Headache

I have a headache. The headache that comes out of nowhere, without your realization; until it starts to throb with pain. The headache that comes at anytime, day or night — it doesn’t matter. It’s still a headache. It feels like someone is pushing a knife into your skull continuously. No pain medication can cure it. Only sleep.

And, of course, with a headache like this, it is difficult to sleep. You toss and turn, praying to go into unconsciousness, so you can finally get rid of the pain. But instead, you lay; wide awake. Uncured. The pain only gets worse.

By this time, tears might be drenching your cheeks. The salty taste on your lips. It might be the first time you’ve cried since childhood, or maybe the second time that day. It doesn’t matter. It’s still a headache.

You might call in work late. Say that you have a bad headache. And you’ll get connected to the only co-worker that can’t understand how bad a headache can get. They’ll say something like: “You’re missing work, just because of a headache?”. And you’ll just ignore it. Because, they don’t know what it’s like. They can’t feel the invisible person digging the knife into your head.

Maybe, at this point, you get lucky. Sleep has taken over. The headache is put on hold. For now. You might have a nice dream for once, or a horrible nightmare. It doesn’t matter, does it? No. You’re asleep. The headache is gone. Or is it?

You wake up. It’s a sunny morning. You’ve slept a few hours. You feel good. The headache is gone. But you’ve already forgotten about that. You’re mind is on what you’ve missed the previous day; what the headache had prevented you from doing. So you do all of it. You make it up. You explain how horrible it was to that co-worker that you had called. They stare at you, smiling, but still not understanding a word.

Weeks pass, months pass. The headache you had is a mere memory. Your life continues. But then, one day, something happens. You start to feel different; sick. You shake it off and go on with your day. It starts to get worse as it goes on. Suddenly, it clicks. The throbbing in your head is back. The headache is back. You rub your temples and prepare for what is to come. Because it doesn’t matter. It’s just a headache. And you’ll get through it.

Eventually.