her palms on her jeans and tried to sit straighter. It was strange that she was nervous about what she wasn't even sure of. They had said the doctor specialized in cases like hers so he could look into her alacrimia. But what if she was really more diseased than was obvious? She knew that alacrimia was accompanied by two other syndromes but she didn't have any, which she had thought weird. What if the doctor discovered she now had them all? What was going to happen to her now?

'Eniiyi, are you alright? You're fidgeting.' China placed a hand on the small of her back.

That simple touch calmed her a little. She released her hold of a breath and looked up at the older woman.

'I'm okay, ma. I'm just nervous about seeing the doctor.'

'We can come back tomorrow, if you want. I'll —'

'No, no. I can do this, I have to and just get it over with. I'm fine,' the little girl said more to convince herself than the woman.

Eniiyi, you're not a coward. So, stop behaving like one. The doctor is not going to eat you up! she chastised herself.

China Okenwa couldn't get her gaze off the girl, not sure if to believe her or not.

'Beh beh,' said baby Kanayo.

'Yes, yes,' she said in agreement.

Eniiyi smiled at the baby, showing off all her milk-white teeth. 'Can you repeat that?' she said, leaning closer to him.

The baby reached out a fat hand and plucked at Eniiyi's nose.

Eniiyi laughed, tickled.

Kanayo laughed back, a rich, innocent sound. Then he continued trying to paw off the girl's nose, until his mother juggled him gently on her laps and he stopped immediately, curling into her body with a yawn.

The mother smiled fondly and carried him to rest on her shoulder.

Eniiyi smiled at the baby too, forgetting her worries in that moment until the doctor appeared, that is.

He bustled into the room, dressed in a strange overcoat and headed directly for his office door, nodding to them and the receptionist on the way.

'Sir . . .' the lady called after him, catching the door before it slammed back into its frame. 'I will be back in a minute,' she said to them and disappeared in.

She was out seconds later to announce that the specialist would see them now.

Okay, Eniiyi, here goes nothing . .

She was hit with the coldness of the room, on stepping in. It was like a stinging slap on the face. She flinched and let the feeling wash over her before stepping in, closely followed by Mrs Okenwa.

'Ụtụtụ ọma,' China greeted.

'Good morning, sir,' Eniiyi followed.

'Good morning,' the doctor replied, glancing at them once before going back to making a show of packing some files.

'Do come along,' he said, motioning them towards a set of huge comfortable-looking sofas set off to a side of the room.

The plush black and wine sofas were four in number and they surrounded a gold and black glass-topped coffee table.