The disease

Martina pov

The next day as planned, I returned to the company and he gave me an envelope. I thanked him until I kissed him without realizing it. I asked him for an apology afterwards, telling him that it was euphoria. I ran home towards the bedroom where Tania and I are sleeping. I open the envelope and find my brothers' and sister's school money, with a surplus of 100 thousand. I was in heaven, I couldn't believe my eyes. I went out and called everyone. They still looked sad, but everyone was curious.
"I know you are wondering why I brought you together. Well, I have good news." Their attention has doubled again and I continue. I was able to get money to pay for school and capital to start our business.
"Where did you get such a big amount of mind ?" Mom inquires under her guard. I explain to them how I went to see the CEO of the operating company yesterday and that he gave me an appointment today to give me this money.
"My daughter!" Said my mother with watery eyes. "I'm sorry that you are reduced to going begging and carrying a responsibility that is not yours!"
"It's nothing mum, we'll get out of this," I said shaking her hand.
So I asked my sister and my little brothers to wear their school clothes and we went to school. I paid their board and went home. With the rest of the money, we launched our high school business. My mother started buying goods in the bush markets and reselling them in Douala. She was very mobile and it made a lot more money than the high school business. Our life began to change little by little. We could eat fish and meat from time to time. My mother sometimes kept clothes and shoes for us when she came back from Douala. In short, our life has improved. The school year ended well. Tania and Lam passed their exams and Nathan was admitted to the fourth grade. We celebrated with joy because despite the obstacles and difficulties we encountered at the beginning of the year, the end was a success. However, one day my mother comes back from Douala after selling the goods she had brought. We went out to greet her and she told us that she hurt all over.
"What's the matter ma'a?" I asked worried.
"The bus had an accident and my whole body hurts." I got scared hearing that.
"What! And why weren't you taken to the hospital?" Grandmother asked in turn.
"How are you mom. I wasn't hurt, I just need a few massages and I'll be fine." Answers my mother to grandmother.
"Tany, heat me some water, grandma is going to give me a massage. And Marty is going to buy me some antibiotics at the crossroads." My mother ordered us.
I obeyed and went home to find some tablets while Grandmother massaging her. For a week, my mother stayed home and had a massage while taking antibiotics. She was already fine and no longer felt any pain.
Martina pov
The holidays went wonderfully and the start of the school year was uneventful. Thanks to my mother's business, the children's school fees will not suffer this year. Indeed, she was able to save enough money to pay for their expenses as well as their school supplies. I still continued to sell in the village government high school and mum did her village-Douala lines. I got used to this life and I didn't complain. Only, I pushed back all the men who approached me and they repelled me to a point. I have also decided that no man will touch me again. The experience with Steve will have marked me forever. Things were generally going well at home. I even believed that we could have a harmonious life. But unfortunately, I had gone to work very quickly. A misfortune was about to hit the family hard. One month before the Christmas holidays, mum started to feel bad again all over her body. She was taking antibiotics and paracetamol, but that no longer relieved her. She stopped with the trade and spent the day lying at home. Her condition was already worrying me and I decided that we should go to Edéa to consult her to see what was wrong. The village health center has no medical specialists. That's how mum and I went for the consultation. When the doctor saw us, mum told him about her pain, as well as the accident she had had during the holidays.
"You should go to the hospital." He said looking serious. His gaze was not at all reassuring.
"But doctor, I didn't feel anything serious." Mom retorts, against the idea of going to the hospital.
"Even if you don't feel any pain, it is always advisable to go to the hospital after an accident. Sometimes we do not perceive the damage on the outside, but there are probabilities that inside, there are after-effects. Never mind, we'll give you a CT scan to see what's causing the pain.
The results will be available tomorrow." The doctor explained to my mother kindly.
We asked the doctor if we can be interned until the results, since we had nowhere to go in the city. The hospital administration did not find any problem with this. So, we spent night in the hospital.
The next day the results were ready and the doctor showed them to us.
"Doctor, what does the scanner say?" I inquire unable to decipher what is displayed.
"The CT scan shows that your mother has several broken ribs. There is also a bowel which is perforated. What is alarming is that the wound has worsened and there is pus coming out of it." The doctor responded to me, with a sollicituous look. When I hear that, I start crying.
"Doctor, is it that serious? Can it at least be cured?" I asked still in tears.
"To be honest, you shouldn't have stayed home after the accident. Nevertheless, we urgently need to operate on your mother in order to be able to treat her. Her case being delicate, we will transfer her to Douala for adequate care."
I walked out of the doctor's office crying. If I only knew things would go so bad, I was going to insist on taking Mom to the hospital that day when she came home from the accident. How will we find money to pay for care? It's been a month since mom stopped working. And we paid for school plus school supplies with most of the profit. I enter the room where my mother is hospitalized and I try as best I can to hide my dismay. She turns to me and guesses that something was going wrong.