THE ANTI CO BIOTICS STORY OF BO

Once upon a time, in the strife torn continent of Africa, there was born a baby boy called Bechu. He was born of loving parents bearing the family name of Analand, which name originated from the tribes from Angola and the then Nyasaland, now Malawi. The family was not well endowed materially and as a result Bechu grew up sparsely provided for surviving mainly on what the family could gather from the milieu of the savannah land they lived in. Nonetheless, the boy grew, thanks to his scrounging skills acquired through years of foraging in the forest chasing after sheep, goats and cows. Soon the boy was of school going age and the parents registered him.


It was a proud Bechu Analand who carried his clay slate to school on his first day and spent quality time drawing beetles and learning the alphabet. Time passed with the swiftness of wind and with each passage of time Bechu Analand became more and more assertive, desiring independence of mind. Observing the remarkable transformation of their son, the Analand family agreed that Bechu could expand his horizons and get to see the world. They were committed parents, not only well versed in survival skills but also astute when it came to profiling their son for the bigger world outside. The boy needed a name that was not only easy to remember but would also be attractive to the scented pronunciations of the new world order.


They renamed him Bo! It was a catchy name. Then the parents thought and thought until they concluded that Analand not only sounded foreign but was also a tongue twister. It would work against the worldly interests of their son. The Analands decided to pick an ethnic name from somewhere down their genealogy. Eureka! They found the right name. ‘Tswana’, sounded truly indigenous. The boy, Bo, was hence named for the new world, Bo Tswana. He completed his studies, left the village for the city and a life full of promise.


Bo graduated from university by obtaining a degree and started work. Soon he was working and earning good money. He shared his newly found wealth with his parents and still had enough left to save. Bo became a disciplined saver. Soon his bank account was impressive but Bo continued putting more money in the bank than he took out, which was good. He ate well and grew to be a tall, strong lad. With a two syllable name, it was a striking coincidence that Bo soon met a beautiful young lady simply called Co. Bo and Co loved each other very much and decided to get married. Co was the daughter of a mixed marriage between a former District Commissioner from Europe and an indigenous citizen. Her family were the Rruptions, a name that amused Bo to no end and he teased his newly found wife, saying the name was a perfect reproduction of a sound made by a tractor engine. ‘Rrrrruption!’ Co paid him no mind because she loved him very much and knew he meant no harm.


After a blissful honeymoon followed by growing wealth, Co and Bo, started feeling cracks in their marriage. They fought long and hard for months with no reconciliation in sight. It soon became clear that the two had very little in common. Being both determined, strong personalities, Bo and Co held on to the tottering marriage. The tension led to them being afraid to be home together. They started seeing other people behind each other’s back. One of them contracted a terminal disease from the promiscuous lifestyle and it was Bo who caught the deadly virus. He may not have caught it from Co, although it was Co who bore the brunt of the wrath of Bo’s family and friends. Bo became sickly. Doctors could not cure him completely but they kept him stable hoping that he would live long enough for the medical profession to discover a cure for his rare type of ailment. There were promising studies into the type of condition Bo had. Co did not grant Bo divorce although he begged her for it, hoping that his only pain ought to be from the disease and not the irreparably damaged relationship with his wife. As Bo delved more and more into his coffers to pay his huge medical bills, Co did her part to spend his money. She had the virus, but she was not sick.


Meanwhile, Bo’s parents were continuously praying for their son’s recovery. As luck would have it, Bo’s doctors broke the good news to him one day. A new drug, an antibiotic, had been discovered and although not yet available on the market, they would perform trials on him. Bo received the medication and the drug worked. He recovered fully and was soon the strong, strapping young man that he used to be. He built enough courage to confront his wife and demand a divorce. She refused and their case went to the highest court in the land. The High Court granted them a separation but not a divorce. The two gained mutual court rulings, restricting access to each other. Their marriage was on parole.


The medical profession named the new drug after one of them and soon it was available on the market and many lives were saved. The drug was called ‘Anti Co Rruption’.






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By Andrew Sesinyi


12th February, 2010.


Readers of this short story are asked to make own interpretations and conclusions. This is an unending story because we don’t know if the divorce will ever be granted. Readers will no doubt see the name references and what they mean to what land!!!