and limes. Jack motioned toward the stools and suggested a celebratory
drink. Everyone was happy to comply. It had been hot in the canoe after
the sun came out and especially after the canopy had come down.
The bartender came over immediately. His name tag identified him as
Saturnino. In contradiction to his name, he was a jovial fellow. He was
wearing a wild print shirt and a pillbox hat similar to the one Arturo
had on when he picked them up at the airport the previous afternoon.
Following Natalie’s lead, everyone had Coke with a slice of lemon.
‘Not much business today,’ Jack commented to Saturnino.
‘Not until after five,’ the bartender said. ‘Then we are very busy.’
‘We’re new here,’ Jack said. ‘What money do we use?’
‘You can sign,’ Saturnino.
Jack looked at Laurie for permission. Laurie shook her head. ‘We’d
rather pay,’ he said. ‘Are dollars okay?’
‘What you like,’ Saturnino said. ‘Dollars or CFA. It makes no
difference.’
‘Where is the hospital?’ Jack asked.
Saturnino pointed over his shoulder. ‘Up the street until you get to the
main square. It is the big building on the left.’
‘What do they do there?’ Jack asked.
Saturnino looked at Jack as if he were crazy. ‘They take care of
people.’
‘Do people come from America just to go to the hospital?’ Jack asked.
Saturnino shrugged. ‘I don’t know about that,’ he said. He took the
bills Jack had put on the bar and turned to the cash register.
‘Nice try,’ Laurie whispered.
‘It would have been too easy,’ Jack agreed.
Refreshed after their cold drinks, the group headed out into the
sunlight. They passed within fifty feet of the soldier who continued to
ignore them. After a short walk up a hot cobblestone street, they came
to a small green surrounded by plantation-style homes.
‘It reminds me of some of the Caribbean Islands,’ Laurie said.
Five minutes later, they entered the tree-lined town square. The group
of soldiers lolling in front of the town hall diagonally across from
where they were standing spoiled the otherwise idyllic tableau.
‘Whoa,’ Jack said. ‘There’s a whole battalion.’
‘I thought you said that if there were soldiers at the gate they
wouldn’t have to have any in the town,’ Laurie said.
‘I’ve been proved wrong,’ Jack acknowledged. ‘But there’s no need to go
over and announce ourselves. This is the hospital lab complex in front
of us.’
From the corner of the square, the building appeared to take up most of
a Cogo city block. There was an entrance facing the square, but there
was also one down the side street to their left. To avoid remaining in
view of the lounging soldiers, they went to the side entrance.
‘What are you going to say if we’re questioned?’ Laurie asked with some
concern. ‘And walking into a hospital, you know it’s bound to happen.’
‘I’m going to improvise,’ Jack said. He yanked the door open and ushered
his friends in with an exaggerated bow.
Laurie glanced at Natalie and Warren and rolled her eyes. At least Jack
could still be charming even when he was most exasperating.
After entering the building, everyone shivered with delight. Never had
air conditioning felt quite so good. The room they found themselves in
appeared to be a lounge, complete with wall-to-wall carpeting, club
chairs, and couches. A large bookcase lined one wall. Some of the
shelving was on an angle to display an impressive collection of
periodicals from Time to National Geographic. There were about a half
dozen people sitting in the room, all of them reading.
In the back wall at desk height was an opening fronted with sliding
glass panels. Behind the glass a black woman in a blue uniform dress was
sitting at a desk. To the right of the opening was a hall with several
elevators.
‘Could all these people be patients?’ Laurie asked.
‘Good question,’ Jack said. ‘Somehow, I don’t think so. They all look
too healthy and too comfortable. Let’s talk to the secretary or whoever
she is.’
Warren and Natalie were intimidated by the hospital environment. They
silently followed after Jack and Laurie.
Jack rapped softly on the glass. The woman looked up from her work and