Chronicle Of A Person Living With A Positive Status

There was a time when I used to think people who asked too many questions in public places were being difficult.
Until life changed the way I see things. I now take my health seriously. I am very careful about what goes into my system. I don’t want to add more load to the one I’m already carrying, lol.

One day, I went to buy suya in the evening. The place was busy and people were lined up. I noticed the man handling raw meat and collecting money with the same hand. Nobody seemed to care. People were chatting and collecting their orders.
I stood there watching and suddenly lost my appetite.
Part of me felt embarrassed to say anything because I didn’t want people to think I was forming or acting like I knew too much. But another part of me kept saying that if something feels wrong, ask.

So I politely asked if he had somewhere to wash his hands or use tissue between handling food and money.
The people around looked at me like I was doing too much. The man laughed and said, “Madam, you people worry too much.”

Maybe. But I still waited and asked for mine to be handled separately.
On my way home, I kept thinking about how easy it is to ignore small things because everybody else is comfortable.
That day, I realised something: Being careful is lonely sometimes. People may think you are overreacting. People may roll their eyes.

But many good habits start because one person asked a question everybody else ignored.
Now, I no longer feel bad for speaking up respectfully. Not because danger is everywhere, but because health and hygiene are things I would rather take seriously than regret later.
Ma fi itiju ko arun. “Don’t let shame stop you from protecting yourself from diseases.”