easter sunday | a long ago memory from when I was 13

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(I became belatedly aware that this did not post on Sunday and therefore I am posting it now.)

When I was 13, the night before Easter Sunday, I woke up with a bloody nose. In my family, it’s normal to sort of deal with your own problems. So, I didn’t bother waking up anyone.

At the time, I was living in a two bedroom house. I shared a room with my sisters and we all slept in a bunk bed. One at the top and the other two at the bottom bunk. The eldest and I shared because we were always okay with compromising. I usually got the ‘inside’ which is beside a wall so I was always locked between the wall and my sister.

How did I manage to slip through without waking up my sister?

Usually, I would either go through the ladder- like between the steps or through the open space beside the ladder. That open space is on my sister’s side by the way.

That night, I think I just hopped over her without a problem.

Thankfully, she’s a heavy sleeper. At least at the time, she was.

It was a bloody dawn that Easter Sunday.

When I got to the adjacent bathroom and the only bathroom in the house, I must’ve woken my mom up because she rushed over to me pretty quickly. But I told her it was nothing as it was only a bloody nose. She seemed satisfied with it so she left for a moment. Maybe she left to get me water. I can’t be too sure anymore.

Besides, the entire incident was always a blur to me.

I remember losing consciousness soon as she left but as for the rest of the story, it’s mostly my family recounting it to me.

My sister at the top bunk bed remembers jumping from the top. Her ‘fight’ response kicking in.

My mom said she saw me just topple over and into the bathtub, head? first maybe. And she remembers panicking. My oldest sister carried me to the couch, I think. My younger brother was 10 at the time. My dad was hiding in his room. And pretty much, I was rushed to the ER because ‘why did a 13-year-old’ lose consciousness?

I do remember coming in and out of consciousness. I remember the paramedics handing me a squirrel and I proudly still have that squirrel (in a box somewhere in the garage because when we moved all stuffed toys were packed away).

I remember waking up for a moment at the hospital then falling back to sleep then waking up at home.

My family pampered me that rest of the day. I got to eat and drink junk food because apparently, I was low on blood sugar. So there you go.

Let your kids have soda.

Lol.

Easter Sunday was pretty fun.

No, but really after that incident some years later, I learned that I was also borderline anemic.

I’ve always been underweight growing up and lacked sufficient vitamins but I just never cared about it. Being the adult that I am today, I am more aware of my body and what it needs. Unfortunately, I still have the habit of under-eating and I do not drink enough water to be completely honest.

But I am trying to change that.

And every year, around this time, I am reminded of how much I should take care of my health.

I have other ‘memories’ from my childhood about Easter but this is the most memorable.