The next morning I woke up in bed with Dario. I was surprised that he was in bed still because usually he went to smoke at that time. But something was wrong with him.

“Dario… Dario… wake up…” I said, moving him around.

He yawned and woke.

“Morning beautiful,” he said in a sleepy voice and a coughed afterwards.

It was Monday. He had to be at college and I had to be back at school. If he was sick, I would not leave him alone; I would miss school too.

“Dario, what’s wrong? You don’t look well…”

“I don’t feel well at all. I feel really sick and my head is spinning. I don’t know what’s wrong with me,”

“Do you want me to take you to the doctor?”

“No, I can’t move. Take my phone and look in the contact list. Look for Doc. Phone him and tell him to come over,” he said, turning his head and falling asleep again.

I took the phone and phoned his doctor but he didn’t answer. He was probably busy with a patient so I sent him a message:

Morning doctor. It’s Bishni here. I’m texting for Dario.

Good morning lady. Ah! Dario, what seems to be the matter with him?

I don’t know doctor but Dario’s looking really sick and he’s sweating. Can doctor come over?

I’m actually booked whole day but I’ll move my appointments to 4. Dario is one of my favorite patients so I’ll be there in a while. In the meantime, open some windows for fresh air and take a cold cloth and wipe his head and body. I bet he has a fever.

Thank you doctor. Will do.

It’s a pleasure. Greetings to Dario.

I opened some windows for fresh air and wiped Dario’s face and neck with a cold cloth. He was so warm and I was getting worried.

Zaahir went with Zara to “chill”, so it was just me and Dario at home.

The doctor came and took Dario’s temperature and gave him a really good check-up. He then called me out of the room to have a talk with me.

“Bishni, there seems to be a huge problem with Dario. He is not showing any signs of fever,” the doctor said.

“What will we do now?”

“I’m going to phone an ambulance to come and pick him up. I’ve already prepared a room for him at the hospital. We’ll work on him from there. Perform some tests and maybe he’ll go in for surgery because things like this can result in death. We don’t normally find out what the patient has until he just passes away without us doctors knowing.”

“Will he be okay?” I asked, while shedding a tear.

“I really can’t say anything right now,” the doctor said.

The ambulance came and took Dario to the hospital. I watched as the ambulance took off. I couldn’t go with because I wasn’t washed yet.

I then went back in to the house and to the room and I went to the shower but as I wanted to open the door to the shower, my phone rang. I thought it was the hospital but it was my dad.

“Hi dad! Good to hear from Dad in such a long time,”

“Good to speak to you also my dear. How are things?”

“Rishna passed away, Dad, and mom is currently in Durban now.”

“When did she pass away? And why did nobody tell me?”

“Oh, dad. I didn’t know nobody told Dad. I thought Mum did. Didn’t she?”

“No! she didn’t! This is why I don’t like your mother! Now I wasn’t by my daughter’s funeral!”

“Dad, I’m sorry… if I would’ve known Mom hadn’t told Dad… I would’ve told Dad. I know how Dad feels, because Zaahir and I weren’t even at the funeral. Mum left us here alone,” I said.

My dad started crying over the phone. It was like I could feel the way he was feeling. He felt hurt and neglected, but also very sad because he didn’t attend his own blood daughter’s funeral.

“It’s okay. I’ll get… I’ll try to…” dad couldn’t even complete his sentences the way he was crying.

“Dad, I understand what Dad is going through right now but please, don’t do anything that’ll make Dad hurt Dad-self. Dad knows I’m always here for Dad and Dad can come to Cape Town to come be with us.”

“Who is this “us” you’re talking about Bishni?”

Suddenly my Dad’s voice changed from sad to grumpy.

“Zaahir, Zara, Dario and I… we’re all at Dario’s house, visiting here.”

“Bishni! Since when do you sleep at other guy’s houses? Since when did you teach yourself those manners? What’s wrong with you Bishni?”

“Dad, please. I’m happy and Dario makes me happy. It’s not as if we’re sleeping together and Dad knows that I wouldn’t dare cross that line. I’m not like that Dad.”

“I’m sorry my dear. I’m really sad that I didn’t attend the funeral or better yet, knew about it at all.”

“Dad, again, it is okay. Dad we’ll talk again later. I must shower now and we talked a lot now on the phone.”

“OK. I’ll SMS you later. Love you.”

“Keep in touch Dad. Love you too.”

I went to shower and got ready for the hospital.

While driving, I decided to go to school first to explain why I’ve been away for so long. I couldn’t afford to get suspended from school. That would really make my mom even madder than she was now. I didn’t even want to think of everything that I’d be going through when she got back from Durban. I was really a failure and mistake in my mother’s eyes.

***

Tell us what you think: What do you think of Bishni bunking school? And should she “visiting” her boyfriend while there’s a death in the family?