Chasing After Unicorns

By Franz Owano

An ardent psychiatrist suddenly thrust from the comforts of private practice into the chaos of a public mental hospital; comes to terms with the sheer injustice.There, she entertains an assortment of patients in this bizarre setting & with an abundance of vivacious and astringent conversation their incongruity plays out.Providing unique psychological insights.

While assisting them navigate the arduos journey that is mental health, she defies convention by adopting a novel method.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Franz Owano
• Release date: Aug 12, 2020
• ISBN: 9781393025191

Franz Owano

Franz Owano is a medical doctor by profession who lives and works in Nairobi Kenya.He boasts of a body of works.He has penned 6 plays,a journal,2 novellas and a collection of short stories. He enjoys reading,writting and travelling in his free time.

Book preview

ACT ONE

Scene 1

(She walks into the building consciously aware that her every action is under scrutiny. She attempts to maintain a veneer of confidence blended with innocence. In her estimation any reflection of anxiety would be deemed as an affirmation of her guilt. While in the elevator she makes a final assessment of her outfit.

A thing as trivial such as her skirt dangling flirtatiously above her knee could ruin her career. It would therefore be prudent not to agitate the conservatives that no doubt infested the committee. In an objective context whether or not she showed up in a loin cloth should be irrelevant to the issue at hand. Despite her misgivings she had to concede to the fact that perception was reality & it was pointless to rattle a pack of hounds already baying for her blood. The elevator comes to a halt. 7th floor. She wasn’t by any standards superstitious though she always felt the number 7 was special and thus associated it with the divine. It was typical human behavior. At our lowest moments, we naturally seek out an almighty supernatural defender in desperation. She however decided to sustain this fallacy in the hope that the powers that be might intervene in her favor. She calmly walks into the boardroom and takes a seat at her appointed position. She instinctively looks up at the board members seated at their appointed positions slightly elevated from hers. Naturally she wasn’t one to be easily intimated but the experience was unnerving. It has been a while since she felt this diminutive and miniature. At the moment she likened herself to Hercules midway between Mount Olympus gawking appealingly at Zeus in expectation of a swift and painful reprimand. The chairman of the committee elects to break the ice.)

Prof. Koyoo:   Morning Doctor Ayoo.

Dr. Ayoo:   Morning Professor Koyoo. (She replies confidently while feigning

humility.)

Prof Koyoo:  It seems we share a name. That however will not afford you any special considerations. (The other board members chuckle at the chairman’s attempt at humor. The deputy chair of the committee then proceeds.)

Prof Karanja:  You have been summoned to the Kenya Medical Practitioners & Dentists Board due to allegations of professional misconduct. Before we proceed please state your full names.

The accused:   I am Doctor Marcel Apiyo Ayoo.

(Dr Ogari, another board member then dives in).

Dr. Ogari:  If it isn’t too much of an imposition do you mind reading the  document laid before you. (Marcel quickly peruses through it.)

Dr. Ogari:   Are you aware what document that is?

Dr. Ayoo:   Yes, I am. (she replies while fighting to control her rage.)

Dr. Ogari:   For the sake of my curiosity please indulge me.

Dr. Ayoo:   It is the Hippocratic oath.

Dr. Ogari:  Now, if it isn’t too much of an intrusion would you read out loud to the board the underlined section. (Dr. Ogari it seemed harbored a flair for the theatrics. Since Dr. Ayoo was in no position to decline she cleared her throat and read.)

Dr. Ayoo:  I will not permit considerations of religion, nationality, race, party politics or social standing to intervene between my duty and the patient. I will maintain the utmost respect for human life from its beginning even under threat and I will not use my medical knowledge contrary to the laws of humanity. I make these provisions solemnly, freely and upon my honor, so help me God.

Dr. Ogari: In regard to your practice, have you to the best of your ability strived to live up it this oath?

Dr. Ayoo:  Yes I have. ( She replies mechanically while failing to understand the essence of such a rhetorical question.)

Dr. Ogari:  Please clarify to the board as to which part of the oath inspired you to beat your patient into a pulp induced coma?

Dr. Ayoo: In all fairness that is a gross oversimplification of facts. There are several complexities which if the board allows me, I would love to elaborate.

Dr. Kiptum:   Do you deny that you and the patient had an altercation?

Dr. Ayoo:   I would merely want to point out that I acted in self-defense.

