10 10 THE SEARCH (1/2)
One month and three weeks later, the doctor at the Sickle Cell Foundation building who had the bushy hair and round eyeglasses on a long-bent nose spoke to us in his foreign accent as we sat in front of him in his office. The doctor's office had books and books on every free space.
”Everyone who volunteered already has their sample checked and stored in a database. All we had to do was search to find a match but there was none. As it looks, for us to find a match, a new volunteer has to come in,” the doctor said.
My dad bowed his head and squeezed his hands together. It was as if he was praying. Then he raised his head, moved closer to the table and spoke to the doctor.
”You mean that from everybody in my family I brought in here to drop a sample, we couldn't find a match?”
”Yes. I told you. The younger the volunteer, the better the match for the transplant itself since your daughter herself is young. Moreover, the transplant is better and safer for younger patients.”
”Yes, you said that. But there must be a way to find a match from the people I brought. They are family. There should be some…”
He interrupted my dad, ”Your son here has a closer relationship to your daughter and he isn't a match. These things do not work like that. Being related is not enough; there are HLAs to think of.
Four classes of them. HLA - A, HLA-B, HLA-C, HLA-D. Then you have HLA-D, which is further divided into other classes.”
The doctor stopped speaking as though he had caught himself doing something wrong, then he apologised. ”I am sorry. I shouldn't go all technical on you.”
”What are HLAs?” I asked the doctor. He had roused my interest.
He turned to me, ”Do we have a future scientist here?”
”I want to know everything so that I would know how to find what will save my sister.”
”Interesting.” He then kept quiet and sat there looking at me as if he was trying to make up his mind over something.
”Can you tell me what HLA is?” I asked again.
”Osaik!” My dad called my name with a stern sound that meant that he wanted me to keep quiet.
”It is okay. I can answer his question. We have to always encourage the inquisitive mind of children to fully bloom,” the doctor said, then he smiled and continued speaking, ”HLAs are Human Leukocyte Antigens.”
”What?” I was instantly confused.
”Let's just say that is the full meaning of their name.”
”So HLA is an acronym?” I asked.
”Acronym. Who taught you that?”
”I know a lot of things.”
”I can see that.”
”I like the way leukocytes and antigen sound. I will look them up.”
The doctor laughed, reached his hand across the desk, tapped my hand which was on the desk and said, ”I like you.”
”Thank you,” I responded with a smile.
”Okay. HLAs are molecules found on every cell of our bodies. They define us. This is why if a foreign cell…” He stopped and looked at me, ”You know what a cell is, young man?”
”Yes,” I responded.
”Great. So, if a foreign cell for example from an unmatched transplant, or bacteria or a virus or any of those germs we cannot see with our eyes is introduced into our body, the fighter cells…”
”The white blood cells, right?” I said eagerly.
He smiled and looked at my dad, ”You have a brilliant boy here. You should get him into a gifted school or something.”
My dad smiled and nodded. The doctor turned back to me and continued.
”Yes, white blood cells. They will attack the foreign cell or cells in order to protect the body. This attack or reaction can be so intense that even normal body cells may be destroyed. You don't want that to happen. That is why you have to ensure that your HLAs are very close to that of the person who will receive the transplant from you.”
”Do you get them from your dad and your mum?”
”Yes.Each person receives a unique combination from both parents. One from each parent; so, for example, you may inherit HLA - B3 from your dad and HLA - B65 from your mum.When you grow older, get married and have children, you will also pass on your unique forms of HLA to your children - one to one child and not to another child or to both children. Are you following me?”
”Yes,” I responded with a nod.
”Okay. Remember you also have a wife. And your wife will have HLAs too. And she will also pass on hers. So let's say she also can pass on her HLA B-3 to one child and not to the other or to both children. So imagine a case in which you pass on your HLA-B7 to the same child she passed on her HLA B-3 but you didn't pass it on to the other child, which she had passed on her HLA B-3.”
”Are you with me?” the doctor asked with furrowed brows.
”Yes,” I replied with my brows also furrowed.
”Okay, those two children will not be matched if there has to be a transplant because one has HLA - B7 and the other doesn't have it. But if your wife passes on her HLA B-3 to your two children, and you pass on your own HLA - B7 to the same two children and you both pass on all other HLA molecules to the same two children, then those children will be a perfect match. Do you understand?”
