The Lighter Side of Being Sick
Having a cold is nothing to sneeze at, as anyone who’s been subject to its symptoms will attest. So you’d understand when I tell you that a major case of sniffles lead to me wrapping myself up in warm clothing and getting under the covers with a hot mug of tea to keep me company. Now the idea was to rest, relax, and get better in the shortest time possible.
But fate, and the doorbell, willed otherwise. Even before I took the first sip from the steaming mug, the chimes filled the silent house, startling me for a moment. Throwing off the blankets, I dragged myself to the door, and found myself faced with unexpected guests. And there I was, in my tattered robe, with my hair all askew, and a bit of tissue peeking out from my nose (I discovered this an hour later when I had to use the bathroom).
Suffice it to say that I could kiss my dreams of a quiet afternoon in bed goodbye. My distant relatives made themselves comfortable, and tried to get me to go back to bed. But being the good hostess I am, I insisted on getting them some refreshments first. They were pleased, at least until I ended up sneezing into their drinks. And then, it was a question of who was more embarrassed – me for sneezing at the most inappropriate time, or they, while trying to come up with a polite way to refuse the drinks.
I sat down to talk to them, and as the hours wore on, I felt myself becoming flushed with a fever, but something (stupid pride if I’m being brutally honest) kept me glued to the sofa. And then it happened – I suddenly woke with a jolt, and discovered to my chagrin that I had fallen asleep. Worse, a glance at the couch and the signs of drool showed that I had done so with my mouth open (well, my nose was blocked, what else was I supposed to breathe through). My guests were staring at me, aghast at what they had seen, and they scrambled to their feet and made haste with their goodbyes.
Having a sigh of relief, I shut the door and crawled back into bed. Yes, the best way to get rid of unwelcome guests is to fall sick – once you have the flu, watch the gatecrashers fly out the window. I guess there is a good side to catching a cold after all. I still tell anyone who cares to listen about the time my guests flew out the door because of my flu and the way they ran for their lives when I caught a cold.
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