By: M.G.
There’s a hideous sickness consuming my sister’s family. What began as an isolated event has blossomed into a dilemma plaguing the holiday season. By eating dinner with a friend at a restaurant tonight may have very well placed me outside the sickness’ “sphere of influence” for yet another day. Indeed, I’ll do anything in my power to avoid the lasagna prepared by my sister. It may very well be “infected”.

The horror began on Christmas night when my niece, running from her cousin’s room, made a b-line for the bathroom to vomit. Considering my phobia of the disgusting substance, I was appalled when she told my sister what happened. I shielded my peripheral vision as I walked past the bathroom, grabbed my coat, and stepped outside for a breath of fresh air. However, this would be only the beginning.
Arriving home, I was somewhat surprised to see my sister’s car rounding the corner of my parking lot.
“That’s strange”, I thought. “I could have sworn they said they weren’t picking up their Christmas presents until the weekend.”
It wasn’t until I began heading for the basement to catch the end of the basketball game that I learned of their detour. Apparently, my niece grew sicker during the ride home. She vomited for approximately 20 minutes, failing to upchuck a chunk each time the car came to a halt. To my horror, there were stained clothes tossed haphazardly over railings and spots of vomit littering two floors of the house. Nearly on the verge of tears, I stepped gingerly down the stairs, cloaked myself in a blanket, and lay motionless on the couch, waiting for the episode to end. I watched as my sister and her fiancée to clean out her car. Just as they were preparing to leave, my exhausted niece peeked into the basement room to ask if I had any air freshener.
“Um, there’s some incense in my bedroom.”
(It’s a good thing her 8 year old fingers didn’t act on my offer.)
Things didn’t end there. “It” slid into the burly frame of my sister’s fiancée during his slumber and caused a terrible nightmare about impending paralysis. He awakened nauseous and in great pain. Next, the sickness caught a hold of my 4 year old nephew and knocked the energetic little boy out of commission for an entire afternoon. It’s fitting, therefore, that my sister appeared at my house this morning hunched over and swaddled in a heavy coat. While her raspy voice cried out for whatever over-the-counter medication I could find, she periodically would jump from her seat and dart to the nearest bathroom.
“I think it’s almost gone”, she’d say.
Cowering like a school girl, I’d nod, feign concern, and move to another room.
As darkness fell and I returned home, all seemed to be peaceful in the household. The once pain-stricken sister was in usual form, joking and smiling. My niece sat glued to a television set watching Disney programming and my nephew was taking a nap after a busy day downtown. What a relief.
Just as the family began to depart, my sister uttered a disturbing statement,
“’It’ got Rick again.”
“WHAT?!”
The faceless menace had begun round two, causing my nephew to vomit once again. I guess that’s what accounted for the awkward position he assumed on the couch and that bizarre grimace on his face. As the family began to bundle up and depart, my niece awakened the sleeping child and tossed his limp body over her shoulder. There was no way I was going to stick around. Before the boy could stand to his feet, I ran to my room. Less then five minutes later, I heard the scrambling of feet trying to keep the carpet and kitchen floor chunk-free. Just to avoid further fright, I made sure the coast was clear before returning back downstairs.

Quietly, I pray that no remnants of the “mystery sickness” are lingering around here. I’d really like to enjoy the beginning of the year.