It hurts, Mummy, it hurts!

Wednesday afternoon, just before pick-up time, I had a call from son's school.

"He's complaining of pain in his ear. Could you please come to pick him up now instead of after 'Late Class'?"

I was down at the school in about four minutes. Son was obviously distressed.

Checked with the teacher that he had not been stressed by anything else.

"No, they've been watching the Middle School play."

It was a miracle when I actually managed to get an appointment to see the GP in under an hour's time. So it was a quick snack and we walked to the clinic.

I chose to walk even though son wanted me to drive. I knew the traffic at 4 pm will be horrendous round the school which we have to pass to get to the clinic.

As we walked past the school we could see that cars were at a complete standstill. We would have been very stuck in the car between the 4x4s and Benzes and BMWs, because it is pick-up time at this private school.

We got to the GP and son was seen to quite quickly, but the walk back was horrendous as he was in quite a lot of pain. We also had to stop at the pharmacy at one of the supermarket chains to fill the prescription (only because it was en route).

The drawback of not driving was that son had to suffer quite a lot longer till we got home. Ear drops in and he was shouting for a good few minutes. The ibuprofen for children in our house has gone past its expiry date, and so I had to make a phone call for husband to stop by a pharmacy on his way home.

Son was shouting in pain in the background as we spoke.

It was Blue Peter to the rescue as he really wanted to see what the presenters were up to. Husband got home a little earlier than usual. We gave son his first dose of 'hair gel' -- as that was what the ibuprofen looks like and he was soon asleep, in our bed.

We had a quiet dinner, recounting the day's events and realized how blessed we were in that the ear-ache happened today and not the day before.

Tuesday was son's special day -- playing at his first piano concert at the school to parents and others. He had played just before Christmas to the 'big boys' at 'big boys assembly'. But this concert was for parents.

Last year I took him to the very same school piano concert showcasing all the boys who were learning piano at school. Son decided that he would be performing at the next concert, that is, at this year's concert.

And so he did, playing Sarabanda, one of the Grade 1 exam pieces (not Mini Rag as noted in the last post). It's another one of those milestones. Had he been afflicted by ear-ache just 24 hours earlier, we would have taken him out of the concert.

As it was, he enjoyed performing to a very appreciative audience, and then enjoyed a wide variety of crisps that was laid out at refreshments, that sort of junk food that does not usually cross our front door.

Tonight, Daddy had to climb into son's bed. I readied myself with water and a supply of biscuits as I knew son would wake and wish to have something to eat.

While he slept I was also able to put in another dose of ear drops. No screaming and shouting this time although he did stir. Ah ....

Half an hour past midnight, a voice interrupted my sleeplessness, "Is it time for dinner yet?"

He was looking much better. He had a drink, a wee, a couple of biscuits and more 'hair gel' and I tried to get him back to sleep.

"I don't remember the last time we were able to talk like this before going to bed," I said. "O, yes! when we were at Uncle YK's place. We were in Singapore without Daddy."

"OOO, yes," he replied, "I remember that. It's a bit like having a midnight feast this time."

We carried on talking for a while. Whether he was going to school the next day was a prime topic. Then it was lights out.

"You can keep on talking, but I might not reply as I need some sleep now," I said.

We all slept rather well. The next morning, son was back at school, much to the surprise of his teachers.

That's three special blessings: (1) not falling ill till after the concert, (2) getting a GP appointment without my getting stressed, and (3) sufficient recovery for him to enjoy school the following day.

God is good!