After The Discovery (The AIDS Story

Chapter Twenty-Six

“My father arrived last night from the States and wants me to come with you so he could see you before leaving again tonight since he could not make it to the wedding.” Kuro told Erefagha as they sat at the dinning table having their breakfast.

“You mean he wants to see me?” She asked becoming very sad at once.

“Darling, what’s the matter?” he asked her not making any sense out of her sudden mood change.

“You’re not comfortable seeing him?” Kuro was becoming a bit confused.

“Do you think he would like me after he gets to know about my past?” she asked him as he focused his gaze on him.

“Oh that, you don’t have to worry about that at all. Everything will be all right.” He told her, stretched his hand, touched her nose, and ran his fingers across her face. She blushed and smiled at him.

!!!

“Who did you say your parents were?” BlueJack asked her as she sat there on the sofa with her husband facing the old man.

“They are Dr. and Mrs. Harold Alabo Jemiema. My father was the head of gynecology department at the School of Health, University of Ibiama until his death two years ago. My mother was the zonal commander Criminal Investigation Department, Zone 6 until her retirement early this year.” She explained to the old man who was listening to her attentively.

“Oh my God! You mean those were your parents? I used to know them very, very well.” He said looking up into her face.

“Sir, you mean you know my parents before now?” she asked puzzled.

He answered by telling the whole story of what happened when she was still a kid and by the time he was through she was kneeling and pleading with him to forgive her and her parents’ indiscretion.

“No, my daughter, you don’t have to do that. We settled it all at that time and we have since then been very good friends until I left for the States,” he told her raising her with as much effort as he could muster while his son watched with genuine admiration.

“You’re now my daughter and I’m very happy about that.” He told her as he stood up to leave.

He got to the door and as if it was an afterthought he said:

You have come to the right place and you will not regret it, my child. You are welcome.” He concluded.

Life’s beauties more often than not discover themselves after critical crisis. For Erewarifagha BlueJack, nee Jemiema this was true. She found happiness when she least expected it, after the discovery of this life-threatening and diseasing syndrome called HIV/AIDS.

AIDS is real!