Saira - TI5 (11 page)

Seems like a waste to throw those things out
.
I bet they must recycle that stuff somehow. I'll have to remember to ask Yemaya what they do with their sheets when they get dirty.

Wrapping her arms around Maopa, she quickly fell asleep.

*  *  *

Waking up was always a long process, or so it seemed to Maopa. Eyes closed, she would lie still, trying to make sense of her surroundings and the noises around her. It felt as though her brain were struggling to climb out of some deep, dark hole in its efforts to regain the consciousness it had so easily abandoned the night before. In her earlier life, she had always been up before sunrise. Now she could barely drag herself out of bed until well after the birds were up. The worst way to wake up was hearing the irritating ringing of the telephone. Today was one of those days. Grumbling, she groped around the small table by the bed and finally found the offending object.

"What in tarna... dang... Devereaux," she said, trying to collect her thoughts.

"Hello? Ms. Devereaux? This is Sandra at Dr. Winslow's office. I was calling to remind you of your appointment today."

"Appointment?"

"Yes. You're scheduled for your physical at three."

"Oh. Well, ken't we do it in a few weeks?" Maopa asked, desperately trying to figure out what a fiseecal was.

"I'm sorry, Ms. Devereaux, but you know how busy the doctor is. We couldn't work you in for another four months. Dr. Winslow's going on her yearly 'Doctors Without Borders' commitment. She'll be gone for three months."

"Dang. Okay. Never you mind, dearie. We'll be thar at three."

"Thank you. See you here," the disgustingly cheerful woman on the other end replied.

After hanging up the phone, Maopa rolled on her back and swore. Next to her, Mari was sound asleep.

How in tarnation can anyone sleep through all that noise?
Maopa wondered before deciding they had better get going. Nudging the sleeping figure, she smirked when Mari growled slightly and slapped at her hand.

"Time we be a movin', sugah. We gots to go get my grandchil' a fiseecal."

"What's a fiseecal?" Mari opened one eye to glare at her partner.

"I don't know, but it's somethang she does every year so's it must be important."

Maopa jumped up and started toward the bathroom when she noticed the old pile of sheets and clothes had been reduced to a small lump of jeans and blouses.

"What happened thar?"

"Some men took them away earlier this morning."

"Yah let men in here while I be a sleepin?"

"No, of course not, silly. They were outside the window. I threw the sheets down to them, and they put them in some sort of truck. Said it was their job... and they come by here twice a week."

"I'll be danged. Seems like a waste, but if'n that's the way they does it, then it shore saves us from burnin' them."

"I imagine humans have outgrown burning their bedding, sweetie. It would be too wasteful."

"Yeah. They be into that recyclin' thang. Helps with savin' the planet. Anyways, better we be gettin' a move on it. I be right parched and hungry, and Willie said he's got some new wieners he be a wantin' us to try."

"Wonderful. I was getting a little tired of the others. Thought we'd try out something else today, maybe after your fiseecal. I heard pizza
was really good. By the way, just where are we supposed to be going?"

"Ain't got no idee, but Dakota's one of them thar note takers, so I figger it'll be writ down somewhere."

After showering and making a quick search around the apartment, Maopa found a reminder note on the refrigerator with the doctor's name and address.

They showed it to the taxi driver, sat back in the seat, and waited patiently while he sped through the city streets, reaching the address in less than twenty minutes.

"Thank ya, Jose. It always be fun ridin' with ya. Don't know how long we be inside, though."

"No problemo, Mees Dakota. Thees streets I know like back of hand. I wait. Maybe get taco down street."

"Yah do that."

Inside the office, they were greeted by the cheery receptionist, whose voice Maopa recognized from the phone call.

"It'll only be a few minutes, Ms. Devereaux. If you'll just take a seat, the nurse will be out shortly."

Maopa and Mari sat down near a stack of magazines and flipped through them.

"I never knowed people liked almost nekkid women so much... and would yah look at them? They don't have no meat on them bones."

"I know. Maybe that's why the magazines are here... to show women what they'll look like if they don't take good care of themselves," Mari said, turning the pages.

"That probably —"

"Ms. Devereaux, the nurse will see you now," Sandra called out.

Standing, Mari and Maopa started toward the door.

"Sorry, miss, but only Ms. Devereaux can go back. You can wait out here if you want."

"Over mah —"

Mari nudged Maopa with her elbow.

"I mean, um, Ms. Lysanne here." She paused. "Look, either she goes with me or we leaves here and yah keeps yoh fiseecal."

Looking confused, Sandra relented. "That's okay. Go on back."

A woman in a blue shirt and matching slacks motioned them forward and pointed at an open door. "If you'll just step in there and put this on, we can get started." She handed Maopa a pale blue garment. Once the door was closed behind them, Maopa held it up and examined it for a few seconds. Made of paper, it was barely long enough to cover the breasts and stomach.

"This be a strange lookin' shirt. I ain't sure it'll fit over the rest of mah clothes. I figgers this here paper won't last five minutes if'n I moved around in it. What in tarnation does I need ta wear an ugly thang like this fer?"

