Today had been a series of bad decisions yet as I sit here on my bed and ponder, life is pretty funny at times, not with best of the intentions, mind you. Let me narrate a not so hilarious incident but definitely an I told you so moment.
This was before covid hit. On the way to a family friend’s wedding, my mother suffered a minor heart attack just as she and my father alighted from the train and exiting the station. The critical details of the condition are immaterial to the story so just understand–instead of the taxi to the friend’s house, they promptly ended up in a hospital where the doctor confirmed the diagnosis. The fun trip took a sudden detour and they found themselves in a flight back home and off to the hospital to get a prompt checkup where the doctors found two blocks and placed a stent.
All of these exciting events and where was I? I was entirely ignorant of these events and not very happily working in another city. In fact, my amazing parents chose not to share the news for a good 4 days, after which my mom promptly asks me to take the next flight and come home. Now, she has never made such a request so I obviously knew something was wrong.
Okay, it would be presumptuous of you to assume I didn’t have an inkling. I did, I knew something was wrong because both of them had been behaving abnormally since they started on their supposed trip. I had decided to pay them a visit but since they were out of town to my knowledge, I was in a bind. Now, I had definitely not assumed a medical emergency. And, possibly, my sub-conscious was also trying to avoid the reality.
When I reached Delhi and went into the hospital room, it is an indelible film in my brain. Seeing my mother tiny compared to the giant hospital bed.
Cut to 5 years later, just a few days back, she gets the shock of her life thanks to her sister. My aunt had been experiencing pain in her breast and her arm pit for a long time, we came to know eventually. Finally, they consulted the doctor and the implications are definitely concerning. When my mother heard the news, she lamented to her sister asking why wouldn’t you tell me. And, as she lifted her face with the glistening eyes, she looked at me. I have no idea if she recalled her own actions but I definitely hope so!!
Following that, in the evening, she promptly extended her left arm for me to check the temperature adding she was feeling cold. She had worked herself into a fever and it just got worse from there.
Anyways, this was a full circle moment for me. I can only hope she has learned her lesson and will never subject me to such ignorance.
Love, Swathy and Sky.
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