This time it was a slow one. At first I thought it was food poisoning or just general fatigue. Malaria was the last thing on my mind. Unknown to me, it was sipping slowly into my system and gaining entrance into my muscles. Every part of me from my head to my toe was going to feel this one.
My sister had dropped me off not too far from my office. As I walked, I knew something was amiss. My steps were heavier and slower, I started feeling really tired like I was using up more energy than necessary. By the time I got to the office, I started to shiver, I was feeling mad cold in a room temperature of about 25degree Celsius. I knew there was a problem. I started to feel very weak, I was still certain I’d make it to the end of the office hours. My colleagues came one by one and told me I had to go back home. I waited, the more I waited, the worse I felt. I wanted my boss to see me like this and send me home himself. By this time my body temperature had risen to feverish level(whatever the numbers were). My boss came, sent me home. I dropped by a pharmacy and got some meds and I started treating malaria.
We pretty much treat malaria by ourselves here in Nigeria. It is part of the culture. It has been a routine since we were little kids. Our mothers will take care of us. Administering a number of medications they procured from the pharmacy. It’ll get you at least once or twice in a year. We just take meds, sweat it, recover and move on.
Malaria is the only thing that get me totally out of my element. I’ve got a high tolerance for pain, so I can walk around with a sore knee or toe for as long as it’ll take till it heals. I’m not even being macho here, it is just the way I’m built. I had a couple for surgery as a baby, I guess that’s to blame.
Anyways, back to malaria. When it gets me, he gets me really bad. I always use the time I’m down to think and reflect. To be thankful for my daily routine. I’d thank God for shelter and all. This was never me fearing for my life or thinking morbid thoughts. I think when we are down and out, we appreciate the little things.
I couldn’t listen to music because everything was extra noisy. I couldn’t spend time reading; my eyes would hurt and I had severe headache. So I just slept, ate, woke, shower and repeat. My appetite for food wasn’t good but whatever I ate got used up pretty quickly. I enjoyed this moment because it afforded me the time to be in my head a lot and gave me the gift of writing this.
So malaria, I say my goodbyes and I hope I don’t see you anytime soon. I have dreams and visions to fulfill and I’ve got a boss to please.
Cheers
Kunle
Amuwo Kunle Junior 