ALESSANDRO
My first patient was a fresh one from the village with a fresh wound, it was said he fell into a dried well and was scooped out like a corpse because one of his legs sustained massive internal fractures.
My team was a lot, we were three doctors in the same operation room, but the room was big enough to bear us, and we had five nurses assigned to each of us, so, we were working on human beings like they were mere plates being washed and dried in dishwashers.
With all tools provided, it was easy to cut through the skin and work on the bones, attach the screws and all that was needed to build fresh bones from fractured ones.
The second patient was badly injured from what seemed to be a fight and had been initially treated, but there were omissions to be dealt with, his case was far too simple than the first.
Five major cases, that was what I handled, the rest were not that big, but I did my best to ensure they didn't get worse out of being ignored as a lesser threat.
We finished before nightfall. I could keep count of mine, thirteen persons before nightfall, as for the rest, I had no idea how far they went with work.
As for David, he had just started in the evening, and as usual, I was sure he would finish late. I didn't wait for him. I strolled out of the clinic after washing off.
"Sir, you have a few locals who want to meet with you," the boy assigned to me announced as soon as I stepped outside. "They brought gifts for you."
I nodded his consent, and he waved at a group of people at the far end of the clinic to come meet me. They hurried towards us with bags and baskets of things I couldn't see because they were properly wrapped.
They chorused words I couldn't understand, so, I gestured at the boy to interpret what they said.
"They said good evening, doctor white man." Said the boy.
One of them said something with a face that seemed a little demanding, and my boy delved into his business of running interpretation.
"He asked if you are French or Belgian?" the boy said.
"Tell him I'm American," I replied.
The boy told them what I said in the same language. Their language was not French, it was a local language I doubt Sita might understand if she were here because I've not heard her speak of such.
The man continued, this time, a lengthy speech, and my boy did a good job of interpreting while the fellow spoke his piece.
"You don't look ugly like Americans, we see them in movies, they either keep rough beards or shave everything off, but the white people who are not Americans are fine just like you, well, we are here to thank you for attending to our sick relatives, we know exactly how many of them you attended to, especially the one that was almost crushed in the well, but a lot is expected of you, now you said you are American."
The man stopped and my boy stopped.
"What is expected of me?" I asked, having ignored the first discredit he offered Americans by calling them ugly and praising Europe over us.
My boy spoke back to him, and he continued in his language while the boy did the interpretation.
"Americans are said to have big mouths in the United Nations, they can fight terrorists better than our government does, you have to invite your people to come help us, terrorists have done us more harm than death itself."
"Tell him I am just a doctor, I'm not the secretary of defense," I said to the boy.
The boy spoke to the man in his language, but the man continued, and the boy continued interpreting, which was pissing me off, because I was starving already.
"Every American is said to have three things, a car, a house, and a gun, here, we have houses, but very few cars and then guns that can't fight the terrorists, if you won't bring your people to come to help us, then, you can help us with arms and ammunitions from your government, let us fight the fight by ourselves, else, those evil boys would come and cause havoc again and again."
I was already tired, and with all these demands, I was freaking out of patience.
"Just tell him it's not possible, and collect everything they wish to offer me, I am tired, I should rest," I said to the boy.
The boy spoke to them, and they began hailing him. I couldn't understand what he told them, but their reaction to his words was enough reason for me to know he must have given them false hope just to have them submit their gifts willingly.
I wanted to counter him, but a part of me felt it was wrong to give them cold hearts after they had expressed joy, but I was sure I would have the boy explain what he told them.
"Sir, they are glad you spoke with them," said the boy, "All of them."
Idiot, I called the boy deep in my mind and took off, leaving him and his people behind. I have watched in movies, how Africans who served as interpreters between the Europeans and their people stole from their people in the name of the white man's demands.
"Sir, you can join the cafeteria, food is ready and has been served there." Said a lady waiting by my door. I cast a glance at her, she was scarcely dressed. Someone must have assigned her to wait at my door for reasons far from announcing dinner.
"Leave, I'll be there soon," I ordered.
She waited for a while before she edged off like a demon tossed out of its host and asked to stroll in the wilderness forever.
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