Mariana

Mariana! Mariana! She heard someone calling her from a distance. She was in a somewhat in deep sleep, she tried to open her eyes to see who was calling but they hurt when she tried to open them. Her mind was taking time to adjust. She tried to open her eyes again, gently this time, she could now see double figures of a middle-aged African woman, gently touching her arm. She had pocketed her right hand in a white coat and had a stethoscope around her neck. The coat was engraved, Doctor. J. Henderson. She had a warm smile and calm demeanor. She called out Mariana as she gently touched her arm over and over again. She was trying to get Mariana to respond.

Mariana tried to respond by opening her mouth, but it was too dry. She coughed on her second attempt. The doctor sat her up and gave her a glass of water. “What happened? Where I’m I?” she whispered as she held the doctor’s hand with all the strength she could muster. “You are in St. James Hospital, and you are doing fine Mrs. Kiama. You fainted yesterday evening,” the doctor said with a smile exposing her exceptionally white teeth.

She smiled when she caught a glimpse of her family behind the doctor. Her husband standing behind Jason, Jamie, and Jermaine. The doctor noticed and stepped aside.” Your whole family is here,” she said as they surrounded her landing on her with kisses and tight hugs. Within a minute the room was filled with flowers and get-well cards from family and friends. The atmosphere had suddenly changed, and so did her face. She was beaming, mostly at her grandchildren, Kyle and Kory. They were bouncing on her bed making funny faces and laughing together. A little bit of home, she thought, as she watched Kyle stroking her hair. She began to remember the episodes that had brought her to the hospital.

Mariana was an only child to her 19-year-old mother, Aisha. Her mother was a drug addict and had Mariana when she was 17 years. Since then they lived on the streets until she was 4 years. This is when a local community unit had found her lying on top of her dead mother’s body after she had overdosed. She was taken into foster care and later adopted by the Hayes family at age five. 

The Hayes were in part a wealthy family and had no children of their own. They fell in love with little Mariana from the day they set their eyes on her. She was a lively, smart, beautiful young girl and at that tender age, she was questioning all her teachers and always trying to outsmart everyone. She got admitted to the best schools and performed exceptionally in music, sciences, and literature. She was a star. Mr. Hayes was particularly fond of her, he was, at the time of Mariana’s adoption, a County Assembly speaker. He was a present father, following the loss of his father at a tender age he was determined to be a better man despite his tight schedules. He always found time for Mariana, in most instances would have her come to the office.

Life was kind to the Hayes and Mrs. Hayes got pregnant and gave birth to Laura, the miracle baby. By this time Mariana was six years of age and boy was she glad to have a little sister. They were inseparable.

Before long, they completed elementary, junior, and senior high school. She and Laura, spend their summer at their grandmother’s farm. They loved riding the horses with Uncle Jim. Gardening with granny.

One evening, he was away and Marianna sweet-talked Laura into accompanying her to ride Sunshine, her favorite horse. Laura was reluctant at first but later accepted. They rode way past the river. They continued, the sun was shining brightly surely nothing would have stopped these unforgettable moments for Mariana and Laura. But as they disappeared in the woods, Laura’s horse sensed danger from a nearby bush. He began to shift vigorously. Laura tried to hold on but his vigor had intensified, she fell off the horse. Out of panic the horse rode forward and trampled on her right leg instantly breaking pelvic, damaging the femoral head and femur. Within seconds, Mariana had gotten off her horse and ran to her sister. Laura’s right leg was bleeding and she was screaming so loud. “You will be okay,” she tried to reassure her as she placed a stick next to the leg and gently banged the wound. “I am going to get Uncle Jim,” she said trying not to look terrified, and ran back to the house. She didn’t notice how her feet hurt and that she had left Sunshine behind. She got to the house and found Uncle Jim. He jumped on the horse as soon as he heard what had happened. Granny held her when she tried to run after Uncle Jim. Moments later, Laura was brought back to the house. The ambulance had arrived so had her parents as soon as they got word of it.

The rest of the summer, was spent in hospital. Laura had multiple surgeries but she would never walk again. The news tore the family apart. Everyone blamed Mariana. A dark cloud hung over her and life was never the same again. She opted to live on the farm, while Laura went back home with their parents. Eventually, she had learned to live with the guilt. She barely went home or visited. She had her life in the county working as a lawyer and life was okay.

After twenty-five years, Mr. Hayes has written to Mariana to come home. But she couldn’t bring herself to come back home, so she wrote back indicating that she was unable to return home because of the guilt she felt.

Two weeks later, as she was having a meeting with her team, she was notified that her family was waiting for her. She looked perplexed because she hadn’t expected anyone to come to visit. She excused herself and went to the front desk. On opening the door, she saw mum, dad, and Laura in a wheelchair. She walked towards them trying to hold back the tears. After intimate embraces, her father kept saying that they had forgiven her and that none of it was her fault. We love you. These words had caused an overwhelming reaction and she had fainted