Blood Drinker

Xell picked me up for dinner last night. Earlier he said he had something to do. It turned out that he planned to meet his friend last night, but he had it cancelled. So he went to meet me instead, knowing that I had not eaten anything for dinner yet.

He was late, I thought he was cancelling the plan of going out for dinner with me. Just like a few days before when he promised me that he will take me out for dinner, he could only accompany me. He had already eaten at home earlier.

He showed me a place where he described as "having the best Western food around here." But we didn't go to that place. We went to someplace else instead, they serve Thai food. The server was cold. He pointed to a white board near the counter when I asked for the specials.

I ordered some rice with Tom Yam Pokteh and Kerabu Mangga and a glass of pineapple juice. He ordered a warm glass of Nescafe. We waited for quite a while for the food to come. It felt like forever.

When the server came with my food order, the first thing Xell did was to give the Kerabu Mangga a taste. He said the one we had at the Chicken Rice Shop last weekend tasted better, but he preferred this mango. I gave it a taste. Well, it was not sour enough to my likings. Maybe that's why he preferred this mango. Most people I know don't eat sour stuff, and most of them don't understand my love for extremely sour mangos and preserved fruits.

I gave the Tom Yam a taste. It was the kind of Tom Yam with fish, crab and the usual squid and prawn inside. I liked the one I had near the University Xell is enrolled in. But I ate the Tom Yam anyway. I can say that it is quite rare to find a place that serves this kind of Tom Yam. Maybe I just have to look around harder.

I was enjoying my food when suddenly I felt that something was wrong with the food I was eating. I tried to shoo the thought away and continued eating. The next spoonful of rice proved my thought was right. I pretended like nothing happened in front of Xell. At first he didn't notice anything, but he started asking when he saw me checking my spoon before taking another spoon of rice.

"Nothing." I gave him a short answer. I kept on sipping my pineapple juice the whole time. I continued eating, but stopped for some minutes a while later. He didn't ask why. I felt the blood filling my mouth. I had somehow cut my tongue again. I had no option other than washing the blood down my throat with the juice.

I waited for a few minutes for the blood to stop. It somehow refused to. I looked at the clock hanging on the wall. I knew I will be late if I don't continue on eating. I ate, ignoring the blood in my mouth. I managed to finish whatever thing I can still eat on the table.

I washed my hands and grabbed some tissue paper to dry them. Then I took another piece of tissue paper and pretended like I was wiping my mouth. I actually put the tissue paper in my mouth, covering my act with my hands. I looked at it. The white paper turned red. The second time I dabbed the paper in my mouth, the bleeding seemed worse. I did it several time, knowing that it would not get better. But swallowing my own blood made me feel sick.

Xell noticed, so I had to confess to him. He asked me to take more papers, just in case the bleeding got worse. He even joked about my name. I was always known by my friends by the name Dracula and Blood Hunter. I just let a small laugh. It wasn't really funny.

I joked on the various bleeding that happened to me in a short period. The nose, the tongue. And I am having my Big M day coming in a couple of days. He laughed at it.

He drove me around for a while before sending me back to the Residential College. The bleeding had stopped by then. I was grateful I don't have to bear the taste of blood in my mouth for long. Twice in one day is too much for me.

I felt sleepy once I reached my room. It was midnight. I was thinking of doing my laundry when my eyes felt really heavy. I switched off the light and was ready to climb up the bunk bed. Suddenly my view went clear, so I grabbed my clothes and the brush and detergent and started washing.

I finished washing at around 2.30 a.m. I was very exhausted, and I had switched the fan at full speed. The night was somehow warm. I kicked the blanket away, trying to make myself comfortable.

I closed my eyes, trying to get some sleep when I felt a sting on my skin. A mosquito was having her meal. Urghh... I hate mosquitoes. And I hate squishing that thing to death because it will stain my stuff. That's even worse than being bitten. It made me feel disturbed though.

Then came some more. They feasted on my blood and didn't even move a bit when I moved around, trying to scare them away. They left only after they had feasted enough.

I managed to sleep and I woke up at the usual hour here. No, a bit earlier, because my tummy was aching. I went back to sleep before waking up at 7 plus.

I checked on my arms for bites. Nothing obvious. Wow. That's kinda weird. I thought they had more than enough last night. Like the nights before. I have to admit that I hate the Residential College because the whole mosquito thing. Heck! They even have mosquitoes at the Faculty!

Everyday I would give my skin a quick scan for red spots. There are small bumps here and there, and I thought I just developed a mild fever yesterday. I don't care much about the mosquito bites, I just don't want to develop yet another weird rash all over my body. No more staying in the ward for nothing please! At least give me some news saying I am down with so-and-so rather than assuming that I was just having measles. (Right now I was remembering the hospital stay I had a year ago, when the doctors failed to give me the right description of my condition.)

Right now I guess I don't have to worry much about that. I just have to worry about my blood loss. *crossing fingers* I hope I don't have to lose more blood than I should.

Bleed

I bleed again today. This time, it was my tongue. That's not really some rare cases, I often got my tongue bleeding unexpectedly in the morning. Or at any time of the day. Especially when I just had some tongue-burning hot soup, or hot drinks. The tongue-brushing habit is not very good after all. Or maybe I just need a good tongue-cleaner.

