THE AILMENT EPISODE

As per the instructions of my English teacher, I had bought a ‘Wren and Martin’ English guide and started working on my English language. Though slowly my English started improving and I gained confidence to speak in public. It was during one of those days the third part of Harry Potter came across my hands. I decided to give it a try. To my great surprise I found myself reading the book so keenly that I refused to put it down. By the time I finished the book, I was already wrapped up in the Harry Potter world. It was only because of you Harry that I started focusing on reading more books. Thank you.

Towards the end of my first term in 9th, one day my brother came home with a visitor. The visitor was none other than ‘chicken pox’. He had contracted the infection from one of his classmates. I was scared to my wits. My mom started advising me that those who get scared will get infected easily (she could say that because she had zero percent chance of getting ‘Mr. C.P.’ since she had suffered from it in childhood!). My dad and I shared similar outlook towards the disease. I completely avoided my bro unless I could help it. But as everyone says, nothing can change what’s in store for us. My dad and I got the signs the day my bro bathed. In my case, it was in the form of a small pimple on my right arm (of which I have still got a mark!). There began the 15 days of torture. The only consolation was that I ha company (my dad, I mean). Poor my mom. She tired herself out by aiding to us. It was the horrible itchy feeling on the infected areas that made me go berserk. I was not allowed even to scratch (God help me). My mom would scream at me whenever I tried to take my anger out on the pimples. But I always managed to caress them without her noticing.

It was with great relief that I welcomed the 16th day of my ailment. I could finally go to school and meet my friends. When I stepped onto my class my first thing they asked me was “You said you got chicken pox? But where are the marks?”. Even though I had worked on my pimples so fervently, they all disappeared without leaving a trace for which I am still grateful.