Christmas gone south

It was a beautiful Christmas morning. My mum started the morning by playing some loud Christmas songs through the speaker. She wanted everyone in the house to wake up and her plan worked. As if that was not enough, she went ahead to open all the curtains in the house just so that the sun's rays would chase away any aorta of sleep still lurking in anyone's eyes.

My mother has always been excited about Christmas. I kept wondering how someone who has seen so many Christmas like she has, could still be this excited about Christmas. Christmas day in my home is usually one of a kind. My mum takes charge of the kitchen like she always does, and makes sure the most delicious dishes are prepared. This was one of the reasons I loved Christmas. She made different varieties of amazing meals and the family would eat as much as we wanted.

Everyone in the family was at home to celebrate. We all ate together and the reaction on everyone's faces showed that they enjoyed the meal. We talked, laughed, played games and did some catching up. We planned to go out later in the day to have fun as a family.

A few minutes later, I noticed that my mum looked unwell.

"Mum, are you alright? You don't look well" I said.

"Yes, I'm alright. I'm just tired, and I have a slight headache" she said.

"Okay, just get some rest" I replied.

An hour later, I went to check up on her where she laid down, and she looked even worse.

"Mum, you have a fever", I said as I touched her.

"I feel hot and cold at the same time. The headache has also gotten worse", she said.

I watched as she shivered, and it was then I realized it was going to be a turbulent Christmas.

I quickly brought it to the attention of others and there were signs of panic on their faces. We were able to get her some medication hoping she would get better. Unfortunately, as time went on, her health kept on getting worse. She had severe pain in her knees which she never had before, and before we knew it, she had generalized body pains.

The day was going south in a flash. It was already afternoon and by then, nobody had a Christmas celebration in mind anymore. We decided to take her to the hospital. None of us imagined in their wildest dreams that we would have to go to the hospital on a Christmas day. All of our plans to go out and have fun together as a family were thrown out the window. Celebration turned to worry.

My mum got admitted to the hospital, tests were done and treatment began. Nothing else mattered to me at that point. We all stayed there with her.

"It's weird how this just started all of a sudden" my sister said to me while we sat in the hospital.

"Yeah it is. I wonder what could have triggered mum's illness. It was so sudden" I replied.

I spent the night in the hospital alone with my father, watching over my mum. The next day, my mother got better. She responded well to treatment and was strong and agile. We were all present at the hospital that morning to make sure she was okay. Just like me, the others wanted to calm their minds down. We all loved our mother dearly. It must have been a long night for them, having to worry about mum after getting that scare.

After confirmation came that she was completely fine, we were all relieved. It was as if a huge weight had been lifted off my chest. The sadness in the air began to fade away. Slowly, genuine happiness returned to our hearts. My mum was discharged and on her return home, she insisted that we celebrate.

She didn't like the fact that our Christmas celebration was cut short because she fell ill. Even though Christmas had passed, we agreed to celebrate. We made food and got drinks, and put on some music as we ate, danced and laughed.

It was a day to remember. Everyone's mood was great. We bonded even more as a family and made good memories. My mum was the happiest because not only did she survive a health scare, she got to celebrate Christmas which she loved, with her family, despite the fact that the celebration was delayed.

Occasionally, I look back at that particular Christmas and I let out a joyful smile.