by Verna Clay
He grinned "Remember, Hannah, we're going to leave the formalities behind when we're not around patients. And no, I don't need to review the files."
Hannah returned Alex's grin. "I have to admit it's a difficult habit to break. I've never been on a first name basis with a doctor. In my hometown our local physician was always called Doc by everyone, whether at his office or around town. He retired about a year ago and no one has the guts to call the new doctor, just Doc. Maybe it's because he's so young." She shrugged and wished she didn't ramble when she was nervous. For some reason, Alex made her feel like a shy schoolgirl around the school's hunk. And although Alex, just like every high school jock, often acted like the world was his oyster, his compassion was unmistakable. She sure hoped she wasn't falling for him. If anyone was out of her reach, it was him.
Alex asked, "How old was Doc when he retired?"
"I think he was close to eighty."
He smiled and nodded. "I'd love to treat patients until I'm that old." Then an expression of sadness crossed his features. The expression surprised Hannah, but she didn't feel at liberty to query him. She glanced down at the files in her hands and when she looked up again his expression had returned to normal.
"Well, Hannah, I'll just put my medical bag in the jeep while you carry the files. I'm parked behind the building so we'll lock the front door and go out the back."
When everything was loaded, Alex opened the car door for Hannah just as she was reaching for the handle. His manners, combined with his British accent, added to his allure, and once again she reminded herself how unattainable he was.
Within minutes they were driving through their village and waving to everyone. Several children ran alongside the jeep until they reached the main road. Alex honked in farewell as he picked up speed.
Hannah turned in her seat and gave a final wave to the children. When she turned back around, she said, "Sometimes I have to pinch myself to make sure I'm not dreaming. I've wanted to experience Africa since I was a child. What about you? Why did you choose to work here?"
Alex shifted to a higher gear, glanced at her, and replied, "My affair with Africa also began as a child. My family has a home in South Africa that we visited every year. I fell in love with the people, terrain, animals, even the danger. I feel more alive here than anywhere…" His words trailed as if he had revealed too much.
Hannah asked, "Does your family still have the home?"
"Yes, although they rarely spend time there now. It was actually my grandfather who loved Africa and insisted we vacation there. I was seventeen when he died, and, unfortunately, my father didn't have the same passion as his father." Alex pointed and said, "And there's one of the reasons for my passion."
Hannah turned to see what he was pointing at and gasped. In the distance a herd of elephants were meandering across an open plain. "This is the first time I've seen so many elephants in the wild!" she exclaimed. "They're magnificent!" They watched the herd for several minutes, laughing at the infants, and then she turned toward Alex. He was studying her with an intensity that sent fire through her veins. Quickly, she glanced away and willed her heart to stop its erratic pounding.
He put the jeep in gear and they traveled in silence for several minutes before he started indicating different landmarks. With a note of caution, he said, "Not that you would ever go there, but the foothills and mountains to my left are to be avoided."
Hannah moved her gaze to hills rising into mountains a few miles distant. "Why should they be avoided?"
Alex puffed a breath. "Although the country is now at peace that has continued for some years, insurgents still surface occasionally. It's rare, mind you, but they've been known to infiltrate those mountains. The government is good about patrolling and keeping the area free of rebels, but they occasionally slip in." He added on a more upbeat note, "But there hasn't been an incident in over three years, so it's not likely anything will happen."
"Thank you for letting me know."
The remainder of the drive was pleasant as Alex talked about the many plants and their uses by the villagers. Before Hannah knew it, he was shifting the jeep into a lower gear to slow down. "Here we are," he said.
Excitedly, Hannah watched as they approached a smaller version of their own village; huts with thatched roofs surrounding a central meeting place. Again, children rushed to run alongside their car and playfully shout, "Doctor! Doctor!"
Hannah laughed with them. "It seems you're a hit with the children, Alex."
He chuckled, "Only when I'm not giving them shots, Hannah."
