LA, LA, LALIANA

CHAPTER ELEVEN

                              "So, what brings you here, miss Kilifi," "Doctor, I don't know what's going to happen..." Laliana sighs heavily in pain, "I haven't been able to sleep well for these past few days...I can't even stand up straight because my back is killing me, much more than usual,"
                                "If you haven't been able to get some good rest, how have you been coping at work?" Already in uncontrollable tears, "I just got fired yesterday because I wasn't able to do anything due to my painful episodes."
                                  Yesterday Laliana was caught sleeping on the job. That was according to what the manager, Mrs. Rodney saw. "I've heard enough of you refugees, even I get period pains! Pick your lazy backside up and go look for a new job because, YOU ARE FIRED!"
Mrs. Rodney scolded Laliana, who was crouched up on a bench unable to move or talk her way out of being fired.
                                  That was also partly the reason why Laliana got retrenched in her previous job back in Kenya. Although the hospital was clearly short of funds, the people that were laid off were mostly those who were occasionally absent or on certain urgent leaves. Normal work days were from Sunday to Sunday. As for Laliana's case, she would be absent close to five days in a week or even more sometimes due to her condition. Getting her fired was a no brainer for the hospital's human resource department.
                                   "You take painkillers right?" "Screw those painkillers...ouch! Is there any drug more powerful than painkillers!" The doctor notices Laliana's discomfort and moves from her desk to check on her. She checks Laliana's heartbeat using her stethoscope. She looks at Laliana's fingernails and eyes. All that time, Laliana was bending while hugging her stomach tight.
                               "You are quite pale as well, I should run some tests on you," "I don't need tests...I know what I'm suffering from. I just need an alternative to the painkillers I'm using!" "How can I prescribe you medication to a disease I have no knowledge about?" "It's endometriosis! I suffer from endometriosis!" Laliana shouted, scaring the doctor a bit.
                                    The doctor looked at Laliana briefly then headed back to her desk."It seems that your condition is proving to need more than just painkillers to manage it," "Thanks for noticing," Laliana said bluntly.
                                        "In your case, hormone therapy would work or for a permanent solution, a hysterectomy," "Explain about the permanent one, this pain needs to end! I've got children to raise but..." Sadly sighs,"I don't seem to know where they are now," "Well, a hysterectomy is a procedure that involves extracting your womb from your body..." "Stop there!" Eyes widened in shock and disgust as well. "I can never commit such a sin. I am no woman without it! I am no... ouch! No human without it!"
                                  Shrugging her shoulders nonchalantly. "It's your life not mine. Look, your condition can be dealt better by a gynaecologist and not a general doctor like me who..." " What about hormone therapy," "They are just drugs taken to reduce the levels of the hormone causing you to have pain," "Do you do that therapy here?"
                                     "Sweetheart, this is just a small community clinic, we don't offer expensive treatments like that..." "Did you say expensive?" " Have you ever heard of something having the word therapy cheap!"

                   ....
       
                       "Lala put on these, I think they fit you better," Maureen passed Laliana a bright green miniskirt. Laliana quickly put the tiny clothing on alongside other tiny clothings, so as Maureen. Maureen however wore hers pretty fast since she already had on majority of the clothes underneath the baggy dungaree.
                            "Is everyone ready," the manager asked in the room full of women who were all dressed similar to Laliana and Maureen. A tight and small yellow crop top, black thigh high leather boots and the infamous bright green miniskirt. No sooner than later, all of them, including Laliana and Maureen walked into a huge room that was foggy, possessed colourful dim lights and smelled of liquor.