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You know what they say about a girl and boy alone in a room behind closed doors. Well at least what they say in Africa because I've never lived anywhere else. The birds and the bees. I know because I've been there and done that with Chris.

So here is Alex and here I am. Most importantly, the couch is really really comfortable. All doors are shut, even the gate (it's locked). The only things wide open are well, the windows.

Come to think of it , that's total injustice we have been fed all along. I mean, who said a girl and boy cannot be in a room without adult supervision and fail to explore each others intimate parts? Our African caregivers, they said it and it bugs me.

As much as I thought it would, it never rained yesterday. Not the sky and definitely not my uterus. Which meant the worst was yet to come. My period log told me my period was due yesterday and it is today. Whenever my period arrives later than usual I die. Forget about the pregnancy scare death, I mean when my period finally arrives and I am in pain. My neck, my back, my knees and my womb. Like right now I feel those distinct symptoms. A slight fever, tiny cramps and I am so tired. Food, it repulses me. All I am waiting for is my slow seven days death.

"You do not look okay," Alex says shutting the books and his laptop.

Oh boy, of course I am not okay. I am tired, mother nature is on her way with an army of Trojans and I would really like to know what. I would really like to know what relationship my knee has with my womb because every single time mother nature visits my knees ache so much. Like arthritis pain, I cannot even move or turn in bed because that ache kills. It's so bad I feel it in my heart, it's worse than the pain I felt when Chris went ghost on me. Honestly though, the knee and the womb are so far apart so what is the relationship? Why is my body acting like a recurrence of cancer far from the primary site? God forbid I get cancer. Dear God, let's not play. I know you know I did not ask for cancer so please spare me. Amen. This is why I cannot wait for my period to come and go, I miss my sanity.

"Actually, I'm not. " I say although I wanted to lie that I am okay.

"Lets cancel this discussion for another day," I say getting up and almost falling down because I was dizzy.

"uh..maybe you should get some food," Alex says standing up as if asking for my permission before heading for the kitchen.

"No!" I kind of shout to stop him.

"I can't eat," I say "My periods are very bad."

He looks at me funny as though he does not believe me then heads to the kitchen anyway. I obviously follow him because he may burn down my mum's kitchen or make sufurias black.

"Look, don't bother trying to make anything for me. You can just go home and we will organize another day to finish this assignment or just edit a Google doc together," I say leaning onto the kitchen counter.

I really am going to die this month, mother nature has made up her mind.

"You look like someone undead. A zombie," he says getting me from the counter and leading me to the sitting room.

"Just stay here, lie down on the couch. I have sisters and I know what they eat during that time of the month," he says.

Too tired to argue and feeling my moods swing all around my head, I lay down and wish Zippy was around. But she is not, she has classes today and I do not.

I have no idea how long I had been laying on the couch with my eyes shut when I felt Alex call me to wake up. It was so hard opening my eyes because the nap was good, you know those naps, right?

He had a bowl of something. Probably some chicken soup although I silently wished it was a bowl of ice cream. I was not hungry, but neither was I not not hungry. So I drank the soup, thank God I did not need to chew anything because in my state I could not. Neither could I stomach anything.

Do you know that feeling where you have eaten but you feel digestion not taking place? Like the food is just sitting in your stomach? That is how I felt and ten minutes later, the contents in my stomach found a new place to sit. Down the drain when I threw it all up and flushed the toilet.

I felt sad that Alex cooked and I puked.

But it felt nice to have someone take care of me when I was unwell or rather, on my period. I mean, which girl does not like being taken care of when the blood moon is rising? Which girl does not want to be tucked in bed? Which girl does not want a guy who takes care of her on her period, cooks for her, tucks her in bed and stays over to make sure she is okay when she wakes up?

Because I found myself nicely tucked in bed and Alex asleep on the floor in a makeshift cushion bed. It warmed my heart a little, good men really do exist.

Vocabulary
Sufuria- metallic cooking pot usually made of steel.