Chapter 7: Elder Woman
Alex stopped the jeep in front of a hut located near the center of the village. "This is the home of Auntie Mia, a seer who spent about thirty years in America before returning to her roots when she was fifty-two. She's very old now."
"Seer? As in fortune teller?"
Alex smiled. "Something like that. She's highly regarded by the community and sits on the Counsel of Elders. She's consulted for everything from childrearing to predictions about the future."
"I look forward to meeting her."
Holding Hannah's elbow, Alex led her to the front door. Before he could knock, Auntie Mia opened the door. She glanced from Alex to Hannah, and back to Alex. With a contemplative and then friendly expression she motioned them inside.
Alex said, "Hello, Auntie Mia." The elderly woman whom Alex suspected was well into her nineties, walked to a rocking chair placed in the center of the hut and sat down. He continued, "I'd like you to meet my new assistant, Hannah Tanner. She's from the U.S. and will be working with me for the next year." While Auntie Mia perused Hannah from head to toe, Alex asked, "May we sit down?"
Nodding her head once, she inclined it toward a large mat on the floor directly in front of her rocker.
"Thank you." Alex motioned for Hannah to sit first. After she did, he sat cross-legged beside her.
Auntie Mia reached for a cup on the table next to her and handed it to Hannah, then she handed one to Alex. Finally, she spoke in a voice that always made Alex think of rich soil. She said in perfect English, "The tea is still hot. I knew you were coming."
Alex sipped the brew. "Always delicious."
Hannah also sipped her tea. "Yes, delicious. It's a pleasure meeting you, ma'am."
Alex wanted to smile at Hannah's charming greeting spoken with a western drawl. He'd always found America's Old West to be quite fascinating and read all of the Louis L'Amour books.
Auntie Mia sipped her own tea and cocked her head to one side. To Hannah she said, "Your happiness will soon be challenged, but if you are wise, you will not allow what is lost to slip away."
Hannah's smile was replaced by an expression of confusion. "I don't understand," she replied.
"It's not for you to understand now, but in time you will." She turned her attention to Alex. "And you will soon have to make choices. Follow your heart, Dr. Alex."
Alex had seen Auntie Mia guide others, but he'd never been on the receiving end. Graciously he replied, "I will try to do that."
A sudden smile tilted the corners of Auntie Mia's mouth and lifted the sagging wrinkles below her jaw. For several minutes she shared local gossip and then said, "Now you must attend to the villagers. Mũkami has been feeling poorly lately so you should visit her. I told her to stop eating spicy food for the sake of her stomach, but she is still sneaking it. Perhaps she will listen to you."
Alex stood to his feet and reached down to help Hannah up. "I'll do my best to help the villagers, Auntie Mia. Thank you for letting me know about Mũkami."
An odd expression entered the Elder's eyes as she again glanced from Hannah to Alex. To Alex she said, "Remember to always follow your heart, not your head." She made a waving motion when the laughter of children interrupted the moment and said with a grin, "Go. The children are anxious to meet your woman."
Alex frowned but didn't attempt to correct Mia. The old woman always said exactly what she wanted.
Hanna
h followed Alex from Auntie Mia's home perplexed about the woman's warnings to both of them. She had never believed in fortune tellers and she wasn't about to start now, even though Mia had spoken her prediction with obvious conviction. Mentally, Hannah shrugged and decided to relegate the fortune teller's words to the back of her mind, especially the part about Hannah being Alex's woman.
Outside the hut the children playfully surrounded them as Alex made introductions. He pointed to different children and said, "Goko, Maina, Wacuka, Njeri, Mũgo, Chege…" Hannah smiled and warmly greeted each of them. To the group Alex said, "And this is my new assistant, Miss Hannah Tanner."
One of the children called out, "Where is Ms. Buttons?"
"She returned to the United States because she's getting married," replied Alex.
The girls tittered and one of them said, "Are you going to marry Miss Tanner?"
The question embarrassed Hannah but Alex seemed unmoved. He laughed. "No, Wacuka. Miss Tanner is my office assistant."
