Christmas Threat

My son Angelo got fever two days before Christmas. And for the succeeding two days until Christmas Eve, both of us were in and out of the hospital, more than worried about his platelets count slipping almost below normal. And the fear of dengue fever was there.

I was packing his things for the admission to the hospital when I recalled that almost the same time last year, I was packing mine, to go to my sick father in Manila. So I was not sure what I was feeling, I just want to make sure all my son's needs will be inside that bag. Drive him to the hospital and bring him to the laboratory for the CBC count once more.

Angelo was so scared about getting hospitalized. And his hand swelled and hurt from all those previous blood extractions. I was not thinking of Christmas, I was trying to address all my son's issues about injections and dengue.

But on Christmas Eve he was out of danger.

I was not able to prepare for Christmas because of the incident. But I managed to clean 2 medium- sized milkfish which I stuffed with tomatoes, onions, ginger and garlic. I also marinated pork belly for the children who loves barbeque. While cooking in the front yard, we were on Skpe with my niece Thea and her whole family in Quezon City. I also got to talk with Omar in the US.

My son, Karlsen with the 2 milkfishes on the charcoal.

And here I was so very tired on Christmas Eve!