” She said it’s a hundred and fifty on an average. Why do you tell me it cost so much more. I can’t afford three hundred.” Said Marilyn, while holding her baby over her shoulder.
” That’s a very old price. It was so when the government had some level of subsidy on the supplies. I’m afraid it’s no more my dear.” Said the nurse who sat filling her finger nails with a filer. There was no queue as no one seemed to have money for her exorbitant prices. Not even the rich. Her manners of approach lacked any form hospitality in it. It was a total contrast to the attitude of the first nurse she had made. ” What’s the last price? You need help me. My daughter here is very sick.” Said Marilyn in a subconscious plea of understanding.
” It’s the last going price. Two eighty for the Smith kline brand of treatment and two hundred for the Pfizer brand. Now I’m sure you can get other brands for about a hundred and fifty or even less. But it increases her chances of a relapse which might be fatal in a time like this.” Said the Nurse and picked up a packet of chewing gum, that lay on her desk opened it up and threw it into her mouth. Just then her eyes caught the iPhone of her client who appeared confuse and lost.
” Is there a problem mam? You don’t look like someone who is broke, yet the prices appear to scare you.” She said with the absence of a smile on her face.
” I don’t have money needed for the treatment just yet but I will think of a way to come up with it. All I need from you is to commence the treatment while I go out to look for the money.” Said Marilyn in plea.
” It don’t work like that. I can’t treat. I take diagnosis and send to a doctor who sees her further. Without payment, I would be putting my job on the line by laying my hands on her.” Said the nurse and as she sized the ensembles of mother and child who seemed to be wearing posted clothing’s. It struck her as contrasting that Marilyn didn’t seem to have money.
” It’s life first and money later. Please I will see you doctor and I will talk to him. I will fetch the money. Just treat my poor baby.” She said to the nurse in plea. She could feel her baby growing more restless as her body began to tremble Vigorously. She was loosing vital time and she needed all the help and understanding from the nurse.
” Madam if we take in all the sick kids for free, then soon we won’t get paid and when our kids fall sick, we would have no funds to foot the bills and they will die to as well. It’s a circle.” Said the nurse who had her attention on the nails she was grooming.
“My daughter won’t die. She won’t.” Marilyn spoke, wading away the curse in the woman’s words.
” Facing facts, she may if you don’t get the money to pay her bills. I have been a nurse for twelve years and I have seen dozens of little kids pass away from the negligence of their parents. People begging when they should be working, or crying when they should be praying or arguing when they should be hustling. All this little details matters and they go a long way. You should take the lessons in this short summon and do the needful.” She said and finally gazed at the teary eyes of the confused mother and gazed at her phone again.
” What can I do? I’m lost ” Marilyn said and subconsciously began to negate the summon. Perhaps she had to be praying instead of crying.
” Sell your phone perhaps. It’s quite a good model and would pay for her bills.” Said the nurse.
” Who would buy my phone. It’s not even new.” She said looking lost as she gazed at her iPhone.
” Well you are in luck. I planned on going to the market to buy just the exact brand. I even took cash with me. How much would you sell?” She asked and stretched her hands forward to get hold of the tri cameral phone.
” Say how much you would buy It. It was a gift from my husband and selling it would hurt me, but yes I will sell it for my baby.” Said Marilyn.
” Truth be told mam. The new model of your phone goes for about seven hundred dollars. Your phone looks fine and quite new. I will pay you four hundred for it.” Said the woman as she flipped the phone, over and over again.
” No please. Four hundred is so little for this phone. Pay me six hundred it’s still new and you know what the inflation has done to prices.” She said with an innate relief.
” I will pay you five hundred and nothing more. Here you are.” She said and gave the phone back to it’s owner.
” Okay I will take it. Let me get sim out. Get your cash out as well.” Said Marilyn and reached for the pin in hair line to take out the SIM card. She didn’t know much about the prices of phones and didn’t even know her phone could cost so much. It only made her miss Gustavo the more. She pick her Sim card from the table and wrapped it inside a the foil of the nurses chewing gum, before placing it safely into her purse.
” Good. Would you buy a smaller phone. I sell phones to.” Said the nurse with a rising intonation of excitement.
” No. I have a phone just like this at home but it’s a way older version. I will put it to use.” She said and quickly sat down on the chair in front of the nurse.
” I will go for the Bicham treatment of Three hundred right?” She stuttered.