The girl responded, "Do you have a wife in your country?"
"No, I do not."
"Then you have a girlfriend?" Njeri interjected.
For an instant Hannah saw Alex hesitate before responding, "I have a fiancée."
Hannah's heart plummeted and she scolded herself for such a reaction.
Wacuka wasn't ready to let the subject drop. "So you will marry when you return home?"
"Yes. I will."
Chege interrupted the conversation. "My mother is sick. Will you come see her?"
Alex turned all of his attention on the child. "Of course. Let's go now."
To the adults that had just joined the children, many of whom held gardening tools, Alex quickly called greetings and again introduced Hannah. He promised to return after checking on Chege's mother.
Hannah followed Alex and the boy through the village. While they walked Alex said, "Borders Removed is helping the villagers plant a large, community garden with the aid of an agriculturist, but the tribe members are already fantastic farmers and I think the agriculturist is learning from them. The good thing is their outdated tools have been replaced with new ones and they're instituting water conservation with drip systems donated by a company in France. Their water source is a well that almost dries up in drought years. When that happens, they have to walk two miles to the river. Everyone is excited and eager to improve their living conditions."
Hannah said with conviction, "We work for a wonderful organization that I'm proud to be a part of."
They reached Chege's hut and the child held a rickety door open for Hannah and Alex to enter. Before entering, Alex called out, "Mrs. Gathuuri, it's Dr. Wyndham. May I come in?"
A weak voice said, "Yes. Yes. Dr. Wyndham."
As they entered, a frail looking woman started to rise from a pallet but Alex said, "No. Stay where you are." He walked the few steps to her and knelt, placing his hand on her forehead. "When did you start feeling poorly?"
Her response was a breathless, "Three days ago."
He turned to Chege. "Son, why don't you wait outside while I examine your mother?"
The boy nodded, looking as if he wanted to cry.
Hannah asked, "Would you like me to wait outside with Chege?"
Alex was opening his medical bag and replied without glancing up. "No. I may need your help here." He glanced at Chege who was still in the room, and smiled, "Everything's okay, son. I'll take good care of your mother and call for you when I'm done."
His mother said, "I'm fine, Chege. You do what doctor says."
The boy nodded and slowly backed out of the hut. Hannah closed the door and returned to the sick woman.
Alex was listening to her heart and lungs with his stethoscope, and after he removed it, he began asking her questions while he gently pressed on her abdomen. Finally, he said, "I'd like to draw a blood sample, Mrs. Gathuuri."
"Anything, Dr. Wyndham."
"I also need a urine sample and Hannah, my assistant, will help you." He glanced at Hannah, reached into his bag to retrieve a sealed container and a box of examination gloves, and said. "I'll wait outside."
When Hannah was alone with the patient, she smiled reassuringly and assisted the woman into a squatting position over a pot so she could give a sample. After it was done she removed her gloves and placed them in the medical waste bag Alex had set out. While Hannah helped the weak woman back onto her mat, the woman said, "Doctor is good man. You like him?"
Hannah replied, "Yes, he's a good man. And yes, I like working for him."
Mrs. Gathuuri said as Hannah settled the blanket back over her, "He will be good husband. Maybe you will become wife of doctor."
Hannah almost laughed aloud. Everyone in the village seemed to be setting her up with Alex. She said, "He has a fiancée in his country."
Mrs. Gathuuri grinned. "My husband also had woman to marry, but he changed his mind and wanted me. Maybe doctor will change his mind and want you?"
Hannah sighed. "No. I don't think so." Before her patient could respond, she said, "I'll go get Dr. Wyndham."
Chapter 8: Confrontation
After leaving Mrs. Gathuuri's hut, Alex confided, "She probably has a bacterial infection or virus. Her lungs are slightly congested and she's running a low grade fever, but I'll know more after I get these samples processed." He saw Chege playing with some children and called to him. The boy ran over and Alex squatted to his level. "I didn't find anything seriously wrong with your mother, but I need to get the results of her lab work before I come to any conclusions. It's important that she get lots of rest, so you need to help her whenever you can. Be sure and give her plenty of water to drink. Will you do that?"
