The week had began on such a high note. All my efforts to learn how to swim were finally paying off. Nilikuwa nimevuka sakafu, kwa mwendo wa aste aste from the team that rolls up their trousers and dangles legs at the edge of the pool to the maestros who dive under the water and float on it at will.
Little did I know my happiness would be short lived.
Because the flu came upon me like the tsunami and took with it all my happiness as well as the strength of my body. As if the flu was not enough with its general body weakness, sore throat and pain from head to toe it awakened the sleeping monster that is arthritis. That marked the beginning of my worst nightmare.
My legs from my knee joints to my toe nails were the first to give in. Numbing, excruciating pain. Swelling from the ankle joints soon followed. Then my right hip from pelvic to knee joined in the fray. You remember how the late Kajwang used to step into a wobbly wooden political platform. Stomped onto it, owning every inch of the soon to be firewood or discarded debris. Then with just a slight squat, eyes popping like the bottom of the golden ringed metallic cowboy tin bellowed:
🎵🎶Bado mapambano, 🎵🎶Mapambano Mapambano (repeat until crowd goes into a frenzy)
Whisk in hand swinging back and forth, contrasting with the eyes that moved side to side and the unforgettable mouth formation that increased the tempo as the crowd joined in.
Well that is how my sciatica nerve joined the disaster visiting my mortal body!
Yaani the betrayal, the audacity of this nerve to attack at my weakest moment! I shall revisit this betrayal.
Opposite door on my left hip, from pelvic to knee, and there I found an ally. Peer pressure for who? Mob psychology, what do you mean? It was the only part of my body that stood with me, ilisimama kidete, unmoved, unshaken. Talk about loyalty! I shall not soon forget.
The sciatica nerve did not join the pain and numbing frenzy alone, she awakened not only entire back pain but went ahead and rallied my dozing four time CS wound! kabaridi kembamba. Kamujikuno, woiiiii!! Saidia Baba
My back rose up and exclaimed, “I have been crucified with Christ . . .” Zile mijeledi yesu alipigwa, I could feel that pain on my back. Nyahunyo whipping kind of pain, sweeping the entire back from the neck to my pelvic and hugging my chest as well.
My neck was stiff, and do not get me started on the pounding headache. You know the foko njembe part hapo back of the neck, three fork. Pain was shooting up and the three distribution channels were on optimum performance.
So, after holding the bragging right on underwater swimming and floating, I ended up spending the majority of the week curled up on the seat nursing my disintegrating body!
And there I learned, mwili huu ni maua; this body is flower – one moment flourishing, the other wilting dry.