” Two fifty, I will let the bills at two fifty for you. Trust me it’s the best for her.” Said the nurse and stretched her hands forward, took the money and smiled heartily. Just a moment she said and stood up. She heard straight to the Cashier and before she could reach his window, she seemed to have quickly taken a hundred dollar bill of the two fifty and placed it her Pocket. Marilyn thought it was strange but chose to mind her own business. She got her eyes back on the desk and for the first time, her gaze fell on the cortex and filer the nurse had been using. They were both Fenty, a luxury cosmetic brand and it caused Marilyn to wonder how such a meager nurse could afford so much. She soon returned and with her came a scent that smelled like heaven. She was really a classy lady from head to toe.
” Okay hand me your baby. She can talk I reckon?” She asked took our her stethoscope from her drawer.
” She’s three years old and she can talk.” Said Marilyn and brought Erica slowly from her shoulder.
” Good. Oh she’s so pretty with those cherry lips of hers, men would break a bank just to walk with her.” Said the nurse in what she expected to be an eulogy. It didn’t go well with Marilyn who squeezed out a smile and said no more.
” Baby how are you, how do you feel?” She asked Erica after taking the child and placing her on her laps.
” Bad. My body aches so much.” She said as struggled to breathe and struggled to keep her head from falling away.
” Oh my goodness that’s some temperature she has here. Her pulse is muffled. You are really good with diagnosis my dear. This is no doubt pneumonia. However I would be sending you to Doctor for further confirmation. She might be sent for a blood test and it’s a cost on its own. She might be lucky to get a treatment without needing any test.” Said the nurse and navigated her mouse with right hands while she held Erica to her bosom with the other.
” Great. A doctor would see you now. Take her to the corridor over there.” She said and pointed to corridor that was without people.
” Okay thanks. ” Said Marilyn as she stood up and took a hold of her daughter and was about to leave when it came to her mind that she hadn’t been given a receipt for payment.
” I will like to have receipts mam.” She said and turned abruptly to the nurse who instantly looked confused.
” So you now tell me what to do?” Probed Gallagher, as he walked in rage across the busy street while Durban followed him.
” No boss. The taxes have been on a low these past months. We don’t realize as much as we use to. Our journals are going down by the day. A hundred thousand would have done us good.” Said Durban as he ran occasionally to keep on with the speed of his boss.
” And you think it’s all about money? Are all things about money to you! Damn you Durban. I have pride and they are governed by my own rules. That ingrate thinks he can humiliate me in front of that bastard. First he gives my tax to his bitch and then he insults me in front of him. I will have to have Dubois head sooner or later.” Said Gallagher as he took a sharp turn that led to small settings of farmers.
” The more reason why we need money at this point. I fought down my instincts all through the shitty speech of that bastard. I swear boss one more word from him and I would have lost my cool. Taking his damn head of his silly body.” Said Durban as he hopped along to keep up with his bosses speed.
” I have my plans Do not worry.” Said Gallagher as he finally rushed into a giant metal silo that was as dark as night. Only the chirpings of bats could be heard. Durban who knew no fear was also in the silo and couldn’t even see his boss from darkness when the door of the silos was shot.
” Boss are we taking taxes here?” He asked as the chirpings got louder by the seconds.
” Not at all Durban. We are raising the fees here.” Said Gallagher and chuckled loudly causing the loud chirpings of the bats to symmetrically fade away, giving way for a sound of a different kind. A coarse continuity of wild growling was heard by Durban causing him to clutch his hands in a fist as he hawked his gaze in the dark diameters of the container. The growls were majestic and brought with them a descending chills of horror that made Durban to breath out fear for the first time in many years.
” Steady Durban, don’t be scared. It’s time to meet the true land lords of Texas.” Said Gallagher in a sotto voce of majesty. Durban said nothing and stood, navigating the thick darkness with nothing but his ears even when his feet were immobile on the floor. As the sounds grew nearer, a wrangling motion of metallic confrontation could be head as they encircled the inner heights of the metal silos. Whoever they were, were taking their time and weren’t in a hurry. It made Durban breath faster in fear as the sounds of their clandestine motions were taunting his mind.
” Steady Durban. They are your friends to.” Gallagher chuckled and remained still waiting for whatsoever it was he had come to see. There was a loud pelt on the floor just by Durban, then another one, and another one and eventually, there was silence which was birthed by a hissing sound.
” Brothers. It’s been a while hasn’t it.” Worded Gallagher and snapped the tips of his thumb and index finger which sparked out an oval ball of flame that burnt like a candle on the tip of his index finger. For the first time, the metallic arena was slightly illuminated till Durban could see the hurried faces of the heavily bearded humans who stood starring at both of them. Even in the dim light, Durban could notice that they were all without a single clothing and among them were women who had thick locks that were unkempt and scattered. The men also had locks to bushy hairs and beards so full and tattered, it made them look nothing less than a lunatic. Their shoulder giant shoulder bones were all visible, and Durban could tell they were either Malnourished, sick or both at the same time. They were about a dozen or so in number and had eyes as amber as that of a wildebeest.