"Yes, Doctor," the boy said solemnly.
"Where's your father?"
Chege glanced at the ground and shuffled his feet. Then he mumbled, "He went to other village to see doctor there."
Hannah watched Alex's eyes widen. He lowered his voice. "The witch doctor?"
Chege barely nodded.
Alex closed his eyes, inhaled deeply, and asked, "When will your father return?"
"He say tonight."
Alex patted the boy's shoulder. "I'll come to your house tonight to speak with him. Now go play with your friends. Your mother is doing fine."
Chege lifted his gaze to Alex's and nodded although he still looked worried. Alex playfully turned him around and marched him in the direction of the children he had been playing with. "Go have fun," he ordered.
When Chege ran off, Alex stood and held Hannah's gaze. "There's a witch doctor in a village about ten miles from here whose treatments are very bizarre. I don't interfere as long as the treatments aren't something I consider harmful to my patients, but I won't know until I talk to Chege's father. I'll take you back to our village and return this evening."
"Why don't we just stay until then?"
Alex frowned. "You wouldn't mind remaining until evening?"
"Of course not."
He blew a breath. "Thanks, Hannah. You're amazing."
The compliment sent a frizzle of joy through Hannah's heart and she restrained from hugging Alex.
The remainder of the day was enlightening and fun for Hannah. She especially enjoyed visiting the community garden and conversing with the locals. For lunch they were invited to the home of Chief Gikuyu and dined on food new to Hannah. Some dishes were tasty, others not so much, but she did her best to appear as if she enjoyed everything. After lunch Alex resumed his rounds in the village, and by suppertime, Hannah figured he'd examined just about everyone in the small community. The more she was around Alex the more she admired not only his skill as a doctor, but his compassion and drive.
For supper they again ate with the chief's family, and again, Hannah made a show of enjoying her meal. However, there was one particular dish that she could barely swallow and wondered what excuse she could give for not eating it. Fortunately, she didn't have to give an excuse. When there was a knock on the door and everyone was dist
racted, Alex quickly placed his plate next to hers and scooped the offending mass onto it. He bent toward her, chuckled, and whispered, "It takes some getting used to."
In that moment Hannah not only wanted to hug Alex, but kiss him as well.
After dinner Alex accompanied Chief Gikuyu to a gathering of men. Before leaving he explained to Hannah, "It's traditional for the men to meet and discuss politics, sports, the usual things, while the women have their own gathering. I'll return as soon as I can."
For the next hour Hannah enjoyed the company of her hostess and several women who came into the hut. They talked about raising children, the progress of the garden, hairstyles, and all the usual discussions by women. Alex and Chief Gikuyu returned just as their conversation was getting lively. Laughter filled the hut as several ladies teased a young woman named Makena about her handsome suitor, Wamugunda. Alex bent to whisper in Hannah's ear, "Chege's father returned and I spoke with him. We can go home now."
Hannah was dying to know the outcome of the conversation, but she knew it would have to wait until they were driving home. She said a warm goodbye to her new friends and finally they were in the jeep headed toward Jata. Hannah turned sideways in her seat and asked, "What did Mr. Gathuuri say when you asked him about the witch doctor?"
Alex shifted gear and glanced at her. "At first he was belligerent and didn't want to talk to me. But then I explained that shamans—I didn't use the term witch doctors—have beliefs very different from modern medicine. I told him I didn't necessarily disagree with all their practices, only some of them. I explained what I thought was wrong with his wife and asked if he would wait until I got the lab tests back before following the shaman's advice."
What was his advice?
"He wouldn't tell me. But he did agree to wait for the lab tests, which I'll analyze tonight after we reach the village. Before I came to Africa to work as a doctor, I opted for laboratory training because of the remote locations I would be in." He chuckled. "I know how much our lab tech likes his sleep. Tomorrow I'll return to the village with the results."