"Are you alright?"

This week we are all sick. And by all of us I mean me. Little C was sick just before we left The States and landed jet lagged and feverish for several days. It turned nasty for a day or two then ended with that barky cough that keeps everyone up. K was more jetlagged than ever after 5 weeks of late nights and even later mornings. I'm still not sure she is on Lagos time as I continue to see her make on-line scrabble moves at odd hours. E has been working like a dog and even had a deal make the news. (Some folks from the office said they saw him on TV but I have yet to find the clip.) 

Despite the fact that I have "Venus", my wonderful stewardess helping me out with the meals and the kids, the late nights and lack of sleep have finally caught up with me. I feel like hell. In these moments, I can't help but blame the rocky re-entry process that Lagos requires. We're back to bottled water (even for brushing teeth), we live in constant air-conditioning (I like it cold, arctic even), all the veggies are washed with Milton, and the fruit - while fresh and safe, is a slimmed down selection of what we got used to over the summer. At best, Lagos offers watermelon, pineapple, mango, oranges, and the occasional batch of grapes if you are willing to pay 3x what you would expect. There is a white melon here that is fine but not exciting and there are heaps of plantains which are really better cooked. I think my body might be experiencing berry-withdrawal; blueberries, strawberries, raspberries, blackberries. I couldn't get enough. And the cherries - we ate cherries constantly. Those antioxidants apparently kept us going all summer and now we are paying the price.

Yesterday I ventured out after several days of self-imposed exile to run some errands. Our driver was ill also (maybe he needs some antioxidants!) so we had a temporary driver who doesn't know our routine. My phone minutes were up so I had to visit my least favorite place - the MTN kiosk. It is always a chore and every experience is different despite the fact that I need the same product every time I go there. I picked up the dry cleaning (a fortune) and some wine (ooh.. antioxidants!), then sat in traffic longer than necessary at 3pm on a Tuesday so that the driver could get me home and still get back to the office to pick up E. It was an exhausting outing but really no different than any other I had experienced in Lagos before our summer holiday. It is just an adjustment that cannot be measured - until you come home and just want to sleep.  And sleep.

Today I woke up and decided to rally for a run - on the treadmill. There is a neighborhood nearby that you can run in but you really need a buddy for safety and since none of my pals are back yet, that means a trip to the gym. In my book, any workout is a win but it was nothing compared to my flower-filled jaunts around Cape Cod or some of the soul healing runs I took in Denmark and Norway. It was a lame workout to say the least. I came back a bit deflated and again, just wanted to shower and sleep. 

I can accept being run down or tired especially given our lifestyle the past 6 months but I am not good at being sick - under any circumstances. In my world, this means everything comes to a grinding halt. I also feel weak and I hate feeling weak. Especially in Lagos. It takes a lot of energy to get even small things accomplished so it is particularly frustrating to move at a slower pace than I am used to. I keep telling myself to take advantage of the last week left of summer vacation. The kids are home and I have Venus to help me. Before I know it, we will all be up at 530am racing to make the bus, dealing with after school activities, and the ever-so-tiring homework/bath/bed routine.

If only I could get out of bed.

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