What I have now realized is that those women were never sick. Not if you consider the huge amounts of food they cleared in one sitting, the unthinkable amounts of tea they consumed unapologetically, their thunderous laughter that shook the rafters and most importantly, the way they worked tirelessly on their farms day in, day out. Does that fit the description of some ailing women?
I think what they lacked was attention, especially from their husbands, who in those days never showed affection to their wives and children. These women therefore relished the attention from a senior doctor, who did not normally see patients, but he was called in just for them and he came very quickly, examining them intently and giving their discomfort, whether real or imagined; a diagnosis.
Thats my theory because nothing else makes sense, unless my mother and her friends were all nuts. Better explanation anybody? Dr. Njenga, you want to take a crack at this? I doubt it. These were our mothers “illnesses” that did not require anybody’s treatment. They were theirs to hold on to, and outwit each other to prove their strength and resilience.
