08:51am, September 24
Nsukka, Enugu State.

It was a bright Tuesday morning when Mrs Okenwa took Eniiyi back to the hospital for check up. Lastborn, afraid he'd get bored if he went, had opted to play over at a neighbour's.

Now they were in the doctor's (specialist, said the nurse) waiting room, doing what people did in waiting rooms; waiting.

Eniiyi wiped her palms on her jeans and tried to sit straighter. It was strange that she was nervous about what she wasn't even sure of. They had said the doctor specialized in cases like hers so he could look into her alacrimia. But what if she was really more diseased than was obvious? She knew that alacrimia was accompanied by two other syndromes but she didn't have any, which she had thought weird. What if the doctor discovered she now had them all? What was going to happen to her now?

'Eniiyi, are you alright? You're fidgeting.' China placed a hand on the small of her back.

That simple touch calmed her a little. She released her hold of a breath and looked up at the older woman.

'I'm okay, ma. I'm just nervous about seeing the doctor.'

'We can come back tomorrow, if you want. I'll —'

'No, no. I can do this, I have to and just get it over with. I'm fine,' the little girl said more to convince herself than the woman.

Eniiyi, you're not a coward. So, stop behaving like one. The doctor is not going to eat you up! she chastised herself.

China Okenwa couldn't get her gaze off the girl, not sure if to believe her or not.

'Beh beh,' said baby Kanayo.

'Yes, yes,' she said in agreement.

Eniiyi smiled at the baby, showing off all her milk-white teeth. 'Can you repeat that?' she said, leaning closer to him.

The baby reached out a fat hand and plucked at Eniiyi's nose.

Eniiyi laughed, tickled.

Kanayo laughed back, a rich, innocent sound. Then he continued trying to paw off the girl's nose, until his mother juggled him gently on her laps and he stopped immediately, curling into her body with a yawn.

The mother smiled fondly and carried him to rest on her shoulder.

Eniiyi smiled at the baby too, forgetting her worries in that moment until the doctor appeared, that is.

He bustled into the room, dressed in a strange overcoat and headed directly for his office door, nodding to them and the receptionist on the way.

'Sir . . .' the lady called after him, catching the door before it slammed back into its frame. 'I will be back in a minute,' she said to them and disappeared in.

She was out seconds later to announce that the specialist would see them now.

Okay, Eniiyi, here goes nothing . .

She was hit with the coldness of the room, on stepping in. It was like a stinging slap on the face. She flinched and let the feeling wash over her before stepping in, closely followed by Mrs Okenwa.

'Ụtụtụ ọma,' China greeted.

'Good morning, sir,' Eniiyi followed.

'Good morning,' the doctor replied, glancing at them once before going back to making a show of packing some files.

'Do come along,' he said, motioning them towards a set of huge comfortable-looking sofas set off to a side of the room.

The plush black and wine sofas were four in number and they surrounded a gold and black glass-topped coffee table.

'My sincere apologies for the delay,' he started. 'I got held up at the observatory today —'

'Observatory?' China's interest was piqued.

The doctor paused in arranging files on the coffee table. 'Yes . . . I take an interest in Physics and Astronomy. I know it sounds incongruous, but I —'

'She lectures in Physics and Astronomy at the University!' It was Eniiyi that interrupted this time.

'Wow, that's really nice.' Then he took a proper look at China Okenwa. 'It's a great honour to meet you, ma'am. I'm Dr Edeh Chibuike.'

'The pleasure is mine,' China murmured and took his outstretched hand.

'So, you're the Eniyi I've been hearing about,' said the doctor.

'It is Eni iyi, not Eniyi, sir.'

'My bad.' The doctor winked.

'Down to business. I specialize in syndromes like yours. And in all my years of study I have never seen your kind of case before.'

China adjusted her sitting position and sat straighter. 'What do you mean?'

'Her disease, Alacrimia, is one of the three features of an inherited condition known as Triple A Syndrome. The remaining two are Addison disease which is the abnormality in the function of the adrenal glands . . Eniyi, do you know what the adrenal glands are?'

Eniiyi made a show of thinking then finally shook her head. 'No.'

'They secrete hormones that control the heart rate, metabolism, blood pressure and others. They are situated above each of your kidney. You may not understand this terms yet, your—'

'I do, sir. We were taught in Biology class in Primary Four.'

'Interesting,' said the doctor, peering down at her more closely. 'What class are you now?'

Eniiyi tried to hold down her chagrin. 'I'm going to start junior secondary school soon.'  She looked glum all of a sudden. 'That is if they find my parents.'

'Hey.' China but a hand soothingly on her back. 'It's gonna be alright.'

The doctor observed them for a few seconds in silence. 'And I heard of your parent's case. Do not despair, Eni iyi, they will be back soon.'

Eniiyi mentally palmed her face. Why had she even bothered to correct him?

'Thank you, sir.'

'I wasn't aware that they now have Biology in Primary School curriculum now,' the man said in thought. 'How the world is changing.'

'So where was I? Oh, yes. The third feature is Achalasia; a disorder that affects the ability to move food through the weasand; the oesophagus. What makes your own case rare is that most people with TAS, most times, have all the three, some two, but never one. And it is only one you've exhibited so far.

