RUTH ABOKO KU "Love On Top"
(The concluding part.)

The barber !!!, yes the barber...
I had to locate the barber.
Apart from the love of my life, he was the only one that could answer this troubling questions.
I rushed into the room and picked up my check book and some other random materials.
Confusion played in my head.
Should I head to the hospital or I should go look for the barber?? I wasn't sure.
I left the house, feeling like I had forgotten something important.
Oh yes, the "Brokoto" I hadn't disposed it and disinfected the dining table. That wasn't important now.
I marched forward.
MUKAILA KUKO, the name rang like a bell.
I marched forward.
Positive HIV test results, what was the connection??
I marched forward.
The building was big and ugly, it was a dull red, with ugly posters and ugly faces peering through the windows.
Everything was ugly !!!
There was a crowd. There was wailing. There was a suicide !!!
No one wanted to talk to me, but I needed answers. I saw an old woman across the street, she was roasting corns. I walked up to her.
"Mama good afternoon, she didn't even look at me, she recited the price of the roasted corns. I wasn't interested.
Mama, please I'm looking for the barber that owns the hair salon across the street.
She went on and on, the only words that stuck to my memory were sharp and short. " as the barber see say he get HIV/AIDS, na so he kill himself o"
The barber was dead, he committed suicide after he found out that he was HIV positive.
I left the place feeling more confused than I was. I wanted to see the love of my life.
I marched forward.
The traffic light was on green. The cars could move.
I wasn't bothered . I matched forward. I was confused, green could pass for red. I wasn't concerned. The drivers came to halt , screaming and cursing as I marched forward.
I was unbothered.
I had to see the love of my life.
*************
The silence was loud. It screamed.
He stared at me, and I listened to his songs of silence. I wanted to ask him several questions, but I couldn't .
We had to go for an HIV test, that was the only logical explanation I could come up with. The barber was dead, the love of my life could not communicate and the hiv test result was still with me.
I didn't care about MUKAILO KUKO anymore, he could ride to hell for all I care.
We had to wait for our turn. The queue was long and strange.
Even babies came to test for HIV
I could never have imagined. The doctor called on us and the whole episode was long and boring.
We had to wait for about an hour before the test results came in.
The love of my life was beside me. We were still together, that was all that mattered to me.
Its amazing how the devil plays with our head.
" The love of your life has been cheating on you, why else would you need to come for an HIV test, he is a cheat!, he doesn't deserve your love, leave him, let him suffer...he cheated on you"
Satan be gone!!
What terrible thoughts, he would never cheat on me. He is the love of my life.
The test result came in.
He tested positive.
HIV POSITIVE.

**********************
Friends never came. Families texted us. It was the short and empty text messages.
The first came from my dad.
" I heard the news, u need to move on , his life is ruined. I was never in support of the marriage"
There was one from my sister
" I told you he was a wrong choice, now brace up and let's get you a proper man."
A mothers love supercedes all...
" My daughter, sorry I'v not been able to visit you, your father wouldn't allow me. I pray for you. I pray for you always. Stay protected..regards to your man"
" My dear daughter, I should be able to visit you soon. Let me know of any decision you want to make. I will support you. I trust you would make a wise decision"
Wise decision??..whatever she meant.

********************
The speech pathologist became part of our lives, he was a sweet young man. Nice and warm. He was a friend.
The love of my life responded to treatment.
But he couldn't communicate just yet.
How did things get this way??
The love of my life is a vegetable. He is HIV positive.
Life is black.
I hated black.
I would take off every shades of black.
I would tint my hair to a bright gold.
I would burn down the black shoes and ties.
We had enough of black in our lives,
Pain and sorrow is black.
We had pain and sorrow.
I broke down in tears, the tear drops were hot, they burned my cheeks.
I wanted a cup of strongly brewed lipton.

*********
Everyone wanted me to leave the love of my life. The man is finished, you are young and beautiful... they said.
Ignorant lot....what did they know about love.
He was the love of my life, he his the love of my life.
**********
I got married at the age of 22.
The accident was several months after our wedding.
I'm 23 years old now.
My breast were still firm. My hair was a tinted gold. No more black.
The speech pathologist stopped coming after six straight months of service.
The love of my life could wink when he was dissatisfied, he could smile when he was hungry, he could sniff his nose when he had to use the loo. He could bite his lips when he wanted sex. Sex made him glow. He could communicate. He was happy. Well that was what I thought.
There was still a question unanswered.
If he never cheated, how did HIV come to play ??
I wanted an answer, but I was ready to wait. He would talk to me one day, he would regain his ability to produce speech...
*
It was a bright sunday morning. I hadn't been to the church in a years. I was going to attend the church service today. I had to pray. I had to pray for the love of my life. I had to thank God for the gift of life.
The church service lasted about 3 hrs. The pastor preached about love and persevearance.
Something gained.
I left the church when the service when ended. I had to cook something different today. I made a quick mental deduction as I approached a fat woman.
She sold "Brokoto". We were never going to eat "Brokoto" again. I made this promise the day I disinfected the dining area. I walked past the display of cow legs.
I was going to cook "Efo riro" . That is different.
I got all that I needed. I headed home. There was a smile on my face, I was goin to meet the love of my life, The one who I lived for.

********
There was a smile on his face.
He was putting on an expensive linen shirt.
There was a knife on the bed.
There was a long thick rope on the bed.
There was a bottle on the bed.
There was a paper on the bed.
I walked towards him. He was cold as ice.
He was dead.
I picked up the paper, the love of my life had written a letter. I smiled.
" mAi there whyF, ai NEfa chEEted On YUU. MOoKAilah kuKO was HIV pORsitiv. Thii BArBa yoused sAme Clipper for us. I HAd a dEEp cut. Wii were edED 2 H.I.-fii testINg senta.
Ai lorV yUuu diiplii, diply, deply, DEEPLY!."
I made a quick mental translation.
" My dear wife, I never cheated on you. Mukaila Kuko was H.I.V positive. The barber used the same clipper for us. I had a deep cut. We were headed to H.I.V testing center. I love you deeply".
He loved me. He loved me deeply. Love on top. Love is all that matters.
I had to look good.
I decided to put on a print material.
Ankara.
It was an expesive one, a yard sold for 7000 naira. It had to be the best of everything for the love of my life.
My make-up was heavy. The lipstick was a bright red. The eyeshadow was gold. The foundation powder suited my skin color. I was beautiful.
I gulped the contents of the bottle. It was the colour of death.
The taste was strong.
Belladona was the name. It meant Beautiful woman in Italian.
I layed beside the love of my life. My head rested on his broad chest. I smiled. I was going to be with him. I closed my eyes. I was afterall RUTH.
RUTH ABOKO KU.

THE END.

Written By : Odutuyo Adeyinka Sasa-Eniyan.