Resilience

28| Periods, Pains, and Ice-creams

Probably not, I'd just end up mistaking my symptoms for something else.

I just didn't know what to do anymore.

I quickly got ready, putting on whatever clothes I could find. By now the thought of meeting my grandparents and my cousins had been unconsciously pushed to the back of my mind.

I managed to tear off long strips of toilet paper and wrapped them around my underwear like gauze.

When I was finished, I dashed outside to find Max.

I need to get some pads, and since he's a doctor in training, I could tell him about my situation.

That's good enough for me.

I ran downstairs, yelling for Max, and when I saw him I quickly rushed to grab his hand and made my way outside, while dragging him with me.

I didn't even register what he was saying.

The moment we sat in the car, he started driving, but by now he was sitting quietly, not asking me any more questions.

Now comes the humiliation

"Can you take me to a general store please?" I asked him, somewhat calmed down, but my heart was still racing inside my body.

"Are you going to tell me what happened? Are you hurt? Why were you crying? Please tell me what's going on, before I lose any more brain cells." Max questioned anxiously.

He'd occasionally turn to look at me in concern before returning his gaze to the road. When Max asked if I was crying, I instinctively reached for my hands to wipe away any tears.

"Umm, I-I just got-t my periods again-n." I told him while looking down at my lap in shame.

"Is that why you panicked? Oh my goodness, you've just given me a heart attack. Princess, it's a normal thing, you don't need to get panicked and certainly not ashamed." He responded with a heavy sigh of relief.

"But Cora warned me not to tell anyone about my periods, and the girls at my old school would always talk about how embarrassing it was when someone found out." I said gazing at him, feeling confused but I was still hesitant to talk about this subject with my brother.

"I advise you to not listen to them, I'm telling you as an in-training doctor. It is a normal thing, and an important aspect of women's health. Period-shame is something a lot of women feel, but you shouldn't feel discomfort or embarrassed by something that is a normal and an essential process." He finished to which I just nodded my head.

"What do you mean by 'again'?" He asked abruptly, as if he just remembered what I had said.

"I stopped having periods after a few months of first having them. I thought I wouldn't get them again. But when I got it today, I just completely freaked out. Is there something wrong with me?" I asked, my eyes welling up with tears as I looked at him.

I was really freaked out

"Didn't you inform anyone about it?" Max inquired, but his clenched jaw and firm grip on the steering wheel indicated that he already knew the answer.