In Sickness, In Health

When one is the sole carer cum maid cum cook cum cleaner cum story teller cum entertainer cum ustazah ajar mengaji cum driver and lots of other 'cums' in one's house, one should not be surprised if everything 'cums' to a standstill when one is sick.

I have been feeling sick these last few days - my right tonsil as of this moment is still swollen and it's hard for me to even bend my head to help my son put on his shoes, what more to swallow food!

At the peak of it, my body muscles felt like I have been running in the London Marathon and I was feeling cold even when I was sweating. And of course, the 'package' would not be complete without the high temperature and splitting headache.

I was, indeed, feeling as sick as a dog.

Today, however, I am feeling a little better alhamdulliah, even with the swollen tonsil, because perhaps a couple of paracetamols has help me to ease the pain a bit.

And thus, this entry.

Mr S has been very kind to me.

Even when he has a lot of work piling at the office and gets a lot of stress from his silly clients on top of the fact that he needs to study for his exams, he managed to send my eldest to school and then take a half day leave to pick him up and after that bring the boys to the pool for my eldest' swimming lesson and then went shopping to buy some groceries and some 'treats' for the 'infirm' and also went to buy some dinner for the kids.

Not to mention the fact that he woke up earlier than usual to make breakfast for the kids and prepared my eldest's packed lunch and his own, washing all the milk bottles and dirty plates before leaving the house in the morning.

It was just for that one day when I was really indisposed but still, I know that he can be even more efficient than me when he needs to be, although he has proclaimed time and time again that his most favourite thing in the world is to 'peleso' i.e. to lie down and watch TV or to lie down and just think of...nothing...

I caught Mr S lying on the sejadah after maghrib prayers last night, just staring at the ceiling.
I asked him what was wrong and he proceeded to tell me about his work problems and his worries about his exams. I just listened and made some supportive comments - hoping that I am helping him to 'release'.

From experience, I know when Mr S starts to act silly and crazy i.e. dancing like a mad man in the room (more than the usual, that is) and making silly faces as a response to all my comments, I know that he's under stress. He has been doing these recently and now there is also the staring at the ceiling routine - which means he's really putting a brave face about everything. Poor, poor Mr S!

There's just one more hurdle, my love. Please, please be strong! I am here and the children too, right behind you, supporting you. Hang on there!

God gives us all our own set of 'tests' in this world. At this moment, mine is this demam and Mr S's is his work and studies - no one's test is 'better' or 'worse' than the other. All we need to do is support one another and inshaAllah we will survive the storm..amin!
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I am also very, very thankful for my close friend, F who was so crossed with me when she found out that I was sick and didn't inform her and even called me to tell me off about it!

"Oh..so we're all living in London and should mind our own business issit?" she asked me.

She made my eyes water because we're not even from the same country and yet...

I felt like crying because somebody 'cares enough to be upset' when I did not inform them of my ill health - just when I thought that I was all alone here, except for Mr S, of course, who has so much already on his shoulders!

How lovely it is to have such a friend.

And so the next day, when I met F at my son's school after swallowing a couple of paracetamols and willing myself to dress up and step out the front door to send my son to school - I even drove to the school which is just 5 minutes walking distance - I was not surprised when she was already waiting for me with some food containers.

"I made these for you - so all you have to do is boil rice, ok?" she said. I wanted to hug her but I didn't want to appear too emotional and anyway, I might start to cry..

Thank you, F - for being my friend. (I love you too, you know!)
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When one is living so far away from one's family, one just has to depend on one self and if one is lucky there are other people to look to like one's partner and good friends. But even when I am so very lucky to have these, I wish for that one person whenever I am sick. Even at my age, whenever I am feeling low and out of sorts, it is my mother that I want..

My mother is no 'angelic figure' and no mother Theresa, indeed she was a fierce and feared head-teacher, although, she has toned down to a certain degree now! But with a little rub on my back and 'a touch' on my forehead and a cup of hot water mixed with her herbal/traditional medicines - something that she really believes in - I always feel that I'm already on my way to perfect health.

So I wasn't at all surprised when that Hilton girl called for her mum when she was 'ushered' by the police after the recent sentencing..

I wish my mum is here.

But I settled for sending her an sms and asking her to pray for my health. She replied with some advice and I followed them. And the next day she sent another text message informing me that a parcel is already on its way to me, with some medicine she got from the pharmacy.

Thank you mak. Your loving gesture, although it is just in the form of a small parcel with some medicine that I can really just buy here, is much, much appreciated.

I love you and inshaAllah with your prayers, I am on my way to perfect health already.
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I know this entry is a little bit chaotic with no real point whatsoever, but my throat is throbbing and my mind is not thinking clearly and I really have to lie down...