A Legacy for Bryan by Marlene Bierworth

Author:Marlene Bierworth [Bierworth, Marlene]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2020-10-02T05:00:00+00:00

His mercies are new every morning.

Chapter 8

“The lad traveled to the city with an older sibling who does not stand in line and wait with him but arranges to meet up at the gate at closing time,” Shirley said.

Katelyn glanced at her watch. “Another hour. I suppose we’ll just let him lie in the room and rest until then. I’ll go outdoors to see if I can tend to some minor ailments and speed things up.” She beckoned to Bryan, who stood listening close by. “You can be my assistant, if you’d like.”

“I’d like,” he said.

Katelyn felt a blush creep up the back of her neck and wondered what on earth had triggered that. She turned away.

After gathering her supplies into a bag, she went outdoors and set up with a small table and two chairs. “Any minor cases here today? Trying to help the doctor out.”

One of them had a red-stained rag wrapped around her arm. She came forward first.

When the young woman with the bloody arm responded, Bryan went indoors to get her worksheet, without being asked. He was catching on, and Katelyn couldn’t be more pleased.

Upon examination, Katelyn said, “This is a deep cut, and you’ve used a dirty cloth to wrap your arm. I will clean it, stitch you up, and send you home with antibiotics to fight the infection that’s already started. You must be more careful.”

Bryan came back and handed her the information he’d collected earlier, and as she took the paper from him, he nodded in the woman’s direction as if he knew something she ought to know. Katelyn scanned the page and noted his comment on the bottom, ‘looks and sounds like abuse to me.’”

She studied her patient and watched a shadow of despair cross the woman’s face. Her name was Miriam, according to the form, and she quickly bowed her head low to avoid transparency.

“Miriam, who did this to you?”

“I’m plain clumsy, or so my man says.”

“We both know you are lying,” Katelyn said. “Does he beat you?”

“I deserve it most times.”

“No one deserves to be cut like that,” Bryan said. “You must defend yourself. Some men can be bullies.”

“I started my own business, sewing clothes for people. He doesn’t like it.”

“He is old-school thinking. You are to be commended for starting up your own business,” Katelyn said, unsure how far to take this discussion. It was not her place to change years of stifling propaganda that kept women under a man’s authority, although everything within her wanted to join that fight. She supposed just being a working woman here in Kenya, clarified her position in the matter.

“The men in my family sabotage my efforts and scare my customers away. There is no one to defend me.”

Her answer was so final, the empty tone causing Bryan to stiffen at her side. He was obviously finding new places in his heart, perhaps some he didn’t know existed.

When she left, Bryan asked, “Do African men not like women entrepreneurs?”

“Women, in general, have little say over their bodies and how they spend their days.

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