WHAT WILL BE

It had been a month. A month of strange feelings, not like any usual one she knew. She was waiting patiently on the chair outside the doctor's office like every other patient, waiting for the scan result. She was anxious and her palms were all sweaty already. "Oh God, this should be something minor" she kept murmuring to herself the whole while. "Miss Pearl Brighwoods" a nurse called out her name standing by the doctor's office door. Pearl signified by raising her hands. "You may go in now" the nurse added. Pearl nodded, stood up and gave the nurse a half smile which certainly didn't come from her heart. Opening the door, she hesitantly walked into the office. "Good day doctor" she greeted, again with another half smile which also did not come from her heart. "Good day ma'am. Pearl Brighwoods right?" She nodded. "Alright then. Have a seat" the doctor urged which she obliged to. This time, she could literally hear her heart beating, and so could anyone sitting quite close to her. The doctor sighed "Miss Pearl Brighwoods, this is your scan results" he said picking up an envelope on his table. "According to this results..." he continued with a sigh "You are HIV positive" he added. The last statement shook Pearl... she could feel the tears welling up in her eyes. "So, mom has been right all along" she thought to herself. "But, how did I get infected with HIV? I'm pure to all levels, Ken isn't HIV positive, and supposedly he is, we haven't done anything intimate before, and I don't have an affair with anyone else, so how?". Pearl was lost in thoughts. "Ma'am?" the doctor called out drawing her out of her thoughts. "Do...doctor...H...ow is... how is...this possible? I'm still a virgin" she said, tears flowing down her cheeks. "This disease isn't transmitted through intimacy only, sharing of personal belongings and other objects used by an infected person also spreads the disease" the doctor explained Then, it dawned on her that she must have contacted the disease at the salon. She remembered walking in and met a young lady trimming her nails with the scissors and mistakenly cut herself. And it was same scissor used by the lady that was later used by the salon staff to help her trim her nails. "But it can still be managed. You're lucky you came at the right time, it isn't a full blown AIDS yet. And with the right diet, medication, and regular check ups, it can be curtailed". "I'd prescribe some drugs you'll get from the nurse" the doctor added, getting out a small notebook from one of the drawers. Pearl was simply short of words, was she going to live with this disease forever, she thought. And then again, the warnings of Mr Martino rang in her head "No daughter in law of the Martino family must have a critical sickness or disease, the Martinos must be hale and hearty. Any one of you with a sickness that might harm this family, feel free to speak up and leave..." "Here you go ma'am' the doctor said, cutting her thinking short, handing her the test results and a written handbill. "That's your test result and prescriptions, the drugs would cost you a total of 250 dollars. Please get the drugs from the hospital's pharmacist before leaving" he added. "And also be here next week Friday and other subsequent Fridays to see how you're coping. We'd start your therapy next week also". Pearl just nodded, standing up. "Goodbye doctor" she managed to say as she walked out the office and made her way to the pharmacist. She finished up at the hospital and took a cab home