THE POWER OF PEPPER SOUP AND REST

You wouldn't believe me if I told you I hadn't taken drugs for over six years until after the accident I had in 2022. Somehow I knew I would go back to taking drugs after I took the first set of medications prescribed by the doctor, and like I imagined from then to now I have had to take medications on three occasions and I'm currently looking forward to another. However, during those years I wasn't taking drugs, I managed to figure out a few tricks that helped me stay healthy. I call them tricks because they are normal things doctors advise us to do, but for some reason or another, we fall short of doing them.

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In 2017 I felt very sick, I was in my second year in school and had left the school hostel, now living alone with a roommate. My roommate wasn't around and I was sure I was going to die if I remained in the house. For some reason I can no longer remember, I couldn't call home (my parents especially). I was so cold and my body so hot, but I managed to stand up, wear my hoodie, and step out. I didn't know where I was going, but it was a cold rainy day, and I knew staying indoors was no longer an option. So I stepped outside as a means of putting my life in God's hands.

By the time I entered the rain, walked for some time, came back drenched, and slept. I woke up feeling very healthy. It was the last time I was that sick. Since then whenever I was feeling feverish, I would take a cold bath, take something hot (tea), or something hot and peppers like pepper soup. By the time I rest enough, taking that with some fruits, if I have any, I will be alright. Sometimes a correct swallow would do the trick but one thing was constant; my body would always need plenty of rest. There was something my mum would give my sister and me when we were kids, it's a medication called Silver Bird. We hated it so much because if we ever felt sick, she would put a drop in very hot steaming water, and make us put our heads inside.

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Covering our heads with a thick blanket, and making sure we can't raise our heads when she fastens her hand to our head. We would cry and cry but she wouldn't burg. We would inhale every bit of that pepper steam while the water was smoking hot, and she would only pull us out when she was sure the hotness had reduced. You need to see us coming out of the steam sweating like Christmas goats ready for slaughter. We would literally be dripping with sweat and tears with chatter all over. Afterward, we take a cold bath and sleep, never to remember the sickness again. It was through that experience I knew the power of pepper soup.

I love the soup more when it's steaming, the steam forces out the cold, and for the fact that it's a soup I like, taking it makes it more convenient than drugs. It also saved me a lot of experiences back in school. I've never treated malaria up to date since I discovered the power of a well-prepared pepper soup. The last time I fell sick was last year, I was skeptical to run a test as I had never had a reason to in over six years. However, after running the test it turns out it wasn't malaria but typhoid. I was reacting to the bad water I was taking. I began to wonder how I was malaria-free with all the mosquitoes I battled every night. Well at least I know my body and what works for me, but I usually don't advise people to do so. The last time a friend of mine was sick and I advised him to take plenty of water like I was doing, he grew worse while I became better lol.

THIS IS MY RESPONSE TO HIVE LEARNER'S PROMPT FOR WEEK 102 EPISODE 2