” You are both negative… Did you say you are husband and wife,” a nurse dressed in white asked politely.
Bright was in shock and stared at his wife who turned to him perplexed. They didn’t know whether o rejoice or not.It was unbelievable.
” So it means we must stop taking our ar…,” Jessica smiled and Bright interrupted by slapping her thigh.
They hadn’t been honest to the nurse but lied that it was their first time testing. Bright and Jessica still looked young because they had been taking their medication well even though sometimes the viral load went up and down and later it was undetectable.
” You must remain faithful to each other and I’m happy for you,” she smiled.
” You can go,” she added while gesturing with her head.
Bright and Jessica nodded their head in agreement but she opened her mouth because she was still digesting to the miracle and wanted the nurse to know. He dragged her softly outside the room. She pulled her hand angrily.
” What are you doing? Why did we lie?” she shouted and he shushed her because she was drawing attention.
” Look ..,” he exhaled .
” if she knew what was going on… I think we would be in trouble,” he snorted as if it was a joke.
” We are healed?” she stared in space and smiled.
” Yes, we got to go tell the pastor,” she suggested.
” I aren’t going there. I’m HIV free meaning I want to live in peace. What if they give back the HIV ? Why is it those who go to sangoma end up more sicker or die? ” she declined and walked the way home.
“You are right,” she agreed and pointing in the air as if she knew the idea would work.
” But Bright we are now HIV negative?” she exclaimed.
” Dinner to celebrate?” he nudged her with his arm.
She smiled and rolled her eyes,” No,I will cook. A home cooked meal is the best,” she hanged her arm around his.
” Okay madam!” he obeyed like a soldier saluting.
Months passed they didn’t take their medication ever since .Things seemed to go well for them.That is what they thought.The happiness was like a disease and everyone seemed to notice but they didn’t tell anyone but everyone close noticed.
” You look lively like stress is over and not invading in your life anymore”
One day on a Friday. Jessica felt her stomach pain that she couldn’t wake up. She felt like she was dieing. Bright was preparing for work and noticed her sickly face.
” Come on … If you sick go to the hospital,” he slided the blanket over the side and saw blood on the sheets.
“And this?,” he panicked and carried his wife to the car.
” Weren’t you pregnant?” he asked while breathing fast.
His blood was racing ,fear had taken over. He drove slently with deep worry and stared at her then turn to the road after a few seconds.
” I don’t know?” she replied and sighed in pain.
” You can’t bleed without being pregnant ?….. Or you are on mps?” he asked trying to find a answer to her groans.
” Are you blaming me that I don’t know if I am pregnant or on mps…..Aaargh,” she blunted and screamed in pain.
” I will drive faster,” he spoke and stepped on accelerator a bit more.
************
A hour later he strolled back and forth in the waiting room. He didn’t even notify he had a emergency at work. He was worried more about losing a child because this was going to be their first baby.He had been raising his late brother ,Lovemore ‘s child. They agreed to wait a bit more till he had gotten off Jessica’s infidelity.
The boss called him after thirty minutes . He was angry but luckly he understood his situation and gave him two days off. Bright buried his head in his hands in relief. He couldn’t be fired and also lose two precious people in his life.
” Sir, your wife will be fine but unfortunately she lost the baby,” the doctor who had a white coat and stethoscope around her neck spoke sincerely.
He layed his low down again and clicked his tongue.
” Where you on ARVs before? Why did you stop?” the doctor continued to ask while bowing her head for answers.
” Because……,” words couldn’t come in his mouth in shock.
” Her body have deteriorated because she wasn’t taking medicine and that way she lost her baby,” the doctor added.
Bright was a bit confused until he recalled that they had stopped their ARVs.
” There was no miracle? ” he muttered inaudibly.
The doctor was flustered but didn’t want to add more strain on them
” I am going to do more tests for her,” the doctor patted his shoulder and walk away.
He quickly ran towardthe doctor who was heading to another surgery and narrated about the pastor who stopped them from taking their medication.
” Let’s go to my office,” the doctor escorted him .
The doctor was fuming with anger. It was the thirty case that had happened in a month.
“” How could you believe such things” .