The Secret of Elephants by Vasundra Tailor

Author:Vasundra Tailor [Tailor, Vasundra]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Fiction, Coming of Age, Women, Family Life, General
ISBN: 9781542038201
Google: fiW6zgEACAAJ
Publisher: Lake Union Publishing
Published: 2022-09-14T23:00:00+00:00

Chapter 19

Dr Christopher Kwaramba was sitting at his desk facing a computer screen when they entered his office. He stood up immediately and came forward to greet them. Short and stocky, he had a shock of white hair flared like a flame around his dark, bespectacled face. Nirmala guessed his age at around sixty years.

Smiling broadly, he revealed a neat row of dazzling white teeth. He chuckled as he shook hands with Pramod and Nirmala, then leaned forward to say hello to Varun. Wearing a dark suit and tie, he looked very professional. Tan-coloured leather brogues added a touch of elegance to his appearance.

‘Please sit down. You too, my boy.’ He patted Varun’s head and returned to his desk to check his screen. ‘Vaaroon, isn’t it?’

His pronunciation made Nirmala smile. She glanced at her son seated next to her, looking small in the high-backed chair, his feet not reaching the floor. He looked nervous, clearly feeling intimidated by the specialist who was going to examine him. She reached for his hand and squeezed.

‘So, tell me’ – the doctor spoke to Nirmala – ‘what exactly happens when Vaaroon has one of his episodes? Mr Dayal has told me something about it. But in your own words, please describe it for me.’

Nirmala began to explain the problem: the symptoms, when they had started, the diagnosis, treatment and her concerns for the future. Dr Kwaramba listened intently, asking a few questions when he needed more detail. His face remained warm and friendly throughout, encouraging Nirmala to speak openly and without hesitation. From time to time, he glanced at Varun, and when Nirmala finished, he tapped out some notes on his computer.

Then he turned to Varun with a smile. ‘Okaaay.’ He dragged the word out in a sing-song way. ‘I need to hear from you now. Do you know what is happening to you when you go very quiet?’

Varun’s face clouded over and he threw Nirmala a quick look. ‘It’s okay, dikra. Tell the doctor what happens to you.’

Hesitantly, Varun answered. ‘I know afterwards.’

‘So afterwards, you know something has happened to you, yes?’

Varun nodded.

‘Do you always know something has happened?’

Varun considered before answering. ‘Not always.’

‘So, sometimes you don’t know. Hmmm. And how do you feel afterwards?’

‘Like falling down.’

‘Because you are dizzy?’

‘Yes.’

‘And before you go quiet, do you have a feeling it’s going to happen?’

‘Sometimes.’

‘Do you feel hot or cold?’

‘Hot. And a little scared.’

‘Does it happen a lot?’

Varun frowned.

‘I mean, does it happen every day?’

‘No.’

‘Maybe once every week?’

Varun thought for a moment. ‘Not every week.’

The doctor looked thoughtful. ‘Good. Good. That tells me a lot.’ He tapped out more notes. Then he came round to pull up a chair beside Varun. He turned both chairs so they could face each other.

‘Now I want you to do something for me. Shut your eyes and breathe in and out very quickly. You know when you get out of breath after running up the stairs? You breathe very fast, don’t you? That’s what you need to do now. And at the same time, I want you to count from one to ten again and again.

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