Storytime Tapestry Newsletter

The newsletter devoted to spreading love and cultural awareness around the world.

Carol’s Corner

August 1, 2007

The following story is one of my stories which has been revised and sold.

Prognosis Negative

Carol Roach

My uncle Ronnie was a sickly child from birth. The doctors predicted that he would not live to be two years old. He was not able to drink or eat without vomiting constantly. He was severely malnourished. But in 1936 when he was born, the quality of hospital care in our ghetto community left a lot to be desired and he was sent home basically to die.

Given the type of woman that my grandmother was, she would not accept the fact that her baby would not live. Though she constantly sought doctor after doctor yearning to find at least one who would offer her a ray of hope, the search was in vain.

My grandmother still maintained her regular pediatrician as she had two other healthy children. In addition, she began to listen to anyone and everyone who might be able to do what inevitably the doctors couldn't, for her infant son.  She would stop at nothing to save him. At this point she had no other choice, if she did nothing he would die.

She tried home remedy after home remedy and still Ronnie was not able to keep down much food. He was already 18 months old and his time on this earth was running out. Finally she heard of an old man whom the old people venerated for his ability to cure people when the doctors had given up hope.

She bundled up her three young children and took them to see this man on a cold winter's night. She was willing to put all her faith in this old man and perhaps seal the fate of her baby by doing so. But what choice did she have?

The old man, she recounted, was very creepy indeed, but she didn't care, she was desperate. She let him examine Ronnie and after hearing her story, he prepared a concoction and told her to go home and add it to Ronnie's milk at his next feeding time. She was to use all of it and to make sure that Ronnie drank no matter what she had to do to get him to do it. After that the old man assured her that he would be just fine.

Though a bit leery after meeting this strange fellow, she decided that she would still give Ronnie the concoction. Regardless of how creepy this man appeared if he could help her baby then she must give it a try.

With much trepidation, she did it. She gave the concoction to Ronnie at his regular feeding time while she watched and waited. During the feeding he started to cough, but she was told to feed it to "no matter what", so she did.

As she said, "those first minutes after giving my baby the slimy greenish concoction were the worst few minutes of my life. I watched and waited, not quite sure what would happen".

What did happen was that Ronnie's cough became more intense. He began gasping for breath and he was starting to turn blue. Her heart pounded. She felt that she had just killed her baby son.

Ronnie let out one very violent cough and out came a large solid mass. Once done, Ronnie stopped coughing, his normal colour came back to him and he was alright.

Ronnie started eating normally and had a rather gluttonous appetite to say the least. He started gaining weight and within no time he was given a clean bill of health from his doctor.

The doctor was amazed at the progress Ronnie was making and asked my grandmother what she had done to make it happen. My grandmother refused to tell him and said to him "that some things are better left unsaid". The doctor replied, "Well whatever it was it was good and good for you for not giving up hope. You have saved your baby's life because of it".

My grandmother was afraid to tell the doctor for fear that he might "lock her up" as she said. However, since neither of these people are alive today: the old man, the doctor, my grandmother, nor Ronnie, I feel that it is safe to tell you the secret. The mysterious concoction that saved my uncle's life was made up of various herbs; the primary herb being none other than catnip.

Carol Roach

winterose@videotron.ca

Check out her newest book,

Angels Watching Over Me. http://www.lulu.com/content/964306