Before Things Came To Be

Six Years Ago
Kigali, Rwanda

Cooper awoke in her tent in the early hours of the morning to the usual rumble of cattle mooing and huffing their way around the makeshift village. She was only here for a week, but today was her last day and she was definitely going to miss it. She was headed back into town the next morning, but until then she still had work to do.

Throwing on her gray sweatshirt to combat the cool morning air, Cooper exited her tent and was immediately engulfed in hugs from three children she'd been caring for, four-year-old twin sisters Deka and Deyo, and their two-year-old brother, Emeka. Both of their parents had died of AIDS soon after Emeka was born, and the children were being raised by their Aunt, Imena, who was currently suffering through HIV, which is why Cooper was caring for them. The children were lucky; none of them suffered from the virus. Yet.

"Good morning!" She said brightly to the children, giving them each a big squeeze. She spoke English to the children; to help the learn. They knew some words, and were always eager to learn more. "How are you?" She asked Deka, brushing her frizzy black curls from her eyes.

"Good and happy!" Deka said with a broad grin, her two favourite words. "Good and happy!"

"Cooper?"

"Good morning, Ryan." Cooper smiled at her friend and fellow traveller. Ryan was a doctor, who had recruited Cooper from England to come to Africa and help him with his work. Having graduated top of her classes and becoming an established midwife back in her own country, Ryan put her skills to work in Rwanda giving care and comfort to pregnant women, young children and infants.

Ryan was an excellent doctor and wonderful humanitarian. He had been raised with money, going to the best schools and having the finest of everything; and now he was giving it all back. He donated millions of dollars into AIDS research and invested even more in building clinics in the most desolate parts of Africa. And once every few weeks, as he was doing this week with Cooper, he travelled to more remote villages to administer HIV medication and conduct check-ups on the children.

Cooper admired him a lot, but there was no romance between them. Ryan had met his wife Mekema, an Aid Worker in the capital city, four years before, and she was expecting their first child in the coming months. Cooper had known Ryan long enough to read his expressions; so when he greeted her that morning with a crinkle in his brow, she was immediately curious. "What's wrong?"

"You have a visitor." Ryan said, flicking his head back over his shoulder.

Cooper, who was holding the twins hands in each of her own, glanced to where Ryan was gesturing. There was a clean-cut man standing there, with black hair and dark but kind eyes. He was smiling. His tailored pants and clean, button up shirt stood out against the dusty surroundings, but already a couple of the older children were welcoming him to the camp, giving him necklaces they made.

"Who is he?" Cooper asked as Emeka started fussing, she picked him up right away. She'd learned quickly that his little guy needed as much love as he could get; and a simple hug in the morning tended to keep him happy all day.

"Says his name is Richard Alpert," Ryan said. "Do you know him?"

Cooper frowned and shook her head. "Never seen him before."

"Come on, girls," Ryan took Deka and Deyo by their hands. "Let's go see your Aunt, shall we? She's feeling much better today..."

Cooper hitched Emeka to her hip and went over to this Alpert fellow, he was caught up inspecting a necklace nine-year-old Sika had given him. "Mr. Alpert?" Cooper said with a smile.

"Oh, hello, Ms. Mackenzie." Richard reached out to shake her hand. "I'm sorry to trouble you so early in the morning..."

"Oh, that's okay." Cooper smiled. "I have more time before I start my day. How can I help you?"

Sika's younger sister, Marka was running circles around Richard's legs, though he didn't seem to mind. "Ah, could we go somewhere more private?" He said with a laugh.

"Of course," Cooper spoke in gentle French to the girls and asked them to leave the pair alone. Sika, who was much too mature for a nine-year-old, immediately took charge and gathered up the children, firmly telling them not to disturb Cooper and her guest. "Let's walk." Cooper suggested, leading Richard away from the camp towards the makeshift pen that was holding some cattle.

"I have to say, this is quite impressive," Richard said as he gazed around camp. "What you do here; is admirable. The children seem so peaceful."

Emeka chose that moment to giggle and nuzzle into Cooper's shoulder, as if to prove Richard's point. "We try our best," Cooper said modestly. "These children have had harder lives than any child should have. Most are orphans, but these ones are lucky. Healthy and safe." She kissed Emeka's soft cheek. "I'm sorry, but why is it that you're here?"

