A DAY SPENT SICK IN BED
No man is free from suffering. The sufferings are the salt of life in whatever form they may come. They make us realize the importance of life and something, easily available to us. As it said, one cannot appreciate light, until he had experienced the darkness. So also one cannot appreciate the health until he had passed a day in bed in illness. Here is the story of a day which I spent sick in bed.
It was very hot during mid of June last year. Hot winds blew the whole day. We had summer vacation. During summer one hot day my father sent to Connaught Place to bring a Ledger Book from his friend’s home. Connaught Place is about four kilometers from our house. I was to go on bicycle. It was twelve o’clock when I returned I was feeling feverish and was very thirsty. My elder sister prepared ice cold sharbat for me. I drank three glasses-full. As soon as I finished I felt headache.
All at once my body temperature rose. I was made to lie in bed, waves of coldness ran through my back up to head. I was shivering with cold. My mother covered me with two blankets but even then my chattering or shivering could not be stopped. My parents began to feel worried, they called for a doctor. He came and examined me. I had got an attack of Malaria.
The whole of my body was aching. The doctor gave two capsules and three tablets and syrup. The medicine was to be given at an interval of three hours. The doctors assured my parents that I will be well after six hours. However, it was difficult for me even to pass a single minute.
I was fed milk and vegetables soup till night. Medicines were given to me as advised by the doctor. My elder pressed my aching limbs. I was unable to open my eyes due to severe pain in the head. I drank half an hour. Still the thirst could not be quenched. As the time passed my weakness grew more and more.
At about 6 p.m. I started perspiring from head to toe. I started feeling very hot. My blankets were removed. My sister wiped off my sweat again and again. My fever began to subside. My hunger was lost. I took nothing except water. I began to feel hungry. At night I don’t know when I went to sleep but by 12 a.m. the next day I was all normal except for the weakness in body. There were smiles of joy on the faces of my parents. I was extremely weak but still happy. Those hours of distress which I had passed in bed are difficult to forget.