H IS FOR HIV
H IS FOR HIV
Something has happened. She knew right away because she felt it once
she entered the room. It was in the doctor’s eye. Pity was dancing in
the mire behind the glasses that made his eyes look like two huge
white balls decorated with black. She sat down without removing her
eyes from the doctor’s lens.
“In the test for HIV, we do not say negative or positive initially.”
Why was he starting with the negative? She knew the reason.
Stop the Stigma
“We say reactive and non-reactive.” Just break the news and forget
about the formalities. Her mind raced through all the means she would
have gotten it. That needle that the hairdresser used at the hair-care
shop? The kiss with that strange man at the bar? Was it that one night
thing with Fred or whatever his name was?
“You have to come back in six months at most for a more conclusive
test. The virus might be on a window period.” She could feel her
throat tightening.
It must be the way that girl that she saw having an
asthma attack in their secondary school felt. It was single, heavy
breath that came out like a struggle. She felt her view of the doctor
getting misty.
“You are not reacting to the virus. .You can go now.”
And her lungs wanted to explode with joy as her mouth and nose open to
let in air.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Buike Onah is a poet, a writer and a blogger. His has appeared in many
publications like Naijastories, Black Boy Review, Bukrepublik,
Kalahari Review and on his blog buikewrites.blogspot.com
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