Dr. Ogari:  Your altercation resulted in the patient sustaining a contusion, two cracked ribs, and an eyelid laceration. In addition to a list of other internal injuries which for the sake of time I will not mention. That sounds like malice to me. (Professor Koyoo, the chairman of the board interrupts Dr. Ogari to clarify a point of interest.)

Prof. Koyoo:  From our files we gather that your victim is 6 foot 2 inches. If I may ask, how tall are you Dr. Ayoo?

Dr. Ayoo:   I am 5 foot 8 and ½ inches.

Prof Koyoo:  How did you manage this feat? Considering that he is significantly towering and had over fifty pounds on you?

Dr. Ayoo:  My father was a professional boxer. He taught me a thing or two. (She replies with a grin.)

Dr. Ogari:  For the sake of your patient in his discretion your father should have taught you something more gender appropriate.

Dr. Kiptum:  This is the problem with your generation. Poor socialization. It’s hardly your fault. I blame it on poor parenting. (He comments to the other board members in passing without even looking at Dr. Ayoo.)

Dr. Ayoo:  With all due respect if he had confined my recreational activities to knitting I would be the one lying in a hospital bed comatose instead of my attacker.

(Prof. Koyoo realizes that emotions were soaring and tempers were rising. He thus decided to employ some humor to ease the apparent tension.)

Prof. Koyoo:   Dr. Ayoo, you clearly live up to your name.

(Dr Ogari remains aloof either in genuine ignorance or boredom.)

Dr. Ogari:   I fail to follow.

Prof. Koyoo: Dr. Ogari you should spend time reading more edifying literature other than the KANU manifesto. (The other board members smile sheepishly to Dr. Ogari’s annoyance.)

Prof. Koyoo:  Her name is Marcel Apiyo Ayoo.The French referred to Mars, the god of war as Marcel. She is therefore a little warrior. (Despite Dr. Marcel’s unease; she was unexpectedly enjoying professor Koyoo’s antics. He was a homely man in his late sixties who in her opinion was either senile or high on a legal stimulant. For some odd reason she attributed to intuition she could swear the old fart was endeared to her. Irrespective of his reasons Marcel was glad to have an ally on the board.)

(Professor Koyoo then proceeds.)

Prof. Koyoo:   We shall digress no further so little warrior tell us about patient X.

Scene 2

Dr. Ayoo: I first met patient X whose initials are D.O.M 4 months ago while giving a lecture at the university; where I was invited as a guest speaker.

(Dr. Marcel then inwardly recalls the events that transpired on that very day. She was among the guest speakers selected from all over Africa during a symposium organized by the University of Nairobi for the benefit of psychiatry undergraduates and postgraduates. Psychiatry was a budding field with endless possibilities; though for some reason medical students were averse to the idea of pursuing it. The university thus solicited the services of Dr. Marcel Ayoo Apiyo, one of the youngest professionals in her field who in their view possessed the necessary provocative panache to catalyze them into giving psychiatry some serious thought. Dr. DeVries, the South African speaker, an eccentric but no less orator gave a powerful presentation on the application of hypnosis in memory retrieval. She was the last speaker on the program. This placed her at a disadvantage. The vibrant hormonal medical students’ narrow attention spans had already been stretched to the limit. Considering that she was the only Kenyan speaker selected, her performance anxiety was quite understandable. She walked over to the podium and peered at the sea of youthful faces before commencing. She then spontaneously walked up to a timid looking medical student.)

Dr. Ayoo:  May I ask you question; assuming of course that you’ll give an honest

answer.

(The bespectacled male student nods hesitantly.)

Dr. Ayoo:  I’m told I look too young to be a doctor, do you concur?

(After a length silence he replies.)

Student:  There is no right answer to that question. If I say yes my comment will be perceived as blatant flattery. You would thus think of me as duplicitous. On the other hand, if I say no I would have offended your sense of femininity.

Dr. Ayoo:  I’ll take that as a NO! And here I thought I was aging gracefully.

(The audience bursts out in laughter. She walks back to the podium.)

Dr. Ayoo:  I am Dr. Marcel Apiyo Ayoo and I will be discussing the Anatomy of a Sexual Deviant. (She then instinctively pauses for dramatic effect.)

Dr. Ayoo:  They go by different names. Sexual deviants, sex offenders or sexual predators are among the many labels ascribed to them. There is a common myth perpetuated throughout society in relation to them. This myth generally assumes that most sex offender have specific finite characteristics that enable either law enforcement or psychiatrists to profile