"Maybe it's to keep something from spilling on you. You should probably do what she told you," Mari said.

Maopa slipped her arms in the sleeves, pulled the gown over her shoulders, and sat down. Distracted by several anatomical charts on the walls, she squinted at the fine print next to several lines going to different parts of the body.

"Thar be some strange stuff in here. I ain't seen nothin like this. Old sawbones in mah day had a few jars and sharp knives and that be it."

"Just goes to show how things change."

"Shore do."

A light knock on the door interrupted their chat, and the nurse walked in and gave Maopa a strange look.

"Is something wrong, Ms. Devereaux?"

"Naw... 'cept this is kinda small."

"Excuse me?"

"This... thang. It be, I mean, it's a little small."

The nurse laughed. "I never realized you had such a good sense of humor. Dr. Winslow will be in shortly. I need to get your BP and temp. When the doctor's done, we can get your weight and draw some blood for the multi-phasic profile. You haven't eaten today, have you?"

"Only a few of them wieners, but that was a few hours ago."

"That's not good. Maybe next time we should schedule you in the morning. I guess you can come back tomorrow for the blood work."

Mari watched the nurse strap a large black thing around Maopa's arm and pump it up.

"We have this new digital BP reader," the nurse said. "It's pretty cool."

"Uh huh." Maopa wondered just how tight the woman was going to make the black band. "You ain't tryin' to squeeze my arm off, are yah?"

The nurse chuckled as she scanned the numbers and wrote them on the chart. Then she placed another object against Maopa's ear and held it for a second. Looking at that number, she wrote it beside the other number.

"Everything looks good so far," she said, handing Maopa another paper object. "Now, if you'll just finish getting undressed, you can use this to cover the rest of you."

The nurse picked up the chart and left the two startled spirits alone.

"She don't mean..."

"I think she does."

"I'm suppose to get bare ass nekkid and put this here thang on... and nothin' else?"

"That's what she said."

"Hell, I don't even know the woman."

"Apparently she knows you, or rather, Dakota. I wonder what that granddaughter of yours was doing before she met Yemaya."

"Me too. I thank we gonna hafta have a good talk, that youngin and I."

"You'd better hurry up. I get the impression time means something to these people. Just think of it as a new adventure and doing Dakota a favor. Obviously these fiseecals are important."

Grumbling, Maopa undressed, put on the top, and wrapped the paper drape around her waist. Pulling the edges together, she held them tightly with her right hand. After another knock on the door, the nurse walked in, pushing a large metal box on wheels.

"Good. Now hop on the table, and we'll get the EKG done and then I'll get the doctor. Just lie back and don't move."

Before Maopa realized what was happening, several small patches were stuck to her ankles and chest. The nurse attached wires to them, and the machine started spewing out a small strip of paper with crooked lines. Then the nurse removed the wires, pulled off the sticky patches, and walked out of the room, pushing the box in front of her.

"Be right back," she said.

"Well, if'n that ain't the most peeculyar thing I ever seen," Maopa said, sitting up and swinging her legs over the side of the table. Kicking them back and forth like a small child, she looked extremely unhappy. She saw Mari start to grin at her, but cover her mouth with her hand and pretend to yawn.

"It definitely was different," Mari said. "Wonder what's next?"

A soft knock on the door prevented any further comments. In walked the nurse, followed by a slender black woman.

"Hi, Dakota. How have you been feeling since your last visit?"

Reaching out to shake Maopa's hand, the doctor glanced at Mari curiously. "I'm sorry, but I don't think we've met. I'm Dr. Winslow," she said, smiling slightly.

"I'm Yemaya, Dakota's friend."

"I see. You're the first friend she's ever invited to be present for a pap test, so I'm assuming you must be more than just a friend," Doctor Winslow said, her brown eyes sparkling with humor.

"You could say that."

"Good. It's about time she found someone and settled down."

Maopa squirmed slightly as Dr. Winslow turned toward her.

"Something wrong?"

"This dang blasted paper is stickin' to my rear end."

Looking at the nurse, Dr. Winslow chuckled. "You didn't order that cheap stuff did you?"

"Certainly not."

"Well, check into another brand. I can't have my patients walking around with paper stuck to them."

Dr. Winslow pulled her stethoscope from her jacket pocket, snapped the earpieces in place, and picked up the heart monitor. Reaching out, she gently pried the material from Maopa's fingers and pushed it aside.

"Something you're not telling me?" she asked. “And what’s with the hillbilly accent? You practicing for a role in that new play, Mountain Mary? I heard the director had put out a call for anyone with a country accent.”

Maopa glared at the doctor and then decided to ignore the question.

"Tain’t nothin’ wrong with how I be talkin’. Ah’m just a little nervous, yah might say."

"I guess that’s as good an explanation as any,” the doctor replied, deciding not to pursue Dakota’s strange accent. “After all these years, I still don't know why you act this way. I'd think you'd be used to this by now," Dr. Winslow replied, laughing. "As soon as I listen to your heart and lungs, we'll get the rest over with quickly."