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1.
It was pretty early on in their relationship that Nabulungi learned that Arnold didn’t exactly have the best immune system and it was shortly thereafter that she learned that sick Arnold was extremely needy .
The first time she encountered sick Arnold was just after they had been officially together for over a month, while he was still living in Kitguli. They hadn’t even made plans to hang out that day. She was helping her father by cleaning their tiny home while he went to buy food to stock their pantry.
But then her door slammed open without warning, which frightened her a little. Even with the General as a part of the Church now, she still feared unannounced entry into her home. Arnold understood that after she had told him a few times, so he always knocked. And her father was always gentle with the door, as he was well-aware of how easily it could be broken.
As it turned out, her fear was absolutely unnecessary because it was only a very irritated looking Kevin, dragging Arnold inside behind him.
“Take him. I can’t deal with this right now,” Kevin said bluntly. “There’s like a million things to do and he’s driving just about everyone up the wall.”
“I also have things to do,” she pointed out. “Today I am cleaning. And while I love Arnold, I told him I was busy today.”
“That’s what I told Kevin!” Arnold protested. “He just doesn’t want to take care of me when I’m sick. It’s okay though, Kevin. You’re still my best buddy even if you can’t take care of anybody except yourself.”
His eyebrows shot up. “Can’t take care of anybody but my- Arnold, I have been catering to your every need for the past three days. I need a break! You aren’t even that sick!”
She frowned and approached. “What are you sick with? Are you sure it is not just heatstroke? It can get quite hot here.”
Kevin shook his head. “Gotswana said it was a cold which is, by the way, not a big deal. He doesn’t need anyone by his side. I’m just a great fucking friend!”
“But Kevin, I’m sick ,” Arnold groaned.
Nabulungi looked to Arnold with raised eyebrows. “You have a cold? In Uganda?”
He nodded.
She looked to Kevin. “How is this possible? This has been the hottest week of the entire month.”
He shrugged. “I wish I had an answer for you. Our prophet just seems to be full of miracles.”
Naba finally got a good look at Arnold. While he looked as handsome as ever, he also looked absolutely miserable. The heat could hardly be good for someone with any kind of illness. She supposed that the house was as clean as it was going to get.
She nodded. “I will take care of him then. Go, get your work done.”
“Thanks, Naba. You’re a lifesaver,” he said with a grateful sigh before walking back outside.
Grabbing Arnold’s hands, she pulled him back over to one of the chairs and helped him to sit down.
“You sit and I will get you what you need to feel better, okay?” she told him.
“Do you have the Star Wars original trilogy?” he asked. “And a DVD player?”
“Arnold, we do not have a TV,” she replied. “But I can make you tea. My mother would always make it for me when I got sick as a child and I think we have some in the cupboard.”
She got to work making it and the water hadn’t even boiled out before Arnold let out a loud groan.
“ Nevada .”
“Arnold, I am in the same room I can hear you,” she replied as she turned toward him. “What do you need?”
“I’m bored ,” he replied.
“Your tea will be ready soon,” she told him. “And then we can sit and talk. You always share the most interesting stories but I am willing to share mine if you aren’t feeling well enough.”
Turning back around, she went to continue preparing the tea but didn’t even have a chance to pull down the cups before she was interrupted.
“I’m hungry ,” Arnold complained.
She forced a smile and grabbed a half stale piece of chapati from the counter before walking over and handing it to Arnold.
“Do you have anything else?” he asked. “It’s so plain .”
“My father is buying more food. This is what we have today,” she said gently. “Now I will finish making the tea.”
This time she was able to get more things done. She was pouring the hot water into each cup when Arnold called her name again.
“Yes, Arnold?” she said politely despite her minor exasperation.
“I love you,” he said.
She smiled widely as she brought the cups of tea to the table, pressing a kiss to Arnold’s temple. “I love you too.”
2.
Being away from Arnold was very difficult. She knew that this day would come. Arnold’s family was back in America and, without funding from the Mormon Leaders, the church could only sustain itself for so long. She had offered for him to stay but between his family and Kevin, who was going back home as well, he just couldn’t stay in Uganda.
