You wake up one morning feeling very nauseous and a weird kind of warm. You feel hot, but you can’t stop shivering. After freshening up and washing your face with cold water, you come out of the bathroom exhausted. Feeling off, you check your temperature and groan as you find out that you have a 100 degree fever. You collapse on your bed and think to yourself, “Damn this inevitable moment is finally here.” You are sick and you don’t have your parents to take care of you.
Being alone and sick in my dorm wasn’t the best feeling in the world. I was stuck on my bed with the inability to do anything without feeling extremely exhausted. I just wanted to sleep all day, but I knew that I should at least eat something. With the change in season, I’m sure a ton of people are going through sharp pain in their throats, really loud coughs, and uncontrollable sniffling. While this certainly wasn’t the first time seasonal changes had gotten me, it was the first time I was dealing with it without my parents. It’s funny how this was the time when I realized the importance of my parents the most. I missed the care I felt while my mom rubbed Vicks Vaporub (the solution to everything, according to her) on my chest and forehead while telling me to not hesitate to tell her if I needed anything. Or when my dad would give me warm water while making fun of my cracked voice. I missed the small actions of care. While I still had FaceTime and iMessage to ask them if I ever needed something, it just wasn’t the same.
What was I supposed to do? Actually take care of myself without guidance? I actually had to remind myself to eat? Yes. So, that morning I made myself a hot cup of tea. I never could actually drink tea and always wondered how my mom could just sip the boiling drink with ease. But that day, I forced myself to sip the boiling water so I could get rid of the excruciating pain in my tonsils. After sleeping pretty much all day, my fever was gone. For some reason, I felt kind of proud that I was able to get rid of my fever without too much help from my parents. It felt like it was my first step toward learning to be independent.
Right as I thought I was getting better, I started coughing. I genuinely believe that there is nothing more annoying in this world than dry coughs because it does not let you sleep at night. During the day, I thought I was doing fine because I wouldn’t cough that much, but the moment it got dark outside, I would start coughing as if my life depended on it (sorry to my roommate). In those moments, I remember how my mom would mix some ingredients together and make up some home remedy and give it to me in the middle of the night to magically cure my cough. I couldn’t do that though, partly because Jonas’ kitchen is always locked. Also partly because I never learned what she actually puts in that concoction.
Finally, Friday came around and I was still not getting any better. Determined to get rid of my sickness, I did what any independent student would do. I went home and hoped my parents could cure me.
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