Hideyk

I remember it clearly, still. I was around eight or nine, getting ready for school when I saw one of my aunts slumped on a book table, moaning as her she tried to steady a shaky hand as it reached for a coffee mug. All the lights were turned down, TV and radio both off; the only thing functioning in the room, my aunt included, was a small fan that seemed to keep its hum in tune with my aunt’s moans. The reason I recall every detail is probably because of a word I heard for the first time that morning. When I asked her what was wrong, my aunt muttered “migraine.” It was an interesting word—to a kid of eight or nine, at least. It sounded so grown-up, something only grown-ups could were allowed to have. From that moment on, I kept imagining how all grown-up it must be like having a migraine attack… till I had my first one.