Kalabano


Another bright and sunny day. This morning I looked for the homeless children but they had already moved on. A woman was sweeping the store fronts where they slept. 

Despite a dry and sunny day, our journey to the clinic was not shortened significantly, there was still a tremendous tie-up in Ukhia.

Children played on riding toys outside the clinic when we arrived with the sun shining cheerfully on them. The Monsoon seemed far away.



A middle-aged man was particularly upset about feeling weak, blaming the antibiotic which he took a week ago to treat his bladder infection. His appetite had also been poor, I could sense that he wanted a satisfactory answer for his problems and I had none for him. One wondered if being cooped up in the camp could be a reasonable explanation for his problems.

My last patient was Kalabano, I was told it meant black diamond. She was dressed in a black abaya studded with sparkling diamond-like crystals. Like many of the patients I have seen, she complained of aches and pain in her body but she stated it with such an animated flourish and a big smile, revealing her pan-stained teeth.


The wind blew and the sky darkened.  Just when we finished seeing Kalabano, the rain came, splashing through the wire mesh of the windows of my clinic room. It was not a prolonged rainstorm, within ten minutes, it stopped.



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