Mrs. Hala got home around 5:00 p.m. looking very tired and hungry. She looked around, and neither her husband nor her son were around. She didn't bother to call to know where they went to. She dropped her bag, pulled off her clothes, changed into home clothes, and decided to visit the kitchen first to get a bite of whatever was in the kitchen before she went for a shower. She knew the food she left at home before going to work wouldn't remain, but she trusted her husband to prepare a meal because that's what he does whenever it's Friday because he doesn't go to work.
She got there, and the kitchen was filled with a mixed aroma. She tried to sniff hard to identify the main food, but wasn't able to do so. She found two pots on the kitchen desk and decided to open the first one and found the inside of the pot empty and neatly washed. With her other hand, she opened the next one and found a well cooked beans inside. The pot wasn't stained, and it was obvious the cooked beans was dropped inside from wherever it was before. She didn't mind. She quickly reached out for a spoon and dug it inside, taking it directly to her mouth, which gave her the satisfying taste she wanted. She wanted to dig the spoon to collect more, but her conscience reminded her, 'No, no, no, that's bad manners.'
Instead, she walked to the space containing the dishware, and just as she was about to grab a plate, her eyes caught a small toaster enclosed with a little oil dripping out while the plug wasn't connected. She touched it; it was still warm a bit, and she went ahead to open it to find two slices of bread toasted together, with the body of the bread looking so brownish and yummy.
"Oh my God!" She let out a sigh and put it directly into her mouth for a bite. She stood there, chewing the first bite, and got carried away by the sweetness of the bread, forgetting she came for a plate to dish out beans.
Suddenly, the sound of the kitchen door drew her attention, and her 15-year-old son rushed in with a scream, "Mummy!"
He grabbed her and dragged the bread from her hand with force.
"What is it? What is that?" She asked, with her eyes scanning herself and her son. The husband walked into the kitchen to see the two of them looking at each other. "What is it, Jonah? What's wrong? Why did you shout?"
"Mummy ate the toasted bread," Jonah said shakily as he pointed his left hand at his mummy, who was standing there, looking confused.
"Oh my God! Honey, vomit it now!" The husband rushed to his wife's spot and bent her head down towards the kitchen sink.
"What is happening? Can you guys let me know what's happening?" She pulled away from her husband's grasp.
"Mummy, the bread you just ate was toasted with some chemicals, and it's for my school practical," Jonah said, but she didn't allow him to finish before she started coughing loudly, her hand deep inside her mouth in a bid to cause vomit. The husband held her as they both tried to enforce vomiting, but nothing happened.
Jonah rushed to the refrigerator and brought out a 50-cl bottle of water. "Please drink enough water. We were told that in case anyone mistakenly takes in the chemical, enough water is capable of nullifying it."
His dad grabbed the water and was about to pour it into her mouth, but she held it and pushed it away and said, "Let's go to the hospital first."
"Honey, please take water first to neutralise it. Didn't you hear what he said?" Mr Hala said this while forcing the water into her hands.
"What if I take the water and it happens to help the chemical spread instead of neutralising it?" She walked away from the room to wear a polo shirt.
The reason she gave was enough to arrest the husband's thought, which made him to see Jonah's idea as childish.
Mr. Hala went in, collected the key from his wife, and drove them to the nearest hospital.
The doctor examined her and asked for the chemical content, which the husband gave him. He checked and told them that drinking enough water would do.
"Doctor, are you sure? I would prefer a tablet," she asked, stretching her hand from her seat.
"No, not at all. I checked the chemical content and saw it had been diluted to a good extent. All you need is enough water to neutralise it." The doctor got up to the small refrigerator at the corner of the office and brought out 35cl of water.
She collected it and gulped it at a stretch while Mr. Hala and Jonah looked at her weirdly.
"In case there's any uncomfortable symptom, just give me a call. Thank you" The doctor stood up and ushered them away.
Thanks for reading.