For Chicken Sake

Why don't I tell you guys about my battle with chicken pox, but first, why is it called chicken pox though? What have chickens got to do with this? I do not tolerate any slander on chickens so, I need answers lol. Chicken pox was something several kids had when we were much younger but I didn't. I assumed I was immune maybe due to the vaccination we received as kids or something. Little did I know that the virus was just gearing up to attack me in the worst way possible.

In boarding school, 15 out of the 21 girls in my hall contracted chicken pox. I remember feeling envious because they got to go home. I was very exposed to the virus, my bunk mate had it, everyone on my row had it, I laid on the bed of someone who had it, I helped my friend wash her cloth when she had it and the blister directly touched my skin but I never got it. The good thing was that the rest of us left behind were under special watch and the hall was almost empty so we did as we liked during that period.

Several years later, while I was in my 3rd year in the university, I was enjoying feeling of having fewer courses, getting a project supervisor and just other things that made me feel cool until tragedy struck. I travelled home for the semester holiday and close to the resumption date, I started feeling really sick. It started with extreme fatigue, so bad that I could barely stand myself up. I also lost appetite and I didn't eat any solid food for three days. I remember drinking coke, and tea. My parents didn't believe I was sick for some reasons so they still had me do house work; I partly burnt almost every food I cooked because I couldn't get up to turn off the cooker on time lol.

The first blister appeared on my stomach and it scared me. I didn't remember what chicken pox looked like, so I didn't recognise it. My sister saw it and touched it (she got infected later). I was to travel to my hometown with my dad and younger for an event and my siblings would join later, and from there, I was to travel back to school. Whenever I'm travelling to my hometown, I don't bother with aesthetics, I just wear comfortable clothes and maybe transparent lip gloss. So, I didn't really have to look at a mirror but when my dad saw me that morning, he jumped a little. I remember asking him what's wrong and why he was looking at my face that way but he said it was nothing. When I tried to go look at a mirror, he told me we didn't have much time and needed to leave as early as possible and I ignorantly agreed.

On the way, I could barely keep my head up; I was tired and wanted to lie down. My younger brother placed his head on my legs to sleep and I rested my head on his back (he got infected too) I don't remember much of that journey because I didn't feel like I was part of it. I felt so sick that the journey seemed unending yet, short.

We reached our hometown on time. My dad sat outside with his brothers who welcomed us while my brother and I went inside the house. After a while, they heard a loud scream and ran inside one of the rooms to find me with a mirror. I was in shock at what my face looked like. I couldn't believe I had carried that face proudly while walking past people. I must admit it did feel a little rough but I thought I was breaking out for some reasons. My dad then explained to me that the pox had shown up on my face and that was why he didn't let me use a mirror in the morning because he knew I would be worried. When my dad's brothers found out what happened, they laughed so much, it actually made me feel calm and I laughed along with them.

A few hours later, I got my drugs and calamine lotion. I was told that I didn't start the treatment on time and I had one of the worst cases (the blisters were gigantic). After a week my little brother and elder sister started noticing the symptoms and began treatment immediately (even before the symptoms, I think). Well, theirs wasn't as bad and they had no scars while I've been left with permanent scars on my body and face. It made me really insecure for a long time especially with how obvious the scars are because of my light skin but I'm almost over it now. A lot of people don't seem to notice it as much anymore, I think they heal better over the years. I wouldn't want anyone to go through the same ordeal though.

Back to my question, what did chickens do to deserve this unfortunate tag? Is it because they crossed the road? Why?

Have you ever had chicken pox? let me know in the COMMENTS and SUBSCRIBE!!