Who take cares who?

It’s 12 midnight. I woke up from a long sleep. What time is it? 3 or 4 in the morning?

I haven’t been this sick for so long. The illness that drag the entire body in slow motion, the doctor said it is allergy and mid-ear infection. The right mid-ear is seriously infected, the ear drum has a sign of bleeding. How could that happen? The nurse measure my temperature, it’s 102 F. For a consecutive 4 days, the fever stays high, it’s like a stubborn child not yielding to leave the amusement park at the parents call.

It was Friday night, still laying on my sick bed. Mom limps into my room with water, medication and thermometer. It is her hope that the fever will be gone after 2 days of fever relieve medication. I can see it in her eyes each time she touches my forehead and neck to feel the heat, heartache and disappointment. There’s tears hovering in her eyes and so do I. I can read her mind that she will rather be laying there sick instead of me. 12, 3, 5, 7am, she came in faithfully to feel the burning dog coughing daughter’s heat to be gone. After all these years, mom is still so tender, even the sickness always the result of not obeying her instruction to sleep more and eat right.

Mom, it’s my turn to take care of you. Why you are always taking care of me when I should have taking care of you?