Tuesday, September 7, 2010

An Apple a Day

She turned the red cheeked orb, bit through the crisp skin and into the mushy flesh of the apple. Clear juice seeped out and down the side of her chin as she chewed and breathed through her open mouth. An old familiar tingling began to bother her nose. She wiggled it and sniffed. She placed the apple on the page she was reading from Thackeray's Vanity Fair and pinched her nose with two fingers trying to dislodge the tickle with no success. Her mouth formed an O while her eyes began to squint in an awkward facial expression. Just as she grabbed a tissue from the box next to her, she drew back, gasped a quick short breath, and released into the room a gale-force sneeze of epic proportions.


Falling back against pillows, she closed her eyes, trying to breathe comfortably through her open mouth, while enduring body aches that felt as if someone in a black SUV had run over her repeatedly. An unrestrained, raspy cough erupted and she moaned, "This really sucks," as she rubbed across her forehead with stiff fingers pressing aching sinuses.

With a sigh, she dabbed at her roughened, red nose flaking skin from too much tissue attention and squeaked out a blow into a fresh Kleenex. Her body lay in a listless heap on the sofa while reruns of Boston Legal droned on in the background. She reached for the apple again, glaring at it through tear-blurred eyes, "Phhht...an apple a day.  A lot of damn good you do," she said dropping it into the wastebasket where it lay contrasting red against mounds of white spent tissues.

I'd written another piece for Willow's Magpie Tales apple prompt, but this one just fits better.  Yes, September brought a cold/sinus infection and I'm feeling exactly what I described and yes... this sucks.  Now back to bed and Loving Frank a book by Nancy Horan.

6 comments:

Kathe W. said...

Love the accurate description of your cold in contrast to the first two lines. You have nailed exactly how feel coming down with a nasty cold. Get well soon!

Constance said...

That was a perfect description of what it's like to have a cold and be home in bed!

Tumblewords: said...

You've captured a cold/sinus attack perfectly. Nice magpie!

Reflections said...

Captured well what so many are feeling these days....

Although, with how well you described that first tickle just after biting into the fruit, I thought of an allergic reaction to the forbidden itself.

Tess Kincaid said...

Super write, even though you'll feeling under the weather.

Teresa O said...

kathew...thanks for your good wishes. I am feeling better today.

Annie...it was an easy write. I just described how I was feeling. lol

Tumblewords...it's hard to concentrate on much of anything else during bouts of sinus uprisings. I just kept thinking, if I could just cut off my head.

Reflections...HA! that would make a good one, too, except I suspect big, red hives might come in to play along with a swelling tongue and closing throat. ACK!

Willow...thanks. I am feeling better today.