Every day, she missed him. She longed to go to America, even just for a visit and, while Arnold’s parents had offered to pay for her flight and she would have a guaranteed place to stay but the visa process was incredibly difficult and if she didn’t get approved for one, she was unsure as to what it would look like if she tried to get one in the future. The only surefire way to get her approved for free travel to the United States was for her to marry Arnold and, though she very much wanted that at some point, she certainly wasn’t ready for it yet. Besides, she didn’t want to leave her father yet as she was terribly worried that he would get lonely without her around.
She talked on the phone with Arnold about once a week. His parents were very kind and paid for both of their phone bills so she made sure to limit the time of each call to less than an hour and ensured that it wasn’t something that they did every day. One day the would be together again so that they may talk whenever but for now they had to be respectful of the money being spent by others.
Usually, Arnold was very respectful of their call schedule, which typically took place on her Sunday evenings and his mornings. So, when her phone started ringing with a call from him on a Wednesday morning, she was both surprised and a bit worried.
“Hello,” she said with furrowed eyebrows when she answered. There was a beat of silence. “Arnold?”
“Nevada,” he finally replied.
“It is only Wednesday, not Sunday,” she reminded him. “And isn’t it the middle of the night in America?”
“Naba, I don’t feel good,” he complained. “My stomach hurts and my parents are with their friends in Vegas this weekend.”
“You’re lonely,” she said sadly. “Oh, Arnold, I wish I could be there. I would make you some tea again to calm your stomach.”
“I miss you so much, Naba,” he admitted. “It’s good to be with my parents again and I still see Kevin a lot and, by extension, Connor. But I wish I was in Uganda with you instead. I don’t care if it meant that I could never watch a Star Wars movie again! I want to be there. Not here.”
“Arnold, it is very hard for me too,” she said. “One day you will be able to visit me or I will be able to move with you to America. But for now, we must be patient.”
“I don’t want to be patient,” he whined. “I want to drink your tea and snuggle and tell stories.”
“Well I want to make you the tea and snuggle and listen,” she replied, with a frown. “Arnold, you know how sad it makes me to see you sick. It’s hard that I cannot make you feel better.”
“I do feel a little better,” he admitted. “Just talking to you.”
She smiled softly. “One day we will be married and I will move to a house in America with you. Then we will have every day together.”
“One day,” he repeated, before letting out a loud yawn.
“You are tired,” she inferred. “Sleep will make you feel better.”
“I want to talk to you,” he whined.
“We will talk on Sunday,” she promised him.
“Alright,” he said. “Love you.”
“I love you too, Arnold.”
3.
After Arnold had visited for a few weeks and they had gotten engaged, Nabulungi had decided to go forward with her visa application and she had gotten improved! So now she and Arnold were flying back to America together so that she could meet his family, experience his home, and so they could work together to plan their wedding.
Her dreams were now in reach! She had always wanted to go to America, to start a new life there, and now she was getting that chance. Better yet, it was with a man who she loved. There was a world of possibility right in front of her and, in the time that she’d be spending in America before their wedding, she and Arnold planned to visit a couple of colleges together. The future was just in sight and they would be stepping into it together.
She was so ecstatic, in fact, that she didn’t notice how Arnold was faring until he poked him in the arm.
Turning, she found that he was incredibly pale and clutching his stomach with a panicked look on his face. “I don’t feel so good. This plane ride has been too bumpy.”
“Has it been?” she asked. She had never been on a plane before, so she just assumed that this was normal, though she had noticed a few bumps.
He nodded.
“Do you need to go to the bathroom?” she asked him. “There are a few in the back of the plane. I have seen people go back there.”
“This is a long flight,” he reminded her. “Our layover is in France .”
“Yes, so it is important that you use the bathroom,” she replied. “If you hold it in until France, you will become very sick and then the rest of the trip will be more difficult.”
“You don’t understand,” he said. “I’m going to ruin that bathroom.”
She wrinkled her nose. “Arnold, that is very gross.”
“It’s not my fault!”
“You’re right,” she said. “So go . It does not matter. If you need to go, you should go. There is another stall for others if it truly becomes unbearable.”
“Okay,” he said with a nod, unbuckling his seatbelt and running down the aisle.
She raised her eyebrows as he left and returned to the book that she had been reading, one that Arnold had brought from home, a gift to her from his mother.
