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For two weeks we’ve had my mentally ill cousin at our place, and he hasn’t visited a hospital once. Here’s the whole background…
Two Sundays ago, we’re all home in the afternoon and mom is on her phone asking someone, ‘where are you guys?’ I ask her if we’re getting visitors and she simply replies, ‘Reginald’. Reginald is another cousin, a frequent visitor. Hours later, Reginald indeed pops his head through the door to announce his arrival, but doesn’t enter the living room. Instead, mom and our maid (who comes from the same village as mom and my cousins, so she’s kinda family) go out to meet him, and mom again is on the phone saying ‘he’s arrived.’ Then mins later, Reginald does enter, and the whole living room is shocked.
He’s with his brother Narcisse, whom I heard was ill. Months ago, he comfortably completed his secondary education, but then started acting strange. He was running around the village, then he was nowhere to be seen for days. When they finally found him, he sort of entered into his own shell. He won’t speak or walk. If you leave him standing, he’ll just remain stationary - just like that. He has to be fed, bathed and washed, like a baby. At home we knew none of this - till when he was ushered into the living room like a huge trolly.
Later on, I drive my dad down to the barber’s…Mom and Reginald also hop in. I assume they’ve gone shopping but they don’t return with anything. Next day, I decide to ask dad what in the world is going on, and he explains:
Apparently they think Narcisse has been ‘cursed’ and he’s been brought to the city to meet the ‘doctor’ who had been recommended by another aunt. The day they he arrived, mom was actually on the phone with the doctor guy. So when they hitched my ride, they went to meet him, and he left them with ‘instructions’ (dunno what they are). This makes my blood boil.
Mom obviously didn’t want to tell anyone (especially me) about his arrival because he knew I’d be the most vocal opposer, as I’m the most outspoken member of our household. All of us are employed so we are too busy to care for him. At least he’s with his brother, but stil we won’t do him justice…We leave as early as 6 and return as late as 10.
But he’s now in our hands and we need to do all we can to make him better, but this is the most baffling part that has hastened me to type this post.
He hasn’t been taken to see any specialist, hasn’t seen a doctor yet. Instead, mom and the others seem to be placing faith on pastors who can, sort of reverse the curse.
We are all confirmed Catholics at home. You can argue that mom is the most devout, she prays a lot and is involved a lot in communities. However, she seems to place a lot of faith on these pastors and envangelists as well, and has invited several at home for some bizarre healing sessions, one of them being an ‘intense’ prayer session with all doors locked and lights off. This other day, I return home and there’s another pastor, shouting his head off. After he left, I angrily told mom that she is a Catholic and she should stop listening to all these pastors with their bizarre rituals and interpretations. I also told her that if this was my own house, I’d’ve thrown him out on the spot. Mom only smiles wryly. She says, “I’m off for a church leaders’ meeting” to which I replied “I’m surprised you still need the meeting while the pastor has told you everything you wanted to hear”.
The pastor with the lights off ritual has also been summoned to pray for him. I already told everyone at home that I won’t cooperate with him in any way. He walks in, I walk out. After a prayer session, when I return, mom jubilantly says he’s ‘treated’ several people and that there’s an improvement in him. To which I tell her I don’t want to be told anything. To which she replied “we’re trying all options”.
Friends, what do I do? I feel we’re massively letting my cousin down by not taking him to a medical specialist. It’s been weeks and he’s the same. How do I confront my parents and tell them to make some sensible decisions? I’ve avoided to bring up the issue, because the few times I’ve done so with other problems, we end up arguing, not speaking or someone starts crying. I’m really baffled at the way mom has handled the whole issue, she’s knows very well I wouldn’t approve, thus she’s not being transparent.
Sorry for the long post!
Two Sundays ago, we’re all home in the afternoon and mom is on her phone asking someone, ‘where are you guys?’ I ask her if we’re getting visitors and she simply replies, ‘Reginald’. Reginald is another cousin, a frequent visitor. Hours later, Reginald indeed pops his head through the door to announce his arrival, but doesn’t enter the living room. Instead, mom and our maid (who comes from the same village as mom and my cousins, so she’s kinda family) go out to meet him, and mom again is on the phone saying ‘he’s arrived.’ Then mins later, Reginald does enter, and the whole living room is shocked.
He’s with his brother Narcisse, whom I heard was ill. Months ago, he comfortably completed his secondary education, but then started acting strange. He was running around the village, then he was nowhere to be seen for days. When they finally found him, he sort of entered into his own shell. He won’t speak or walk. If you leave him standing, he’ll just remain stationary - just like that. He has to be fed, bathed and washed, like a baby. At home we knew none of this - till when he was ushered into the living room like a huge trolly.
Later on, I drive my dad down to the barber’s…Mom and Reginald also hop in. I assume they’ve gone shopping but they don’t return with anything. Next day, I decide to ask dad what in the world is going on, and he explains:
Apparently they think Narcisse has been ‘cursed’ and he’s been brought to the city to meet the ‘doctor’ who had been recommended by another aunt. The day they he arrived, mom was actually on the phone with the doctor guy. So when they hitched my ride, they went to meet him, and he left them with ‘instructions’ (dunno what they are). This makes my blood boil.
Mom obviously didn’t want to tell anyone (especially me) about his arrival because he knew I’d be the most vocal opposer, as I’m the most outspoken member of our household. All of us are employed so we are too busy to care for him. At least he’s with his brother, but stil we won’t do him justice…We leave as early as 6 and return as late as 10.
But he’s now in our hands and we need to do all we can to make him better, but this is the most baffling part that has hastened me to type this post.
He hasn’t been taken to see any specialist, hasn’t seen a doctor yet. Instead, mom and the others seem to be placing faith on pastors who can, sort of reverse the curse.
We are all confirmed Catholics at home. You can argue that mom is the most devout, she prays a lot and is involved a lot in communities. However, she seems to place a lot of faith on these pastors and envangelists as well, and has invited several at home for some bizarre healing sessions, one of them being an ‘intense’ prayer session with all doors locked and lights off. This other day, I return home and there’s another pastor, shouting his head off. After he left, I angrily told mom that she is a Catholic and she should stop listening to all these pastors with their bizarre rituals and interpretations. I also told her that if this was my own house, I’d’ve thrown him out on the spot. Mom only smiles wryly. She says, “I’m off for a church leaders’ meeting” to which I replied “I’m surprised you still need the meeting while the pastor has told you everything you wanted to hear”.
The pastor with the lights off ritual has also been summoned to pray for him. I already told everyone at home that I won’t cooperate with him in any way. He walks in, I walk out. After a prayer session, when I return, mom jubilantly says he’s ‘treated’ several people and that there’s an improvement in him. To which I tell her I don’t want to be told anything. To which she replied “we’re trying all options”.
Friends, what do I do? I feel we’re massively letting my cousin down by not taking him to a medical specialist. It’s been weeks and he’s the same. How do I confront my parents and tell them to make some sensible decisions? I’ve avoided to bring up the issue, because the few times I’ve done so with other problems, we end up arguing, not speaking or someone starts crying. I’m really baffled at the way mom has handled the whole issue, she’s knows very well I wouldn’t approve, thus she’s not being transparent.
Sorry for the long post!
It sounds like he’s had some kind of severe mental collapse.