The Background Hum Of Passing Time
It is when one is at one’s weakest hour (physically) that one realizes how mortally vulnerable one is. And when one is a parent, the weak body can transform a strong mind into a dungeon of drowning thoughts surrounded as one is by fears for one’s children. This may not always be the case but when something like dengue hits you out of the blue, like it did for me then, life can indeed turn topsy-turvy indefinitely. And, one is reminded of time slipping away quietly….
Not one to miss my writing despite my religious bouts of sinusitis I was literally thrown off guard when I suddenly awoke to very high fever and excruciating pain in my bones one day. The fingers that could grasp a pen like a gymnast holding a stick were now struggling to hold a bowl. What had suddenly happened? The dengue don had decided to pay me a visit. Hubby dear was already affected with it simultaneously. That left with no healthy sympathetic spouse to take care of me! That left only my son (the slim teenager who I nagged to eat more to be strong and healthy) doing well. (Thank God for that!)
Who would have expected this lazy, happy go lucky, chilled out lad to come to his parents’ aid when they needed it the most? I didn’t, honestly. In fact, both hubby and I had long told ourselves that we must prepare ourselves and not fall in the rut of the old stereotype expectation of wanting the child to take care of the parents when they grew old and frail. Terribly fond of eating good delicious food but unable to even make a cup of tea, my son would wake up every day during our dengue days to make bed tea for his young and ailing parents followed by porridge. He took some days off from school as it was virtually impossible to function without a healthy family member at home.
The Almighty is indeed generous. He pleasantly surprises us when we least expect it. There was no denying the physical and mental agony of suffering dengue fever. In fact, there seemed no way out of the dark tunnel. But, the entire ordeal also revealed to us a sensitive and physically strong side of our son which we did not think would emerge at this young an age (he is in 9th grade). Always one to garner attention for minor hurt or a little victory, our son was literally helping us get back on track. The little palm that held my finger once upon a time was now helping me hold his!
Today, if I am well and able to share these thoughts with you, it is only because when I was sick, the sight of my son during those sickly days aided me in taking the effort to become well faster.
Today, when I recollect the days when the dengue don’s reign was ruling supreme over our household, I can still hear the hum of passing time. Only this time, I do not shudder to hear it. Instead, there is a grateful murmur in the background…..
Shail Raghuvanshi is a freelance journalist, content writer, editor, book reviewer and poet. She has 15 years of writing experience in newspaper, magazine, radio and television. She has worked as a Spoken English Teacher too. She runs a blog for writers called Write Space and blogs at her personal blog Muse N’ Motivation. A daughter, wife, mother and friend, she believes that there is no situation that can’t be made better. Faith, Friendship and Family are what makes her life complete.