I'm still going to carry out some tests on you, but it's quite obvious that you're not suffering from Addison's or Achalasia. Or do you have the inability to swallow?'

Eniiyi shook her head. 'How do you know I don't have Addison's?'

'It is characterized by fatigue, darkening of skin, low blood pressure and the likes. You don't seem to have any of that. Or do you?'

Eniiyi shook her head again.

'I'm still going to carry out some tests on you, though.'

'Sir, you mentioned that the condition is inherited . . . does that mean her parents may have too?' China finally spoke up.

Dr Edeh smiled. 'The parents of children born with this condition each carry one copy of the mutated gene. They are called the 'carriers'. But they typically do not show signs and symptoms of the condition.'

'Okay. Does that mean every child they have is liable to have?'

'No. You see, when two carriers for the same autosomal recessive condition have a child, there's a twenty five percent, that is, one in four, chance that the child will have the condition, a fifty percent, that is, one in two, chance that the child will be a carrier like them, and a twenty five percent chance that the child will not have or be a carrier.

So, if they were to have children, it is possible that some may have, like her and some may just be carriers. And better still, some may neither have at all nor be a carrier.'

'Really?' said Eniiyi who had rather been secretly harbouring a wish for siblings.

'Yes, my dear.'

'Is there a cure for it?' she asked hopefully.

'Unfortunately, there is no cure for Triple A Syndrome yet. But Alacrimia can be managed by either applying topical lubricants such as artificial tears or ointments or with a procedure called punctal occlusion. This one closes the tear ducts that drain tears from the eye.'

'Can I do the punctal one?' Eniiyi asked, feeling hopeful again.

'No. It is usually only done when therapy with lubricants is unsuccessful. Furthermore, it will need your parent's permission.'

'Mrs China is here,' she whined.

The doctor looked up at China. 'Mrs China is—'

'Mrs Okenwa, please. China Okenwa. My bad I didn't introduce myself, sir.'

'Er, Mrs Okenwa is only your guardian. And a temporary one, from the files I read. Operations like that require the consent and signature of birth parents, this case does not hold, only if the bioparents are not alive. Even then it is usually avoided.'

'Oh.' Eniiyi's heart sank further. 'Too bad.'

'Cheer up, Eniiyi,' China said softly. 'At least you do not have all the three diseases. That's something to be grateful for.'

'Yeah,' Eniiyi mumbled. 'That's something to be grateful for.' She sighed. 'I just wish my daddy and mommy were here. And . . .' she broke off. 'No, no, I shouldn't be like this. They're going to be back soon. Right?' she looked up at China with eyes wide. 'Right? I want my mommy back!'

China moved closer to the girl and pulled her into a hug. Which was uncomfortable since she was already holding Kanayo.

'Yes. The police are trying their very best and I'm confident in their abilities. Your parents are going to be found soon and they'd be back for you before you know it.'

Eniiyi sniffled, not convinced and snuggled up with the woman.

'When do we come for test, doctor?' China asked, holding the girl as close as possible.

'Wait, let me ask my secretary.' He picked up a cord phone on a side table and pressed the middle button. 'Yes, Constance, when am I free again this week? Dịkwa mma Friday. Ee, Saturday? Ọ dị mma. Saturday, then.' He put the phone down and picked up a file.

'I'm free on Friday from three to five, you can come then. Or Saturday from eleven o'clock.'

'Friday is okay, sir. We'll come on Friday.'

'Alright. I'll tell my secretary to set your appointment for three on Friday. I just need her medical history report and then I'll conduct some physical exam and lab test.'

'Thank you, sir.'

'My pleasure,' the doctor said then looked at Eniiyi. 'Do not cry, you hear, ịna anụ?'

Eniiyi raised her head from China's side to glare at the healthcare specialist. She started to open her mouth to say something China suspected would be sassy.

'Doctor,' China quickly spoke up to salvage the situation. 'She . . .she can't . . you know?'

'By God! Ndo! Sorry! I must be growing old. I'm so sorry, Eniiyi. You realize I said that unconsciously? I'm so—'

'It's okay,' the little girl said with an air of matureness. Then she turned to China, standing up. 'I want to go home.'

'Oh, okay.' Confused, China smiled apologetically at the man and got to her feet, gently swinging the sleeping baby to her hip.

'Good bye, sir,' Eniiyi said meekly, as if nothing had happened and started for the door.

The doctor stood up, too. 'Bye bye. I'm so sorry for the—'

The girl pulled the door closed.

The doctor looked to China. 'Please extend my sincere apologies to the young lady. I didn't mean at all to refer to her . . condition.'

China shrugged. 'It's okay, I think. If she were really angry she'd have spoken her mind, trust me. I don't know what has come over her, but she definitely isn't angry like that.'

'Oh,' the man sighed visibly. 'She's a very sharp girl.'

'Yes,' agreed China. 'Good bye for now, sir.' She pulled opened the door and made for outside.

'I'd be expecting you on Friday. And I'm sorry for—'

'It's alright, sir.' China Okenwa smiled and shut the door after her.