He returned about 30 minutes later, smiling at her gratefully.
“Do you feel better?” she asked.
He nodded as he sat down and buckled back in. “Way better.”
She smiled and wordlessly reached an arm around his shoulders and allowed him to snuggle into her side. Sure, there were going to be minor hiccups on the way to her dreams, but she still was going to get there.
4.
It was inevitable that Arnold would get sick again after they were in America together based on how his immune system had proven to be, even in a place like Uganda. Now, though they were living together, they had been for a few months now, and she had more stuff to take care of him.
Just like the first time, Arnold had caught a cold. The weather was chilly, so it was much more understandable. This time, Naba had a giant kitchen at her disposal, full of many different kinds of tea and with honey and sugar. And many kinds of food.
He was asleep now, a half-empty mug of green tea still warm on his nightstand. She was glad he could get a nap in. His sleep last night had been quite fitful and he tended to whine when he was overtired and, while she loved him very much, she preferred him when he was perfectly happy.
She decided that she would bake for him while he was asleep. She had always been a good cook. Both of her parents were and they taught her when she was very young. When her mother was alive, it was something that the three of them often did together, so it always brought her joy. Baba had cooked less since she died as it made him quite sad but Naba was always happy for the memory. Even if her mother was gone, she would forever be preserved in moments like these.
Even though it was much easier to buy food instead of cooking it here in America she still cooked a lot . It was one of the things that reminded her of her home in Kitguli. Here she so much more at her disposal in terms of cooking and baking. At home, they had the same few meals week after week and it all depended on what was available at the market. Here, there were big stores everywhere full of every kind of food that you could imagine. What’s more, their apartment the most amazing appliances including a machine that washed your dishes for you . It was a learning curve, trying to cook with these new ingredients and fancy ovens, but she was really starting to get the hang of it.
Today she decided that she would bake him chocolate chip cookies. It was the first recipe she had learned in America. Arnold’s mother had taught it to her while they were still staying in their home. The recipe was simple and on the back of the package of chocolate chips, so she didn’t need to worry about forgetting anything so long as they had all of the ingredients.
She got to work, prepping everything slowly, taking her time to make sure the cookies were perfect. All she wanted was to make Arnold feel better, so they had to be perfect. Besides, he would likely be asleep for a while. It wasn’t like she was struggling for time.
As the cookies baked, Nabulungi thought back to the time that Arnold had called her, sick and alone. She was so incredibly happy that she could be here for him now and for the rest of her life.
When the cookies were done baking and cooling, she piled some on a plate and walked back into their room, where Arnold was still laying on his side snoring loudly.
She smiled and placed the plate on the nightstand next to the mug of tea. The only thing on her mind was how much she loved this man.
5.
The last time Nabulungi was in a hospital, her mother died and now she was sitting in a waiting room with Arnold’s parents, head in her hands.
She was trying so desperately not to cry. The floor and the walls were all completely white and there was something entirely discomforting about the blankness of it all. What’s worst is the waiting room was eerily quiet. The emergency room that they had been in earlier was too loud and chaotic and now in this new room, it was just silence.
Someone put their hand on her back and she winced. She didn’t want comfort now. She just wanted Arnold.
“He’s going to be okay,” Arnold’s mom reminded her. “Remember what the doctor said? They only need to remove his appendix and he’ll be fine.”
“A woman in my village died of appendicitis,” she said plainly. “I was just a girl when she passed but I remember it well. There was nothing our doctor could do.”
“This hospital has a lot more than your doctor probably did,” Arnold’s father reminded her. “And they caught it early. I’m sure he’ll be out of surgery soon.”
She nodded but she wasn’t completely convinced. Nothing was certain and Arnold was already so sick. She would believe that he would be okay once she saw him with her own two eyes, even though she was firmly blocking any thoughts of the opposite from her mind.
A doctor walked into the waiting room and cleared her throat. “Mrs. Cunningham-Hatimbi?”
Naba stood up with shaking hands and walked toward the doctor. “Is he okay?”
She smiled softly. “He just woke up and he was asking for you. He’s still a little out of it but he’s going to be just fine. We want to keep him overnight to ensure that everything is as expected with his recovery but most likely he’ll be going home with you tomorrow. Would you like to see him?”
