The Story So Far

Monday, November 07, 2011


"What do you want for your birthday?" Grace asked.

"Peace and quiet." I answered in that philosophical way of mine. Or to other people, over-pretentiousness.

"Oh, happiness too of course." I added.

Grace sighed and moved away from this pointless conversation before I launched into a long-winded speech about trying to reach a metaphorical, or an almost Zen like state-of-mind in which peace and quiet can be achieved. A state-of-mind I believe to be akin to mythical.

Little did I know on the morning of my birthday - as I was throwing up all of my previous day's meals - that I was going to get exactly what I wished for.

I went to sleep early the eve of my birthday because I was just so knackered. That should have rung a couple of bells but no one paid any attention. When the clock struck twelve my sister promptly appeared on my bed, her face hovering above mine, waiting; as though her presence itself should awaken this sleeping beauty.

But sleeping beauty snored away and my sister had no choice but to softly scream "boo" which created the desired effect; I screamed and almost fell off the other side of the bed - the beast has arisen.

Dad handed me my present and when I opened it, I shrieked. He had given me this beautiful bag which I've been ogling and re-visiting it ever since my eyes laid sight of it. It was truly, love at first sight. My sister and mum hugged and kissed me promising that my presents from them would be arriving soon whilst my dad smiled smugly.

After they left, the phone calls came in. I felt like a princess. But a very feverish, and exhausted princess.

Soon after the phone calls stopped, I fell back asleep. But that didn't last long because the Chai's came over for a surprise birthday greeting. I was grinning from ear to ear as I hugged them and they showed me the card they painstakingly made. After they left, and a long phone call that followed, I was at last, happy and alone.

"Dear Lord. Thank you for all the people you have put into my life Lord. I am so blessed that I've come to know them. I'm at loss for words to describe how happy I am but Lord you know the feelings in my heart, and that is enough. In Jesus name I pray, Amen. "

I fell asleep thinking that one out of three wishes wasn't bad, and was starting to look forward to the next day at work when I would shamelessly receive all the love and attention that any birthday girl would get.

Plans changed.

I woke up at 5am and rushed to the toilet shaking and clammy. And then I puked.

I got back into bed in a state of a denial. I am okay. Tomorrow morning, I will wake up and get ready to go to school. I am okay. I am okay.

In the morning my sister woke me up and I tried to roll out of bed as usual, but then blacked out. My sister panicked and called my dad. My dad rushed back from work and strolled into my room where I lay shaking and clammy.

"Come. Let's go doctor."

"Pa, no. I don't want."

"Why?"

"I can't move."

I was sweating profusely. My guts were curling and pinching and wrenching. My body went from feverishly hot to freezing cold. Every time I lift my head, I felt woozy. I was breathing heavily.

"If you don't go to doctor, it'll only get worse."

"I can't move." I groaned. Then suddenly. I jumped off the bed. Bolted for the bathroom. I was almost too late, but I watched with some small satisfaction as my vomit managed to fall into the correct place, namely, the toilet bowl.

I went to the doctor. And came back with five different meds. Two of which my sister managed to read the directions wrongly and overdose me.

It said 3 Tablets. Eat one after each meal.

My sister read each meal, eat three tablets.

....

Halfway through swallowing my medication my sister went, "uh-oh. Jie, I read wrong. You're not suppose to eat so many."

I stared at her, my mind struggling between watching my life flashing by and wondering if I should strangle my sister and take her down with me.

She shrugged, "oh well, since you've already eaten all three, you don't need to eat anymore for the rest of the day."

'nuff said.

I slept for 20 hours out of the 24 hours of my birthday.

The four hours were only for eating my medicine, going to the bathroom, and, talking to my lovely friends who visited.

As my sister put it, "Only true friends would visit such a sick, disgusting, vomiting person like you." My sister. The fountain of wisdom.

Lerry and Stephen came with beautiful balloons that brightened my room and my mood. Even after they, and everyone after, left; I stared at my balloons. They were so pretty. A mish mash of colors that bobbed and weaved and intertwined according to the gentle breeze that came in through my window because of the rain. For some reason they made me smile. And my heart ached. I felt loved.


(not the actual balloons. I didn't take a picture. I think Lerry did though?)

I fell asleep. And the next bunch of people to surprise me were Jon, Andy, Mishie and Jo. They were loud, funny, and made me grin so wide.

Jo mocked me "I heard you wanted pampering on your birthday?! Whose going to pamper you? Pfft!" and yet he did. I missed him alot. I missed him and Mishie terribly when they left for Australia. And I was sincerely touched that all four of them came to visit me.

But even so, they saw how tired I was and left early.

Much later at night when I was talking with Grace as she asked me how my day went and listened to me go on and on, she quietly told me,

"you got what you wanted then didn't you?"

"What?" I asked puzzled

"Your peace and quiet."

"Oh. Oh yeah."

And so I did. Even though I remained sick for the next couple of days, my energy level fluctuating from being good enough to go to work to blacking out for the next 15 hours right after and having trippy moments in between, it was one of the best birthdays ever.

I came out of it with a fantabulous bag, an ipod shuffle, two Giordano jeans, ka-ching to go shopping, peace, quiet and happiness, and most importantly, friends and family that I cherish and God whom I exalt because even in my sickness, I can thank Him for all the love that He surrounds me with.

Another realization; God told me that I need to do some serious purging. Not just physical, but emotional. I'm going to be doing some spring cleaning.

Thank you for all those who made my birthday special and who made me feel like the happiest girl around. There were a lot of you that I didn't even have breath to write into this post (and heck this was a long post) but you all know who you are.

Much love,
Me.

The picture that inspired the start of the new, 19 year old, Karlyn.
Love you Grace.

4 comments

  1. DONT FORGET BEING SHOUTED AT BECAUSE YOU WERE MISTAKEN FOR SOMEONE ELSE =D

    ReplyDelete
  2. OHMGOSH OH YA!!

    And your horrible attempt to food poison me again with four day old macaroons!

    ReplyDelete
  3. Heeeyyy, fact is. You're still alive, and that should mean something, right?

    It means that I didn't kill you! So that means you don't have to take me down with you (:

    And yes, Jie, true friends/family will stick by you no matter how sick and disgusting you are at times.

    If you show your beautiful side, you're gonna have to show your ugly side (literally) sooner or later too

    :D

    P.S: IOU birthday present. :D

    ReplyDelete
  4. Fountain of wisdom! What did I say =p

    But...at that time(!) I thought I was going to die. No not really. Were YOU scared?

    YES! And I've already decided what I want! So when can we go shopping? =]

    ReplyDelete