Whatever.

But today's bleeding was more than the usual bleeding. I am not very sure why. The wound seemed like just a tiny spot, but I can see the blood spreading from that one tiny spot pretty quickly. I forgot whether I had something hot for last night's dinner, and if it had burned my tongue.

*sigh* I had to bear the taste of the ferrous blood in my mouth. I had been spitting and gargling for a few times just to get rid of the blood taste in my mouth when I remembered that I have to do just the opposite. I should just let the blood flow in my mouth. The saliva will take care of it.

I am lucky I learnt that the saliva can actually help to heal wounds. Not from some formal education system. But I feel lucky I knew stuff like that.

Ever think of why people suck the blood of paper-cut finger? Or why the tongue never really bleed for long? Because the saliva has the healing property. The saliva can stop small cuts from continuous bleeding, some sort of blood-clotting capability. But you will have to bear the ferrous taste in your mouth though.

So I stopped spitting and held my mouth closed for a few minutes. Then I wash my mouth and looked at the wound. It was still there the last time I looked into the mirror before heading to the class. No hot cereal drinks for me this morning. So I grabbed a pack of chocolate milk and headed down to the Faculty.

I was almost out of the Residential College building when I realised that I forgot to bring along my training materials - again! So I rushed back to my room and grabbed the blue plastic file on the desk and walked as fast as I can to the Faculty.

I stepped into the class just in time, like I always do. The bleeding had stopped. I started up the computer. A few while later the class started. I took the chocolate milk out of my bag and started sipping. I need to keep my mouth busy the whole time in class, or I'll be very sleepy.

:P

There Goes My Meals...

Warning: This is going to be yucky. Very yucky. Read at your own risk.

Yesterday I woke up late. It was raining the whole afternoon. I went out to the town anyway. The bus was late. Well, better than none, I guess. It's a good thing I took the bus to town, actually. I need some exercise. Most of my girl friends are lazy to use their little feet to trot down the streets, preferring to step on the gas pedal instead.

Anyway, the whole trip was short. T-shirt printing company (price quotation on Monday, then we'll start our T-shirt project. Yay!), the Mall, a trip to McD (my first Prosperity Meal this year!) and some mini shopping trip, and home (back to the Residence). The rain caused me headache the whole day. Maybe I should get a cap next time.

Charlie went out with his friends. He watched the movie The Sinking of Japan. I thought we are going to watch the movie together! He was pretty surprised when I said I was at the Mall. When I was there he was already heading to the Cinema.

Maybe I made a wrong choice eating the Prosperity Meal. I ate the black pepper sauced burger with some dashes of extra peppers. And the orange-peach sundae! And the large Orange McFizz! My tummy was upset for a while. Walking after the meal helped me to feel a bit better. Luckily the bus trip wasn't really bad.

Back to my room, I took a shower. The Club's plan - a dinner - was waiting. I was a bit late. We went to the diner - a simple place opposite a beach (I've never seen the water though) packed with people, especially on weekends. Luckily Queenie had already booked a place, with some food already ordered, so our food came early. We ate, we chatted and joked. The usual us. We were the loudest patrons, I guess.

We ate a lot last night. I ate a lot last night. Some crazy mix of seafood, fish, chicken, and a giant glass of pineapple juice. I also popped in some Iron and Vitamin C pills. I upset my tummy once more, this time worse than during the day.

The trip back home was long. I already warned my friends not to pull some stupid stunt in the car. I kept my head low most of the time, complying the gravity. I felt better a few while later when we almost reached the Residence.

I stepped out from the car. Uh-oh... Wrong move. I guess standing up immediately is not the best thing to do when the tummy is upset. I walked slowly. Fighting the gravity is hard. I almost reached the Residence when I knew I couldn't hold it any longer. I wanted to run to the toilet, but I knew it was impossible, and it was too late. My tummy content was on the floor the next moment.

I went to the nearest pipe. I let the rest out. My nose was full of the meal I ate. Half digested. Eww... I hope the meal didn't enter my lungs. I ate some amount of chillies at dinner, it would be very bad if the spicy, hot capsaicin burned my lungs. Ouch! At least the bad taste didn't linger in my throat afterward. Only my nose.

I decided to sleep early, but failed to do so. My *lalala...* also suggested the same. It was half past 1. I SMSed him saying I couldn't sleep. I felt better when he said he'll accompany me. A hug from my *lalala...*, my head on his lap, his hand patting my head as he watched a movie, and a few moments later I was in the dreamland.

I had some unpleasant dream. I woke up at 8.30. My tummy was OK, my head wasn't. I checked my phone. He texted me last night at around 3 checking if I was OK. I SMSed my *lalala...*, but I didn't send the text. I fell asleep once again.

I woke up. It was almost 12. I climbed down the bed and sat in front of the computer. I chatted a few while and went to the shower. Uh-oh... My tummy wasn't completely well. I went to the toilet. Out my meal from last night.

I had lunch after shower. I guess I picked the wrong choice again. Some hot stuff in my meal and my tummy went to it's ritual of the day. It grumbled furiously. Uh-oh. Another trip to the toilet. Down the drain my food went. Maybe I should pick something for my tummy instead of for my taste buds.

And as I am typing this entry, I couldn't help but feel that I need to visit the toilet more today.