” Gallagher. You finally came home.” Said a coarse Baritone voice that belonged to the man in the forefront of others.
” Abednego, it’s nice to see you all again. How is it been.” Gallagher asked in a deep tone of majesty as he hawked his sight across the faces of the ones he could see. None of them did not have a scowl.
” What brings you to the outer banks where you have condemned us to live in penury.” Said Abednego still gazing at Gallagher in a piercing manner.
” You all are alive because me. Let’s never forget that. Our Clan are outnumbered and face extinction. We still live because I kiss the arse of the governor and do his dirty biddings. A thing I have done for so much and yet I can’t seem to score you all a better life. If you had fought when I wanted you all to fight then we would have been in a better place by now.” Said Gallagher as he spoke with majesty.
” Better place? You mean dead. We stood no chance against the humans who outnumbered us a thousand to one, if we hadn’t retreated we would all have been killed.” …
” And is this life of penury any better than the death you have evaded for a hundred years? Feeding on cattle on the orders of thugs and living in starvation when he sues otherwise. I have Lost it with Dubois and so shall you all.” Said Gallagher and sighed deeply before placing his idle wrist on his lower back and began to slowly swagger around like he had invented royalty.
” Don’t mock us for how we were made. Amongst us only you were blessed with the pigments to face the sun. We are neither wolves neither are vampires. We are a failed experiments of both and only you came out successful. It’s why we heed to your orders. It’s why we see you as the bringer of freedom. If not for nights, we are immobile and blind. We are contented to live here for another hundred years if our supplies of cattle and blood Is forthcoming. You haven’t forsaken us. We don’t see it happening. Brother.” Said Abednego whose breathing got tensed from unrest.
” I’m afraid that DuBois has been the one offering the cattle. Thanks to me who do his biddings. However our friendship has hit the rocks and it’s not going to be business as usual. You all may have to start making those nights run to take those cattle yourself.” Said Gallagher as he kept on walking in circles, causing the inhabitants to constantly take dressing to give him way.
” The night runs. Are you saying we can start taking cattle at will again.” Abednego asked in a deep whisper as if though he didn’t want his kinsmen to hear him.
” Yes and the humans to if they loose guard of your presence. It’s time to remind that bastard, what his state used to be like before I made it a heaven. He rules in peace because of me and not Dakota and not thay Egocentric bastard for billionaires son. The strange beings were silent for a while, with all heads hinged at the decision of Abednego.
” Gallagher if we choose to play the cards in your favor, then the silos would no longer be safe for us. The humans would track us down” Said Abednego
” Yes ! I know that, that’s why I have found you guys an alternative abode.” Said Gallagher and smiled intuitively, exhuming the majesty of a god as he did so.
” Where is that? How far from food supply is it.” Said Abednego as his gaze hunted the every movement of Gallagher.
” A cottage in the dark pine forest. It’s a wood where you would be able and have access to the deer and gazelle if you fancy to feed on such rodents.” Said Gallagher with a taunting smile on his face.
” Would you take us to such an abode for free?” Columbus asked in high hopes even though he did a good job in keeping his calm.
” Why not? Aren’t we family again. As long as you and I can count on your support and loyalty as always.” Said Gallagher and gazed at his reaction. Apart from Abednego, the rest of the crew seemed only to care with the spleen of Durban. They watched on him with both eyes and monitored every movement of his jugular vein. It caused him to tremble subconsciously on his feet while the look on his face was one of bravery. His fist was well clutched in anticipation of an attack. He was Durban and not some little kids that fear could totally dessert.
” You have our allegiance.” Said Abednego and nodded his head to buttress his words.
” Good. Feel free to feed well tonight. It will be your last nights in the silos .” Said Gallagher and smiled into the burning flame on his finger as he watched it swayed in a clandestine motion.
” Are you taking this one. Or is he a gift for us.” Said Abednego as he turned his gaze to Durban who stood panting in visible fear.
” You can’t touch that one. It belongs to me. I’m sure there are hundreds roaming the streets. If they call on Uriel for mercy, stay off them. This is an admonition for you and your brothers.” Said Gallagher and gazed at the animalistic tendencies of his former family members.
” Okay. We will be ready.” Said Abednego and before the very eyes of Everyone, transformed to a weak looking wolf, snarled angrily and retracted into the vast darkness before applying it’s talons on the metallic wall of the stilos and disappeared from the cast of the burning finger. The rest of the crew followed in his footstep still nothing of them could be seen and no noise except those if the bats could be heard.
” Let’s go you scared Urchin. Henceforth, I won’t be taking too much night Walks if I was you.” Said Gallagher and sashayed away. Durban caught his breath for a while and followed suit.