Life is really interesting with all the highs and the lows, happy days and the sad ones, but what's life without all the sweet things and the taste for them?
If you took a modern day human to the 15th century, he'd probably be crippled from all the unavailable technology he's used to. If you take away all the sweet things a child loves, then be ready.
I was just the regular child, didn't get into trouble, did my chores on time mostly even though I loved to play and I had a great love for all the sweet things of life.
Chocolates, icecreams, candies, cookies of all kinds were my favorites and I was lucky to get enough money to satisfy the cravings.
At that age, life didn't have any serious problems. The big problems were usually how to sneak out to play football, get some money out of that stingy uncle who never gave out anything or if dinner was going to be wheat (which I actually disliked growing up).
I was going home after about an hour of street football when just as I rounded the corner into my street, someone ran into me at full speed.
Before I knew it, there was blood pouring out of my mouth. Everyone kept shouting sorry as I burst into tears but I wasn't interested, all that mattered was getting home to my mum.
As usual I had snuck out to play football, but immediately my mum saw my mouth, I knew all my football sins were long forgotten.
"What happened to you?" she shouted, both asking and demanding an answer at the same time
"Someone ran into me on my way home" I managed to say as I quailed under the fury of her gaze
"Who did this?" she asked
"I don't recognize the person" I lied, because I knew she would march me to the culprits house and the whole neighborhood would know what had happened.
Unfortunately the culprit was someone I knew and played football with sometimes, so I was determined to at least save him from punishment at home.
After rinsing my mouth with water, it was discovered that I had a cut on my lip.
AND SO THE DILEMMA BEGAN
I was in a bit of pain that night, but at least it was bearable and I was also able to eat freely. The next morning though, I had a swollen lip and I soon discovered that morning that they didn't design toothbrushes smart enough to carefully navigate the contours of a swollen lip.
If brushing my teeth was an issue, eating that morning was an even bigger one. It was a sad hazmat at breakfast that morning as I couldn't touch the rice and stew in front of me.
My mum had to improvise and look for things in liquid form that I could manage.
Unfortunately for her and fortunately for me, it left very few options on the list of normal food. I would manage to eat a bit of solid food, but the rest was usually icecreams and yoghurts.
Mum didn't like it, but I had to get something into my stomach. For me, that week was almost the same as being in wonderland.
About a week later, my lips had healed nicely and was already it's normal size. I was back to eating normal food again but I avoided anything that had pepper in it as much as possible.
"Mum I don't think I'm feeling ok" I said to my mum one morning
She was just about to ask what was wrong when my stomach gave a loud rumble as I immediately dashed into the toilet.
That morning I visited the toilet about three times and I didn't have to look far to know what was happening.
NEMESIS HAD JUST CAUGHT UP WITH ME
All the sugary stuff I'd eaten the previous week, thinking I was having the time of my life was now finally here to haunt me.
I was so miserable throughout that day, even my little sister who usually was a constant pain in my behind, took pity on me by helping with my chores
I was learning the concept of moderation in a hard way, no matter how sweet something was.
My mum of course fussed over me, but it didn't stop her from dropping a few jabs here and there.
According to her I'd gotten what she termed my certificate of football, because everything that occurred only happened after I disobeyed her and snuck out to play football.
Without a swollen or cut lip to get me access to sweet goodies, this time around she nursed me back to good health with some very bitter medicine.
After all these years, I'm not still sure if she was taking care of me or trying to erase the taste of sweetness from my taste buds.