Meghna is delightful four year old and a frequent visitor. Frequent not because she is a sick child but because she suffers from respiratory allergy and whenever she has sniffles her anxious and intelligent mother has peace only when I clear the daughter of any major illness. The visits initially were the initiative of the mother but lately even Meghna has started demanding a visit to achachan [grandpa] doctor. That we enjoy each other’s company goes without saying.
This was the satisfactory state of affairs till her brother came onto the scene. Now the mother’s attention is necessarily more towards the infant and comparatively less towards Meghna. I must say she took it with lots of grace except on occasions as the one narrated below.
Few days ago Meghna’s mother fell ill with gastroenteritis and had to see me. When she came she brought the boy along as he too was having fever. Despite protests Meghna was left behind.
When the mother went home she found the daughter sitting with a hand over her ear and in a foul mood. She was having ear pain and she wanted to be taken to see her doctor. The mother who had just returned was in no mood to oblige and made Meghna call me. ‘I have ear pain she said, and I want to see you’. She stressed the I want o see you part of it. I told her that I will ask her mother to give her some medicine which will make her ok.That seemed to satisfy her.
She was given a dose of a pain killer which took effect within minutes! Normally any pain killer takes at least 30 minutes and here the girl got relief in two minutes! Was Meghna faking ear pain?
Next morning her ear pain appeared again and she had to be brought to see me. When I saw her she did not look sick and had a broad smile on her face. I examined her ears and found them normal. I knew now for certain that her ear pains were a ruse to get our [her mothers and mine] attention.
Her ear pain disappeared after the visit.
My worry now is what to do when she visits me next?
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