Daily Use Sequel: 10 Years Later

It has been 10 years since Dee, or Wangero, has come by. I called Wangero, and she should be coming down any minute, to see her sick sister. Maggie, Dee’s younger sister, got infected by unknown fatal disease, and is lying on the bed. I should have sent her to the hospital, but I couldn’t afford any medicine. I am just a powerless mother, who can’t do anything, who watches her own child die out. But I have tried catching some animals that were told to be helpful, and it seems like it wasn’t. And now, at the last minute, I called the doctor with Dee’s help, and she is coming down.

Maggie is pale, always sweating. She is 25 this year, she should be having her own happy life by now, but she is caught in this naughtiness. It has been 3 months since she was sick, at first she seemed like she just caught the flu, coughing and with some temperature rising. She would smile and everything seemed alright until the second week. She started to loose energy, and consciousness. Now, she lies on the bed with red spots all over her, just huffing warm air. She has no more hair, and has cracked skin, and is really thin, even thinner than Dee.

A knock comes from the door.

I turn and head to the door frantically, opening the door to find Dee. She her face seemed calm, but you could tell by the swelling of the eyes and the shriveled hair that she cried.

“Where’s Maggie, where is she?” she asked me as she walked past. She found her even before I told her. Maggie rested in her own room, right in front of the living room, same as the past.

As soon as Dee saw Maggie, she halted for a moment and slowly walked to her side. Tears uncontrollably started flowing through the sides of her eyes, her face slowly crumbling. ‘Her crying face hasn’t changed,’ I thought to myself.

“Maggie… Maggie…” Dee mumbled to herself as she caressed Maggie’s face. “Mama, what what happened… why is she like this?”

“I first thought that it was a normal flu, and it was just getting worser, and…”

“This isn’t flu Mama. Did she go to the hospital? Did she meet a doctor before today. Mama?” By now, I was by Maggie’s side, holding her fragile hand.

“I’m sorry Dee.”

“No Mama. No! Why? Three months?! That’s crazy! Why…” Dee slumped her head to Maggie’s bed, moping. ‘I know I am stupid. I wonder if Dee and Maggie would forgive me. No, I don’t need forgiveness.’ I thought.

Just then another knock comes echoing through the sad silence. Before I even turned around, Dee was already at the door, dragging the doctor to Maggie.

The doctor wore a white gown, as normal doctors in picture books wore. He had short curly brown hair, and wore a round eyeglass. Moreover, the shocking news was that he was white. I stood there, stunned at the fact that a white was here at my house, examining my daughter.

“Why have you just left her like this?” He looked at me, probably asking for an answer, but I immediately, looked down, avoiding his eye.

Realising the fact, he just continued talking on his own. “ It’s too late ma’am. You have left her too long with this disease. This disease is fatal, but I can wake her up for a few minutes and that’s all I can do. After that… you know.” And after that, he let go of Maggie’s right hand, and started opening up her shirt.

Dee was walking away, hands over her head, probably to hide her trembling tears.

He placed his black case on the table where the lamp was, and opened it up, revealing long thin tube and some thing with sharp needles. He started to touch Maggie’s stomach, as if trying to find something. He slowly placed the sharp needle inside of Maggie and inserted some yellow liquid. I should stop him, but I can’t retaliate. He is white.

A few minutes passed and suddenly Maggie woke up. Dee and I immediately rushed to her side, shaking her arms violently.

“Maggie! Maggie!” Dee yelled. “How do you feel? Maggie? Talk!”

Maggie didn’t seem to hear Dee. Instead she skimmed her eyes through me and Dee, and smiled, and closed her eyes. The white doctor came by her side and placed his hands on her chest and pushed repeatedly mumbling something. Soon, he stopped, and checked his time. And then he spoke. “2022 November 12th, 2:36pm, Maggie Marcello passes away.”

2 days later, Dee comes back, and asked me for the quilt. I had no reason to refuse, so I handed the quilt over to Dee. She seemed to understand what I wanted her to. A heritage is more than a physical treasure.

Now I will be living in this quiet and empty house. I hope Dee visits often.