Up-close and Personal

Assalamualaikum

I woke up extra early on Wednesday morning, considering I had to go out early to print my homework. And so I walked down toward the main campus of KU for my English Reading and Discussion for Basic Learner (which had practically changed into American Popular Culture Studies and is NOT that basic), hoisting my backpack which was heavy with two textbooks and listening to my iPod.

I didn't run to catch all the pedestrian's green lights, knowing I had plenty of time. When I reached the printing shop, it was only around 8.15 a.m. So I went to Paris Baguette and get myself two sweet potato buns to be eaten with the chocolate milk I bought earlier. I arrived at Moshitta's around 8.30. He asked me to lend him scissors and glue. And as I sat at his study desk, downing milk while re-reading the essay for the day, I noticed how much my stomach detest having to drink the milk. Weird since I drink the same brand everyday and the milk didn't taste like it has gone bad or anything.

I got to class 10 minutes early as always and greeted my desk partner, Young-Eun - a typical korean lady who loves history and paintings and dreamed of being a curator. She's a total opposite of myself and I can never ever be a lovely lady she is. But as I re-write my notes back to my notebook (read: the notebook you write notes on. NOT the laptop) I felt a sensational pain in my stomach. We had quiz that morning so I had to force myself to concentrate on the questions. Even so, I did ran of twice to the bathroom and threw up. Realizing I wasn't fit to continue being in the class yet my house is too far for me to go home alone in such condition, Young-Eun asked me to go rest at the female student restroom (NOT the toilet. It's a room with sofas and beds for the female student to rest) at the main library.

But even with the comfort of the bed I thrashed around. Finding the most comfortable position to make my stomach less painful. One of the girls came over and asked me if I was ok and whether I need an ambulance. I told her Moshitta was coming. I sent him a message earlier. And as I was thrashing I felt something in my throat. I need a toilet, I thought. But it was my first time in the main library so I didn't know which way was the toilet. Before I could think more, I vomitted. Right there. On the floor. The thick clear substance with a drop or two yellow substance. And it wouldn't stop until I made a poodle out of it. Embarassing? I sure was. But when you were extremely sick, you can't even help yourself.

Moshitta arrived just as the girls were cleaning the floor. He wasn't supposed to enter the restroom coz obviously it's only for females but the girls just let him in. They asked if I would like an ambulance, and Moshitta discussed it with me a bit and we decided to go.

I was pushed into the ambulance and Moshitta got in next to me. The ambulance guy started asking questions about what I eat and other symptoms of my sickness. I looked around the ambulance. A computer was on my left. As he measured my blood pressure, I read. 88. Not bad. And I look over at Moshitta. Suddenly my eyes swelled with tears. Not because I was in so much pain. But because of the words I heard earlier. 보호자는 어디에요. 이 분이에요.

보호자 literally means caretaker. Or guardian. The person who takes care of you. In a place where I have no blood family nor relatives, and when just 12 hours earlier people just told me off to go live on myself because I was claimed to be an utter selfish, Moshitta is there by my side as my caretaker. The person who takes care of me. And I realized then, 나 혼자서 아니야 I'm not alone. Even when I live my campus life sitting on my own in the front seat of the class, I am not alone. Always there are people out there who cares about me and cook me porridge when I was sick like Zatul did.

Umm.. but we spent our times at the hospital making jokes of each other. I was ok through the long wait at the hospital. The emergency room were full so we have to wait outside. Duh. I asked Moshitta to pull me around in the wheelchair and we had fun playing around. Er.. note that Moshitta just ran off his class without telling his lecturer he had an emergency. And later on when the nurse came with a pack of water and a super big needles I quickly told her I was ok. I definitely don't want any water tubes sticked to my hands and I don't want any injection. I just had one a week earlier. So we went to see the doctor to confirm that I was ok but he did warn the pain will come again. But I insisted to just go. Even without the injection and water pack, the bill was already a good 60 000 won and my insurance paid 22 000 won of it. Well, even if I have to pay all 60 000 won I can always claim it later from the JPA, but I am already receiving treatments at Sun Cheon Hyang for my shoulder. I don't want to spend too much.

Er, but no injections served me another round of thrashing and pain a while later that I had to ran off the College English class. A group of male students found me on the floor at the lounge room and one offered to bring me to the health center. Since I had nothing with me at the moment, I had to borrow his cellphone to acknowledge Moshitta that I was going to the health center. I was left sleeping there before Moshitta woke me up and got me home. He made sure I ate a bit and fed me my medicine before leaving me to sleep.