Nancy was only 14 years when she
fell. Ten meters. She came crushing down, her panga in hot pursuit. Thoughts of
her brief life flashed by in those few but critical seconds. She recalled her
unfinished work. The young class eight boy. He gave her the look a couple of
times. Her childhood crush. Soon, very soon, it would all be meaningless. She
would never have had her first kiss.
The rooster had only crowed an
hour or two ago. At the crack of dawn. A chilly Tuesday morning. The curtains
lay in wait, ready to bring to an end a story. Nancy's life. The rest was
blank. Pain fibers firing in synch. She wished to writhe in pain, but she
couldn't. The bright morning sky was no longer in view. It had all turned dark.
When I met her, she lay in bed.
Helpless. Even so, in this state, she flashed a smile. She had lived to see the
day, the sun, the people, mum, dad, and all those she considered dear. Being
alive had never felt this good. It was as if she had just awoke from another
horrible dream. Indeed it was infective, her grin, amid all the scores of
bruises that covered her face. Still untouched in hours following the incident.
It was one o' clock. The sun had
not set since her mother found her silent on the evergreen. Her panga lay
beside her, coming inches away from her belly. It was a miracle. She didn’t
respond. Her mother wailed helplessly: "Nancy! Nancy!". Her clothes
were wet. Blood. No. It was more like urine. It soaked her garments. Amid the
cold there was no response.
She had regained consciousness an
hour later. This found her on the way to Chuka District hospital. A small
government facility. Located on the hilly slopes of Mount Kenya. It stood set
in the serine windward environment, a short drive off the Nairobi-Meru road. She
lay on its hospital
She could not move her from her
position. Her body lay in defiance to
her intentions to follow my requests. She was like a marionette, set in mid
animation. Pain jolted up and down her spine. I tried to turn her, but this
only made her smile quickly fade. Replaced by grimace and mourns. I ordered X
rays and started on a steroid. They looked nothing far from usual, no broken
bones no deformities. Her smile had swiftly brushed away all bad omen. The
diagnosis: Spinal shock. A temporary condition in which one loses control of both sensory and motor function. It recovers
within 72 hours.
Each day that passed saw her
slowly regain control. Like a virus infested laptop, that had acquired a new
antivirus. Slowly but surely. I learned a lot from this girl, having woken up
to a fate only second to death. Smiling and laughing. She made my rough days
worth looking up to. Knowing that a smile could make each day brighter.