”Yes, I do.” I nodded slowly as my mind lit up with what he had described. I could see it in diagrams. Shapes with letters and numbers attached to them, coming together and forming patterns like a jigsaw puzzle.
I heard the doctor speaking to my dad as though it was an echo from far away.
”Your son is incredible. Do you know how long it takes for medical students to understand the science of matching?”
”Yes, he is very intelligent.”
”You listened to me explain it, right?”
”Yes.”
”I hope you understood it.”
”Yes, enough to realise how tough it is going to be to find a match for my daughter.”
I pulled myself away from the diagrams in my head, brought my attention back to the office in which we all sat and turned to the doctor.
”One last question, please?” I asked with my finger raised up.
The doctor turned to me.
”Yes.”
I put down my hand and asked, ”Do HLAs have a smell?”
”A smell?”
”Yes.”
”Why?”
”My dad said it is rude to answer a question with a question.”
The doctor looked at my dad. He was visibly embarrassed.
”We try to raise them in the best way we can,” my dad said to him apologetically.
”That's good,” he said to my dad and turned back to me. ”Okay, let me see how I can answer that question. Do HLAs have a smell? Yes and no.”
”Yes and no?” I asked in confusion.
”Yes, because they could have a smell, and no because I don't know if they have a smell.”
”Why don't you know?”
”Because I have not smelt them.”
”Why haven't you smelt them?”
”I told you that they are very tiny. Microscopic.”
”Microscopic?”
”Yes. Things you can see only with a microscope are called microscopic. You know what a microscope is?”
”Yes.My friend has one. It is a toy though.”
”Okay. So HLAs are microscopic, and microscopes can only see, they cannot smell. That is why there is no way I can know if HLAs have a smell.”
”I think I understand that,” I said as I thought about what he had explained.
”So now it's your turn to answer me. Why do you want to know if they smell?”
I looked at him and hesitated. I wasn't sure if it was something I was supposed to tell anyone. I didn't know if Kompa would be happy that I told anyone of our plans.I heard my dad speak to me.
”Osaik, answer his question.”
I turned to my dad. He looked worried. I could see that he also wanted to know why I had asked the doctor the question.
”He is waiting,” my dad said again.
I turned to the doctor. He was looking at me from the top of his sunglasses and his right hand was stroking his chin. Then I exhaled and it sounded very loud to me. After that, I sat up straight and spoke like I do when I answer the questions I know in class. Confidently.
”Kompa says if he knows what it is that decides if there would be a match or not, he can sniff it out from people and that way we don't have to wait for someone to volunteer, instead we can just go out on the streets and Kompa will smell everyone.”
”Who is Kompa?” the doctor asked.
”His dog,” my dad answered.
”He is my brother,” I also answered when the doctor looked back at me after he had turned from my dad.
”I see,” the doctor said, then he turned back to my dad and continued speaking. ”I wish there was more I could do, but as you can see, we just have to wait for more volunteers or you have to bring more people here to be tested, preferably children your daughter's age.”
I sat there listening to the doctor.I became sad as the reality dawned on me that the plans Kompa and I had carefully hatched were going up in smoke and the chances of Eghe Boom Boom finding a match for the bone marrow transplant was becoming slimmer and slimmer.
That night, I sat with Eghe Boom Boom and Kompa in her room. She was feeling better and was playing a game on her tablet. As I talked with Kompa, we could hear my dad speaking loudly over the phone with someone who was saying something that was upsetting him.
I stood up from the bed and walked to the window. Kompa stared at me from the bed. I pulled open the blinds and stared out from the window at the night sky.It was littered with stars. Uncountable. I stood there for a minute trying to see if there were any of the stars that would wink at me. That wink that looked like a malfunctioning fluorescent tube that was blinking.
”I wonder if Mum can help us find a match,” I said.
”Why don't we ask her?” Kompa asked me.
”Yes, let's go ask her.” I turned around and walked towards the door.
Kompa jumped down the bed and walked towards me. Eghe Boom Boom looked up from her tablet.
”Where are you guys going to?” she asked wide-eyed.
”Don't worry, we will be back soon,” I replied.
”Too late, I am already worried.”
”You are fibbing. You know you are never worried about anything.”
”Osaik, tell me, where are you guys going to?” she ignored what I said and asked again.
”Tell her and let's go,” Kompa said as he walked past me into the corridor.
I shook my head. ”We are going to ask Mum to help you get a match.”
