Theraflu to the Rescue!

I thought I was going to die. For two days my body ached, my head hurt, and my stomach was doing all types of disgusting things in conjunction to my digestive system that I’d rather not discuss. I had caught the Dominican gripe.

At first hearing this word I thought I was infected with the some sort of Dominican version of swine flu and that I was soon doomed, however I pulled out my handy dandy dictionary and discovered that gripe is the Spanish word for the flu. Although this illness wasn’t life threatening, it still was horrible. I sent my abuela to buy me my favorite medicine for this type of sickness, Theraflu lemon flavored and just tried to get my rest and sleep it off. My abuela apparently had alternate plans because she wouldn’t stop yelling at me. My cute little sweet tweety bird granny with pouty lips and a pouchy stomach, who pinches my cheeks, gives me tight hugs and whom I normally love turns into a Nazi straight from Hitler’s own personal army. Her finger waved in front of my face with her voice at full pitch speaking in a language I can barely understand all while I am feverish is not a good combination. Trying to translate a language while you’re sick is like a trip to the dentist, unnecessarily painful. All I honestly wanted her to do was shut up, my brain couldn’t handle it. On the verge of having an angry outbreak, I was saved by mis amigos, Greg and Arcena.

I was so happy to hear English I nearly cried in relief. They came to bring me my homework from class that I missed and make sure I was feeling okay. It was while hanging in my room on this sickly day that we proclaimed ourselves a trio like on the Lizzie McGuire Show. Do yall remember that show? With Lizzy, Gordo, and Miranda? Arcena declared herself Miranda since she says she has always been the weird friend therefore I became Lizzie and Greg became Gordo. Again, my picture perfect friends and for once I’m the main character. Greg started showing us card tricks and soon we had a game of cards going when my Nazi abuela came back and I was informed that I wasn’t allowed to have a boy in my room despite the fact that I was sickly, Arcena was also in the room, and it was 5 o clock in the evening. Oh and I was also informed that if I needed something out of the fridge, to ask my abuela and not get it myself.

Now I don’t know if it was because I was sick or what but I was quick to anger that day and these new rules made me even more upset. What harm is having a boy in my room at 5 in the afternoon with another girl in there. We clearly aren’t doing anything but playing cards. And I can’t go in the fridge if I need something? But when I first got here they told me to make myself at home. I felt my emotions running ramped and decided to calm down. This is their house and they are being gracious enough to have a complete stranger live with them for 2 months so I can at least respect their rules regardless of how stupid I think they are. What I think doesn’t matter sometimes; sometimes a rule is a rule. Now, the refrigerator thing really bothered me (how do you trust a stranger to live with you but not use your fridge?) But I decided maybe I didn’t understand clearly because of the language barrier and asked again. Clarity came. They weren’t telling me NOT to open the fridge ever, they were saying if I needed something particular to ask.

This small encounter seems simple, but it taught me a good lesson. Sometimes we tend to always think the worst and assume things because we don’t completely understand. We take what we know and distort it into what we believe to be true, instead of clarifying and properly communicating to find the actual truth. I think our pride gets in the way and it’s difficult for us to humble ourselves, and in result we ruin relationships by our own preconsumptions.

But anyways I feel MUCH better now. They next day I went back to school and that night felt so energized and happy to be healthy I spent a good thirty minutes listening to Beyonce and while dancing and lip sinking in front of my mirror pretending I was shooting a music video. It’s crazy how I was able to have so much fun that night, just dancing in my room with God in my heart and my headphones in my ears.

Hasta luego (and I PROMISE more culturally stuff coming soon!)

-The Girl with the Monkey Mind