Mama's Boy

The fever was more stubborn than I thought.

It began right after Math SL Paper 2 on Friday – giving new meaning to the phrase ‘exam fever’. So after Friday prayers I decided to take a few hours’ nap, hoping to wake up fine and nerdy to face the next test.

I woke up nerdy; but not fine.

So that night I slept early, but to no avail. Saturday morning and I was still light-headed. Ironically, it was one of those rare moments where I was eager to study. But the irony is lost when you consider that an IB final exam was less than 72 hours away, and it was Chemistry HL, FOR HEAVEN’S SAKE!!!

Saturday afternoon – my family was to come over to KMB for lunch. Great. Just what I needed: my mum to fuss excessively over a fever which I was already excessively fussing over =.=’

For most of the lunch, though, things were going quite smoothly. We talked about Adik’s education, Danny’s football game, etc. … basically anything other than my fever. Then, suddenly:

“Bang, why are you wearing a sweater??”

Caught.

Cornered, I had to admit that I was having a fever. Before I could finish my sentence my Mama’s hand had shot to my neck (to check my temperature, not – thankfully – to choke me to death).

As expected, the lunch proceeded after that with irritated questions (“Why didn’t you tell Mama earlier??”) to blindingly obvious statements (“Dahlah tengah exam. You don’t want to tell Mama you have a fever”) and the absurdly farsighted (“You are going to become a doctor! Macam mana ni kalau nak take ubat pun tak nak??”). <-- O.o

Reluctantly, my family eventually left KMB. I thought that would be the end of that, and they had (thankfully) left me alone to wage my private crusade against this darned stubborn fever.

But no such luck.

A few hours later, an SMS from Papa: “bang, we’re coming at nite to bring ubat for u”

Quite incredibly, my parents – like a pair of superheroes on steroids – have squeezed into their hectic schedule a visit to the family doctor to obtain some medicine for me. That night I met them once again, still in my now-starting-to-smell-funky sweater (showers are optional during exams; according to expert opinion). I sat resigned as Mama explained with the thoroughness of an experienced medical officer which medicine to take, how many times per day, and at what dosage. And then Mama brought out a Tupperware containing what no medical officer could ever do for me – a home-cooked meal warm with love.

I was touched, of course, but in the silent way teenagers usually are to their parents. Mama and Papa then offered to take me back home for what’s left for the weekend, but I declined saying it would affect the momentum of my studies. But I guess my ego had a say in that too – I stubbornly wanted to defeat this fever alone.

But Mama proved to be even more stubborn. She visited once again on Sunday night, then on Monday night, all the time bringing hot home-cooked meals and tireless reminders to “eat the ubat, especially the antibiotics. Finish the antibiotics!”. Once, mama even brought over an electronic thermometer ("more accurate") - no joke... :OO

Tuesday – I was, Alhamdulillah, well enough to take both papers of the Chem HL exam without blacking out halfway. Remnants of the fever remained, but I have mostly kicked its stubborn butt out. Thanks, in no small part, to Mama and Papa as well.

By the end of the week I was completely fine. When Saturday rolled along so did my parents for lunch. It was then I noticed how tired Mama looked. It wasn’t just my fever Mama had been losing sleep about – Adik had just gone through an interview for a scholarship, and knowing Mama I knew she was just as stressed out about the interview (if not more) than Adik was.

Wrapped up stubbornly in a battle against my fever, I forgot to look at Mama.

I know this post is about six weeks late – I should have posted this in Mother’s Day, not Father’s Day.


I don’t think I have thanked you enough, Ma. Happy Belated Mother’s Day. And I’m sorry for being so stubborn…I guess, in that sense, I’m just being Mama’s boy :-/ Love you.

P.S. Happy Father's Day Pa! I’ll post something for Father’s Day soon, k? (mebe in the next 6 weeks) :pp Luv u! 

P.P.S. Disclaimer: egos do not cure fevers. Ubat and home-cooked meals do J