”You are going to the cemetery?”
”Duh, she is not there.”
”We buried her there.”
”Thought you said she spoke to you here in the room.”
”Yes, she did.”
”So why are you saying she is in the cemetery.”
”Because she no longer comes here to speak to me.”
”Well, she didn't go back to the cemetery, she went up to the sky. Like I told you before, she is a star.”
”I want to go with you to see her,” she said as she climbed down from the bed and struggled into her flip flops.
”Dad doesn't want you to go outside at night.”
She walked over to me and responded, ”He will allow me if he knows we are going to speak to mum.”
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”She is right, let's go,” Kompa said from behind me.
”Okay, but don't say I didn't tell you,” I said as I turned and walked into the corridor.
Kompa, Eghe Boom Boom and I filed out of the room and made our way to the living room where my dad was still speaking angrily over the phone.
When we got there, my dad was walking back and forth. His left hand was drawing circles in the air like a choirmaster as he spoke on the phone.
”I have a transplant for my daughter to pay for, so please don't tell me that this deal cannot go through. I have done my part of it, it is left for you to do your part as you promised!”
Kompa walked to the main door and sat down there.Eghe Boom Boom and I stood a short distance from my dad and before I could speak, she called out to him.
”Daddy, can I go with Osaik and Kompa to speak with Mummy up in the sky?”
My dad didn't hear her at first. It was as if he didn't even notice we were there. He just kept on speaking.
”…can't you understand what I am saying? I will be totally broke if you do not make this happen. I have spent nearly all I have to pay the designers for the preparation and documentation for the contract. I need the money to pay for the transplant once a match is found.”
Eghe Boom Boom walked up to him, pulled on his jeans and shouted at the top of her voice, ”Daddy!”
My dad looked down at her and spoke into the phone, ”Give me a minute, please.”
He turned to Eghe Boom Boom. ”What is the problem, sweetheart?”
”Can I go with Osaik and Kompa to speak with Mummy up in the sky?”
My dad looked over at me.
I shrugged and said, ”I told her you don't want her to go outside at night.”
”But, Daddy, I want to speak with Mummy. I miss her very, very, very much!” she said it with desperation.
He looked back at her and ran his finger through her hair, ”Okay, love. You can go but go wear something thicker and remember to tell Mummy that Daddy misses her too.”
”Thank you, Dad. You are the best!”
She kissed his leg and ran towards her room, shouting, ”Osaik, wait for me!”
Dad went back on the phone and in no time was speaking angrily over the phone. I stood there worried as I heard the phrases, ”no money” and ”transplant” being repeated over and over again.
”Looks like getting a match is not our only problem,” Kompa said in a whine.
Before I could respond, Eghe Boom Boom ran back into the living room. She was wearing her Minnie Mouse sweater.
”Let's go!” She announced as she pretended to be out of breath.
I turned and opened the door. Kompa stepped out to the staircase in front of the house. I stepped aside for Eghe Boom Boom.
”Thank you!” She skipped out.
Then I followed and locked the door behind me, cutting off the voice of my dad who was still speaking angrily over the phone.
Dauda watched us silently from the guardhouse as we walked to the back of the house, but he didn't follow us.
When we got there, we stood and looked up at the sky. The stars were spread out as far as the eyes could see.
”Hello, Mum, it's Osaik,” I said as I searched the sky to find the winking star.
”Where is she?” Eghe Boom Boom asked while looking at the sky.
I didn't respond, my eyes were fixated high above.
”Osaik, show me Mum,” Eghe Boom Boom pulled on my arm.
Just then, I saw a star wink at me.
”There,” I pointed up at it.
Eghe Boom Boom and Kompa followed my pointed finger.
”Where?” she asked again, craning her neck.
”There,” I said.
Kompa barked twice.
”Kompa says he has seen her.”
”Why haven't I seen her?” Eghe Boom Boom asked.
”Follow my finger and look at all those stars to your left. You have to be patient and you have to concentrate. Just follow my hand,” I said, still pointing at the star.
Eghe Boom Boom stood there quietly, staring up at the sky. It felt like a very long time had passed before she shouted, ”I see her. She is winking at me.”
”Yes. That is Mum.”
”Hi, Mum, it is me, Boom Boom,” she shouted, waving up at the star. Then she turned to me and said, ”Can she speak?”
”If you listen quietly enough, she might speak to you in your mind.”