The Runs Girl

Episode 45

“He will not let you fall; your protector is always
awake. The protector of Israel never dozes or sleeps.
The lord will guard you; he is by your side to protect
you. The sun will not hurt you during the day, nor the
moon during the night. The lord will protect you from
all danger; he will keep you safe. He will protect you as
you come and go now and forever…”
I fell asleep as soon as I finished reading the psalm
and had a terrible dream.
In the dream, my mother was crying profusely over the
loss of her daughter. It was reported that the daughter
died mysteriously of an illness no one could explain.
My mother was rolling on the floor and screaming at
the top of her voice.
Then I woke up.
My entire body was covered with sweat and my
temperature was high and I had headache as well.
I got up from the bed and went and drank two tablets
of paracetamol.
Then I lay back on the bed.
The time was 5 o’clock in the evening and the sun was
hurriedly going down.
I didn’t know if there was a link between my dream
and my current ill-health till baba’s words flashed
across my mind.
“…On no account should any other eye see this soap
and for no reason should any other body bath with this
soap. If they do, all the diseases that were washed off
would return and engulf you…”
The baba’s words were as clear as anything I could
think of; most especially, the part that said: “…If they
do, all the diseases that were washed off would return
and engulf you…”
It was obvious that the increase in temperature and
headache I was having weren’t of natural causes but
were signs of bigger health maladies to come.
I grabbed my bible and swept to psalm 69 in no time.
“Save me O God!” I read. “The water is upto my neck; I
am sinking in deep mud, and there is no solid
ground…”
A knock on my door interrupted me in the middle of my
prayers.
“Who is that?” I asked sitting up weakly on my bed.
“Its me Mirabel,” came the reply.
I stood up and went to open the door for her. One look
at me and she knew I wasn’t fine.
“What’s the matter this time?” She asked peering into
my face.
“I’m falling sick,” I replied. “My body is hot and I’m
having headache.”
“Have u taken any medicine?” She asked.
“Yes I took paracetamol,” I replied.
“Ok that’s good. You will get better,” she said. “Just
came to check on you.”
“Please stay with me,” I pleaded. “If you leave me here
all alone I might die before morning.”
Mirabel stared at me with fear written all over her face.
“Alright no problem,” she replied. “Let me lock my
door; will be right back.”
She left to lock her door and few minutes later, I heard
a knock on my door.
“Come in,” I responded thinking it was Mirabel.
My door clicked open and a fat woman walked into my
room dagger in hand…