Fatigue
She managed to dust off the kinetic sand from the furniture and began to put the toys in their box. That child of hers sure knew how to complicate her day. On top of it, she was not clear on the result of the interview for her dream job. Amy worked in a warehouse after she was dismissed by the newspaper she was employed for ten years and found it impossible to land in a similar position.
Her phone rang.
“Amy, do you have five minutes?”
“Yes, but I am off to work in half an hour.”
“I am coming up.” Her neighbour, Lucy.
“Girl, you have a problem.”
“What’s up?”
“Look.” Lucy stuck her smartphone under Amy’s nose.
Amy turned her eyes, disgusted. On her Facebook page, there was posted quite an explicit picture of three men shagging a girl.
“What the hell?”
“You tell me, it is not like you to post such crap, so I needed to show you. There were a few more, but they disappeared.”
Amy quickly wrote an explanatory status for her Facebook friends and offered Lucy a coffee.
“Someone is messing up with me. You know that pervert that hacked my Skype and downloaded my revealing pictures for my ex, he was sending them to some of my friends. I mean what is wrong with people, don’t they have better things to do!”
“This specifically is some group you joined, they get your details, more like a virus. Check your account when you have time. You are till 7 pm, right? I’ll pick up the kid from school as usual.”
When she has time. What a utopia. Lately, she had time for a shower and a book chapter before bed, if she was lucky. Minimum wage and a little girl depending entirely on her meant 12-hour shifts six days a week. The father left a year ago, six months later she lost her well paid job and found what hell is, after countless unsuccessful efforts to get back on the saddle. She had to accept a job well under her qualifications, and now was opening bottle tags in a warehouse, the most boring occupation ever invented. She headed to Magna Park.
Something was wrong. On her way to the meeting point where the shared car was waiting, she found it difficult to stay on her feet. It was like they were made of leed. She was not having a proper breakfast lately, could this be the reason? It took her ages to get to her station, every effort drained her. Amy felt light-headed but kept strictly performing her duties. After half an hour, however, she felt a severe ache in his muscles, they got really stiff. She noticed her reflexes also suffered. She was getting slow, really slow, falling with 30% something behind her target.
The break came after four long hours that were an agony. She had a missed call from her child’s school.
“Hi, we called you urgently because Mary has a high temperature. You might need to take her to the doctor.”
“Is she alright!”
“Yes, she is alright, however, she needs to stay home.”
“I am on my way.”
The money she earned now was going to pay for the taxi, but what is a girl to do. The emergency is an emergency. The little one was a little under the weather in the morning, indeed, and Amy was worried sick, her child's problems were not something you get used to. What a horrible day. Her muscles were sore and the pain was getting more and more aggressive. She tried to relax in the car, the speakers were playing Beyoncé and company.
“Hello, wake up, we arrived.” OMG, she closed her eyes for five minutes and managed to fall asleep through the whole journey. And she still felt exhausted. On top of all her troubles, a splitting headache kicked in. She stopped at a Tesco for an energy drink and Ibuprofen. The pills helped a bit.
She picked up the child from school and arranged a doctor's appointment. It would do her good to see the doctor for herself too. Maybe she needed iron or some vitamins.
“Hello, Amy speaking.” Answered the call from a private number.
“Hi, Amy, it is Sam.” Oh, great, the last person on earth she wanted to hear from.
“Hi, I have a situation with Mary, if you want to discuss the car, it is not a good time.”
“What situation?”
“Fever, nothing sinister. However, bad timing.”
“Amy, I want the car, I bought it and I need it now. My business is struggling.”
“Take me to court. You are already paying close to nothing for child support, and now you want to additionally strain my financial situation.” The headache hit back with vengeance.
“Ok, you will hear from my lawyer.”
Great. She needed to contact somebody in regards to this, so she browsed a few law firms on her smartphone in between entertaining the weak and grumpy child and paying attention to the names on the board calling the patients. How was she about to get up from that comfortable chair she had no idea. It was like her body weight doubled, every move caused dizziness and she could hardly think.
Her messenger beeped.
“Amy, fire in our building. Get back immediately. Might need a hotel.” Lucy.
Amy just had no stamina to deal with that too. Her belongings, all her possessions, she wondered what will survive. It might be bad, or not so bad after all. She leaned back and stayed with her eyes closed for a minute. It took her another ten minutes to book a hotel for the night. At least the doctors were taking their sweet time, and the child did not seem too sick. Nope, her name on the board informed her which room she was expected.
“Hello, what is wrong with the little one?”
Amy explained. The doctor examined the child. Great. One hour wait to be prescribed Paracetamol.
“I am also feeling horrible today, I don’t know if I caught her flu. I can hardly stand on my feet. I am simply exhausted.”
The doctor took a serious look at her.
“This trembling, is it happening often.”
Amy’s hands were indeed shaking.
“It started two weeks ago, it comes and goes.”
“Problems with the muscles, slow movements, balance problems?”
“Yes.”
She followed the doctor’s instructions who completed some complicated medical examination, the expression on his face getting more and more concerned.
“It is not 100% final, however, I am afraid you have the signs of early Parkinson.”
The first thought of Amy was about the child. How was she going to take care of her? Her second thought darted her in a forlorn future, where she is a burden to her loved ones.
“You need to make an appointment with a proper medic, I am not qualified to give you a precise prognosis, however, it is important to know what to expect. I am sorry.”
She left in some kind of dreaming while walking condition. She was about to be “The mother with the Parkinson.” Simple duties like tidying up and washing the dishes were about to challenge her. Forget about finding a new partner. If she wasn’t so tired and with the ill child by her skirt, she would simply fall into tears.
They headed to the hotel. Mary fell asleep after tossing and turning a good amount of time in bed, but Amy was looking at a point at the ceiling and was thinking everything through. She had to see the doctor, that was first. Then she was about to find people to support her.
Amy was a strong person. She achieved everything in her life with struggle and great effort, and never complained that the tough was too tough on her, she just got going with it. She worked while she was at the university to pay the fees, she got divorced soon after becoming a mother and was the best single mom a person can think of, she went through many disappointments with people in her life, like her brother, who got in jail for tax fraud, and still, she was a happy person. So this damn disease was just another obstacle she was going to overcome. She turned toward her daughter. The little face trustfully resting by her gave her strength, got her going, scattered her fear. She was not going to be the mom with the Parkinson. She was better than that.
Her phone rang.
“Amy speaking.”
“Hi, Amy, I am Lucy’s brother, Michael. You know, my sister is really tired of trying to get us two together. Actually, I heard so much about you, that I finally gathered the courage to call you. How are you?”
“Not so great. Got some horrible news at the doctor’s, don’t want to bother you.”
“Come on, you got me really worried now, what’s going on”
“Parkinson, early phase.”
“I am so sorry, well, now you need as many friends as you can get, to help you deal with the changes. How about coffee tomorrow, there is a café on your building's ground floor, right?”
“You don’t need to feel sorry for me.”
“Who said I am. From all I’ve heard about you I, simply respect you. So shape up. 10 o’clock?”
Amy sighed. Life goes on.