Tales from the Walauwa:

Flue takes over

by Cat O' Logge

The whole family seems to have caught the flu going around. Now we cats may have the odd sneeze every now and then, but it certainly must be said that we never ever really suffer from anything called the flu.

Now you might probably think that I shouldn't write about this since I won't be able to understand what the family at the Walauwa has to go through. But do let me tell you that household pets really try to understand you. You might think that your cat is staring at you because it is hungry after its meal fifteen minutes before. But in reality it is only trying to figure out what could have caused you to have such a big nose totally out of proportion with the rest of your face.

Bad temper

So here is what I've figured out about flu. Apart from the nasal difficulties it seems to bring on, it also brings with it a very bad temper. Many were the times that usually sweet tempered daughter marched out of her room to yell at Rudolphus saying would the stupid mutt please keep his barking down. Then there was younger son of the house yelling at Pala to stop digging right outside his window.

Oh, and Rudolphus and I had endless fun by watching various members of the household with their heads bent over some weird concoction on the stove inhaling and exhaling loudly.

Macaroni and cheese

It must also be said that this flu seems to affect men more than women. Father of the house refused to even get up from his bed to see how Pala dug the trenches around the coconut plants to put fertilizer (Result? Trenches deep enough to trap all stray dogs in the vicinity should any fall into them).

There was a lot of activity in the kitchen with Magilin and Leela making all sorts of things for hamu whose sickness did not appear to have much affect on his appetite. Koththamalli was liberally on the boil at all times in the kitchen.

Daughter of the house who could only digest macaroni and cheese (a most delightful combination) vehemently said no to all her mother's attempts to get her to eat some warm samba bath with parippu and halmasso. Eldest son of the house created an uproar by foolishly bathing when his flu was only half better and paid the heavy price of an attack of flu even worse. He couldn't eat at all and Magilin and Leela were once again busy in the kitchen making vegetable soup for him.

All of this made the walauwa a much quieter place last week. No one was fighting over TV channels. Indeed no one watched TV. They all slept fitfully at all times of the day, waking up only to give way to loud fits of coughing spasms.

However daughter of the house seems to be a bit better for she ventured out of her room long enough to talk to her friends on the phone and to watch her favourites on the telly. Thankfully she doesn't seem to be well enough to change her diet of macaroni and cheese.

Rudolphus the big idiot pretended to be sick hoping he'll get a good serving of macaroni cheese and they made him drink all the marmite they could give him. So I think I'll play healthy and just sit at daughter's feet when Leela brings her lunch. Which is now...