Whose exams is it anyway? (1)
Early Thursday morning I woke my son up and tried to hustle him into the bathroom and to school, but he wouldn’t budge. I finally managed to drag his bedclothes off him and I looked into his huge black eyes swimming with tears. I sighed, suspecting what was to come.
“So what is it this morning Alex?”
“Oooh mum I’m dying.” He groaned, dragging his bedclothes out of my hand
“Mmm … interesting, so what is killing you … this morning?” I asked rolling my eyes heavenwards.
“I can’t breathe, which is a sure sign that MY ASTHMA (notice the emphasis on the word MY) is back,” he coughed to prove it
“I also have malaria. If you feel my body you’ll realize that my temperature is veery high.” Whispering now and speaking slowly, I nodded in sympathy, ‘mmm-ing’ along with him.
“And mom, the worst thing is this headache…it is too much, in fact I can barely see right now.” He said as a tear rolled down his left cheek (God knows how long he practiced that move in front of a mirror).
“Awww, poor baby.” I cooed, feeling his forehead and the base of his neck (noting the lack of heat and presence of a steady pulse) he looked surprised, that was the last response he expected, “You can stay in bed all day long. Pele…”
“Wha..wha…what? But moooooom…”
“Yes honey” I said walking out of the room
“But I am starting my first term exams this morning.” He yelled, I didn’t even look back “Really? Don’t worry about that, you won’t need it.” I said with the same even tone I’ve been using with him. As I walked towards my room, I heard his footfall (quite springy for a boy who was about to die a few minutes earlier).
“But mooooooooom!” I turned back and smiled at my son
“You shouldn’t be out of bed you know Alex.” I said
“I have exams!”
“So?”
“I have to go to school.”
“No you don’t…see those three things, the headache, fever and asthma are sure signs of death…”
“Noooo! It’s not asthma, it’s just a cough!”
“Okay.”
“So what is it this morning Alex?”
“Oooh mum I’m dying.” He groaned, dragging his bedclothes out of my hand
“Mmm … interesting, so what is killing you … this morning?” I asked rolling my eyes heavenwards.
“I can’t breathe, which is a sure sign that MY ASTHMA (notice the emphasis on the word MY) is back,” he coughed to prove it
“I also have malaria. If you feel my body you’ll realize that my temperature is veery high.” Whispering now and speaking slowly, I nodded in sympathy, ‘mmm-ing’ along with him.
“And mom, the worst thing is this headache…it is too much, in fact I can barely see right now.” He said as a tear rolled down his left cheek (God knows how long he practiced that move in front of a mirror).
“Awww, poor baby.” I cooed, feeling his forehead and the base of his neck (noting the lack of heat and presence of a steady pulse) he looked surprised, that was the last response he expected, “You can stay in bed all day long. Pele…”
“Wha..wha…what? But moooooom…”
“Yes honey” I said walking out of the room
“But I am starting my first term exams this morning.” He yelled, I didn’t even look back “Really? Don’t worry about that, you won’t need it.” I said with the same even tone I’ve been using with him. As I walked towards my room, I heard his footfall (quite springy for a boy who was about to die a few minutes earlier).
“But mooooooooom!” I turned back and smiled at my son
“You shouldn’t be out of bed you know Alex.” I said
“I have exams!”
“So?”
“I have to go to school.”
“No you don’t…see those three things, the headache, fever and asthma are sure signs of death…”
“Noooo! It’s not asthma, it’s just a cough!”
“Okay.”
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