Richard flushed slightly. "Oh, of course," he smiled. "Well, to be quite honest with you, I've been following your work for quite some time."

"My work?" Cooper was flattered.

"Yes, your papers on the role nurturing plays in medicine," Richard said. "How comfort and love from a young age can increase the chances of recovery, or at the very least change the standard of living for even the direst of cases."

"Yes, well, to me it's just common sense," Cooper said modestly. "But I found it so surprising how rough and cold some medical practitioners can be." She shrugged. "I've just never been that way."

"I also contacted your former professors and employers," Richard continued. "And they had nothing but the highest of praise for you..."

Cooper's smiled faded slightly. "I'm sorry... but why exactly are you looking into my work?"

"What if I told you there was a place where your skills were desperately needed?" Richard said vaguely.

Cooper looked around. "I'd tell you that I'm already in that place."

Richard nodded. "I come from an island, where there is a severe problem with infertility; a problem that we have tried for years to overcome. We've tried every clinical measure we could to combat the problems; but nothing's worked. So, when it was suggested we look into more... abstract means of prenatal care, I stumbled upon your work." He smiled warmly. "Ms. Mackenzie, I have a feeling you are exactly who I'm looking for."

Cooper felt her cheeks blush. "I am truly flattered, Mr. Alpert," She said sincerely. "But, my work, as you call it, is needed here." She tightened her arms around Emeka. "I can't just leave."

"I understand, Ms. Mackenzie, I truly do. But," He chewed his bottom lip, flecks of desperation appearing in his kind eyes. "What you do? I can't tell you how vital it might be to finding a cure for our problem."

Cooper was growing a little irritated, she couldn't leave his place. Especially now, not with Emeka's Aunt still feeling ill; she wouldn't leave those children to fend for themselves until Imena was able to function again, but Mr. Alpert didn't seem to want to take 'no' for an answer. "Mr. Alpert." She said curtly. "I understand more than you could possibly know how heartbreaking it is not to be able to cure a problem, and how far you feel you need to go to find a solution. But I am staying right where I am. I'm sorry," She added in a more polite voice. "But I'm not who you think I am."

"What if I offered you something you couldn't refuse?" He called after her.

Cooper stopped in her tracks, turning back ever so slightly. "Like what?"

"Complete healthcare for every single person in this village." He smiled and walked back up to her. "I have friends in high places, Ms. Mackenzie. What if I could guarantee you that every single person you see here today, will be granted asylum in the United States of America, where they'll receive the best chance at a normal, happy life?"

Her brow furrowing, Cooper took a deep breath and looked at Emeka. He was healthy now, as were his sisters. But every few months when she came through to check on them; she was always terrified that their tests would come back positive for HIV, or any of the diseases that ran rampant through this area of the country. Her brain told her that one day, sooner or later, Emeka and his sisters would become ill, and all Cooper would be able to do was watch them grow sicker.

"I promise you, they will all stay together," Richard continued. "I have no interest in breaking up any families. You'll be kept informed of their progress; that I can promise you."

The infectious laughter of the children back at the camp rang through Cooper's ears, and struck a chord in her heart. She loved these children, their safety meant everything to her... even if it meant she wasn't going to be able to be with them."How long will you need me?"

"That I can't tell you." Richard admitted. "But you will be well taken care of."

Cooper shook her head in disbelief. "What kind of island is this?"

Richard smiled. "It's right up your alley."

Cooper sighed heavily. "If you get all of these people; men, women and children, safely to America, permanently, with the necessary healthcare and education as they need it..." She nodded slowly. "Then I'll accept your offer."

Richard looked thrilled and relieved at the same time. "Wonderful." He took her hand and squeezed it.

Smiling, Cooper couldn't help but feel nervous. Surely she'd made the right choice, these children and their families would be healthy and safe. It was a mere drop in the ocean compared to how many people were suffering in the country, but there was only so much one person could do. According to Richard, it was what she could do that was the reason for all of this. Cooper wasn't completely convinced that he was telling her the whole truth; but her life's work had been about helping others; and that was all she could hope for from this deal.

Keep helping, that's what Ryan always told her, just keep helping until you can't anymore... she didn't know what he was trying to make up for; maybe he felt guilty for having so much when the people he cared for had so little. Cooper just hated seeing people in distress, especially children. If she could help; she would. Perhaps that was what Alpert was after; her undying goal to care for someone else.

The greater good, so to speak.

xxx