“Very much so,” she said with a frantic nod.
The doctor led her back to his room, opening the door for her and then leaving them to talk privately.
Arnold was laying in the bed, giggling at something. He looked pale and sick, but he was still just as full of life as ever. He really was going to be fine.
“Arnold!” she exclaimed, running toward him and wrapping her arms around him.
“Ouch,” he said in a serious tone.
“Oh no,” she said pulling away, feeling bad for hurting him. “I am sorry, I was just very worried and then you were here-”
He smiled again. “I missed you.”
“I missed you too, Arnold,” she said softly. “When I was waiting, I thought that maybe you were going to-”
“Die?” he asked. “I can’t die! I’ve got a whole life to live with Kevin! And you too!”
She laughed for the first time all day. “It’s good that you didn’t. I need you.”
He shook his head. “You don’t need me. It’s me who needs you, Nab- Ner-Nuh-”
She grabbed one of his hands and squeezed it. “We need each other.”
“We do,” he agreed with a loud smile.
A crashing sound in the hallway followed by someone yelling “Family only!” caught their attention. They turned to find Kevin swinging the door open.
“You asshole!” he yelled, pointing a finger at Arnold. “I’m out of town for one weekend and you get yourself thrown in a hospital.”
“He had appendicitis-” she interjected.
He shook his head and ran forward, assessing his state before patting him on the head. “I’m glad that you’re okay, buddy.”
“Did you ditch your romantic vacation with Connor to come see me?” he asked with a little giggle.
“Technically-” Kevin said, “-he’s in the car. You know how he likes to care for people. He’s already suggested that we spend the rest of the week helping out at your place, but I’d rather not make Naba sleep on the couch.”
Arnold waved him off. “She doesn’t mind.”
Naba smiled. “I don’t. I love having guests!”
A nurse burst into the room flanked by a security guard and pointed at Kevin. “That’s him.”
“I’m basically family!” he exclaimed.
Arnold nodded. “He’s like my brother!”
The nurse crossed her arms. “That doesn’t count. Out, now.”
Kevin sighed and ruffled Arnold’s hair. “I’ll see you soon, buddy.”
Naba smiled widely. She loved this family that she had built. Not just with Arnold, but with Arnold’s family and with Kevin and Connor. Maybe there could be some good in hospitals.
+1
Nabulungi had never in her life gotten a cold but on her second year in America she made the stupid mistake of leaving a window open and now her nose just would not stop running. She didn’t even want to get out of bed today but she supposed that she had to eat something so she forced herself up and toward the kitchen.
Arnold intercepted her in the hallway. “You’re supposed to stay in bed!”
“I’m up,” she said with a shrug. “I need to eat.”
“I’ll get it,” he said, guiding her to the couch and placing a blanket on top of her.
He returned a few moments with a plate of toast covered in grape jelly, some slimy-looking scrambled eggs, and bacon that only seemed slightly burnt. She really must be sick if she couldn’t smell that cooking.
She smiled. “Thank you, Arnold.”
“There’s more,” he replied, placing the plate on her lap before running into the kitchen and returning with a steaming cup of hot apple cider, which he set on the side table next to her before snuggling next to her on the couch and grabbing the TV remote.
“What are we watching?” she asked.
“ Star Wars ,” he replied, turning the television on and changing the mode to the DVD player. “The first one. Not chronologically but release-wise.”
She nodded. After living with Arnold for so long, she had seen these movies more than once. She quite enjoyed them, but not as much as she enjoyed how much Arnold got engrossed in them every time they were on.
He hit play and set the remote down before pressing a quick kiss to her cheek. “Is this okay?” he asked, a bit nervously.
“It’s lovely,” she replied.
“This is what my mom used to do to make me feel better when I was little,” he told her. “And you always take such good care of me. I know I’m not great at this stuff but I wanted to take care of you this time around. I love you so much.”
She smiled softly. “I love you too, Arnold. Thank you, for all of this.”
Reaching over, she held his hand. It was nice, having somebody by her side to care for her when she needed it. Naba had spent so much of her life caring for herself and for the people in her life. Not that her father hadn’t tried, he was just very busy. It was nice to be cared for.
It was nice to know that she would always have someone there. Someone that she could care for and would care for her just as much. Forever.