When Ellaisaire turned on her mobile phone, there were several missed calls.
Text messages also came in one after the other in quick succession. She chose not to look at the messages and made no effort to call back. She knew that her aide was able to handle any medical emergency. As she walked past the receptionist, who was busy on the phone, by the Administrator's office, and presently she was at her office. She unlocked her door but before she could get in, hasty footsteps interrupted her.
She turned round to come face to face with the tea girl. By the look on her face, Ellaisaire sensed trouble.
She said, "Madam Ellaisaire, the Administrator wants to see you as a matter of utmost urgency."
Ellaisaire said, "I have only just arrived. I will see her in fifteen minutes."
The tea girl answered that her job was done and as quickly as she had walked in, she walked out.
Ellaisaire thought to herself, "If the tea girl could deliver a message from the Administrator, she could just as well deliver a message from me."
Therefore, at this point, there was no need to worry and she used these fifteen minutes to update herself. She noticed that one expectant mother was relocated and figured it out that, either she was at the theatre, morgue, or had been transferred to another medical facility. Her aide was not in her officer, neither was she in the maternity ward.
She walked calmly to the Administrator's office. Finding her engaged, she decided to follow up on the expectant mother on bed 7. When she got the information she needed, she came back to the Administrator's office just in time to find her at the door, seeing off her guest. The guest happened to be a close relative.
Ellaisaire asked, "Did you ask to see me, madam?"
The Administrator said, "yes, but as you can see, I am leaving." She added, "You may see the Director."
When Ellaisaire went to the Director's office, the door was locked from inside. She went back to her office and carried on with her work. For her work as a nurse was more than duty. It was a calling. Had she not been sworn with an oath to deliver with due diligence all that appertains to care for the ill and dying? By what means then, and for what purpose would anyone be justified to sidetrack her from her noble task? She, therefore, put all her cares behind her so that she might give herself fully to her job. An honest day's bread was earned by hard work and commitment.
Ellaisaire's afternoon was as tasteless as dry cardboards and she endured it all. She thought to herself "I have seen worse; this one too will pass." Her workmates gave her a wide berth. Patients too. They conspired with the rest to give her stress to the maximum.
She never let this bother her. Her day was done and there was nothing to fear.
She had done her best and that is what mattered. With her handbag over her shoulder and attitude of grace and an outlook of optimism, she left her workplace. This is how she was poised as she walked out of the St. Helena Medical Centre.
Jose and Ellaisaire parted ways at 1:45 pm. He felt empty. He had looked forward to a romantic afternoon with the woman he loved. They had seen difficult times in the past; times when bare necessities were a luxury. They had been a laughing stock and a case study of an individual's rise and fall from grace to grass. Things had changed. He, nevertheless, knew what to do. He knew of a friend, one who could help him straighten up things. That man was Dladla or Armadillo - a man of this world.
When Jose rang Armadillo, he did so, knowing that his plans for the day would be approved. The time, venue, and agenda were agreed upon within just a few minutes. He needed to pass by the supermarket because he was sure he'd be late to come home today. Having done this, he took a quick shower, draped casually, and left the house. He looked forward to Armadillo's boisterous laughter.
Armadillo cared little for having to queue at an activated teller machine as he did, sending e-mails. He cared about a firm handshake for a greeting and the warm smile given by a bank teller. To him, life was when people rubbed shoulders and made peace.
What he knew about God or religion was purposely useful to him for ridicule and molestation of believers. He viewed himself 'as the one your mother warned you about and would from time to time quote the Englishman who said that life is not about the number of years you live, but rather the amount of life in the years you live. This is how he justified his party animal lifestyle.
This is the man Jose had set to meet.
The Replete Voyager was a popular meeting, drinking, and eating point in town. Located conveniently at an intersection on a superhighway linking two major towns, this three-star hotel attracted customers from far and wide. Here you will meet men, women, young and old coming for a seminar, passing through, or just having fun. You will also find a lonely patron, a family or relatives of a family member who needs to raise money for a medical bill, school fee, burial expense, or a wedding. They all congregated here each having their agenda.
The Replete Voyager, also known as the Water Hole was owned by a wealthy man.
It was almost half-past three when Jose arrived here. About a dozen or so guests could be seen lazily whiling away the time. A cursory glance yielded no sight of Armadillo. He, therefore, made himself comfortable at a strategic location, then ordered for a glass of orange juice and now sipped at it as the events of the day unfolded.