Malaria and a kinda first date?

Malaria hit me like a sledgehammer.

Joint pains, a fever that came and went,a dry cough accompanied with catarrh and splitting headaches that felt like my head was a "batá" drum being beaten by energetic drummers.

I laid in bed blowing my nose weakly, into my handkerchief that was already damp with all the catarrh that had been previously deposited onto it.

Touching my phone for entertainment or even watching television was out of the question as my eyes were heavy and felt swollen.

"Som, I told you to take malaria drugs before now or even visit the hospital but you refused. You decided to be stubborn, now look at where your stubbornness has landed you," My mother said.

Worry was written all over her features as she dabbed a wet towel on my forehead.

I coughed weakly and managed to croak out through my scratchy throat.

"I'm still not going to any hospital. They always pack those disgusting yellow tablets for me along with that bitter, viscous cough syrup. No, I'm not going."

"This girl, you'll be going to school in November. Do you want to carry sickness and go? Is it not better to go to the hospital now and treat this and be free?"

I was aware that my being sick caused my mother emotional distress but I was not planning on changing my mind.

"Woman, you know how obstinate she is. Once she has said she won't go somewhere, she won't go. Chisom, instead of a hospital, you'll go to Doctor David's house and receive an injection. Won't that be better?"

My father suggested as he walked into my room. His proposal was way better than having to swallow bitter medicine so I readily agreed.

My mother wouldn't agree so easily.

"Is it that nonsense doctor that would come to this house to treat you, wouldn't even acknowledge my presence and just leave, that you want to take my only daughter too? No, I will not accept this. She will go to a hospital!"

"What does he not greeting you and his expertise as a medical doctor have to do with each other. I don't have the energy to argue with you. She will go to his house for injections and that is final."

My father declared and walked out with my mother following behind still trying to put her point across.

"Even when I'm sick, they still find an opportunity to argue," I muttered in annoyance.

The next day, my dad drove me to Doctor David's house after my mom prayed for me for almost twenty minutes.

She still wasn't content with me going there but she was outnumbered.

Doctor David's house was in Ago Palace Way, an apartment building just a forty-five-minute drive from my house.

He was married to a pretty lady who was on her master's degree program in another state. He had brought her to my house to introduce her to my father when they were about to get married.

He was like a son and a close friend to my father after he helped save my dad's life back in 2016.

"Future doctor, why don't you like hospitals and drugs?" He asked jokingly.

"They're too bitter sir," I replied, pouting.

"But when you become a doctor in the future, you'll be advising people to always take their medications."

"That's for their good, I never said I practiced what I preached. They would do as I say not as I do."

My statement invoked laughter into the room. He later left to put on his generator as power was yet to be supplied by the electricity distribution company.

On his return, he put on the television and he and my dad began to discuss.

The man completely forgot he had a patient for almost an hour until I cleared my throat to get his attention.

"Sir, I'm still here. I hope you've not forgotten me," I said light-heartedly.

My dad hit my arm gently in jest while Doctor David went into an inner room.

He came out in the possession of a big box. He had already been informed of my malaria so it was no surprise to me that his syringes were already prepped and the injection medicine ready to be infused into it.

I brought down my trousers just enough for him to rub methylated spirit on my left butt cheek, one of the areas to be injected.

I had received multiple injections in my lifetime that this one was a cake-walk.

I was to return the next day for the final dose.

I already felt better the next day but I had to complete the medication lest my dad and mom be angry at me.

Finally, I was done with injections and my strength had returned.

I could now torment my parents with reckless abandon.

Along the line, Tobi crossed my mind and I realized that I hadn't replied to the multiple texts he had sent days back.

Somewhere in my foggy malaria brain, I thought I had replied.

I turned on my data connection and opened his text.

I scrolled past the first seven messages to the most recent one.

"Hey again. I spoke to Mariam and she informed me that you were down with malaria. I hope you're fine now and have been to the hospital. I miss you. Get well soon."

I grinned at the text, butterflies exploding in my tummy as I rolled on my bed trying to control the grin on my face.

"I'm fine now. I received injections from a doctor. Thank you for finally apologizing for what Michael did. I'm free next week if you still want to hang out."

"Of course, I still want to hang out. Are you kidding me? How does Tuesday sound?"

My heart fluttered in my chest and I began to imagine what our date would be like.

Tuesday thankfully came fast enough and I was getting ready in my room.

I had to lie to my mom and dad that I was going to the ice cream parlor in Ikotun with Emmanuel and Mariam to avoid the barrage of questions that would follow if I revealed who I was going out with.

I put on jeans, my favorite black t-shirt and combed out my short afro then tied a bandana around my hairline.

I bade my parents goodbye after collecting money from both of them and ran out the door.

I had already mapped out the entire day and I was going to make sure everything went as smoothly as I had planned.