"Hey you, Maggie has put a movie on. Wanna watch?" My brother called to me from the doorway.
I nodded in agreement, there was no way I'd miss watching an interesting movie.
I got off the bed and ran after him to the living room, the movie had just begun so I was happy I wouldn't miss a lot of scenes.
We all got comfortable and sat in front of the TV in our small and clustered living room. It turned out that it was a horror/mystery themed movie that my siblings decided to watch that night. I didn't think there'd be a problem, until a particularly horrible scene came up and the next thing I knew was darkness.
I was 8 years old.
It wasn't the first time I was fainting, but it was the first time I fainted in my own home while watching a movie.
I don't know how long I was out but I woke up to hearing voices calling my name urging me to wake up. I could hear my mother scolding my siblings thoroughly for putting on such a movie in my presence.
The scolding stopped abruptly when she noticed I was conscious again, I gave her a scare.
I can't remember the scene that made me throw up and pass out, but it was troubling enough for me to throw up my dinner and then pass out.
"Mummy," I called softly.
"Yes?" She came closer to me on the bed.
"I saw you trying to wake me up when I wanted to follow him," I said without thinking.
"Hmm? What do you mean?" My mom had switched to our native tongue immediately (she does that when she's stressed and she was stressed that night).
"The white man said I should follow him, he was beside you," I wore a puzzled look on my face wondering why my mother refused to agree that she saw the man.
I didn't know what I saw was a vision. Before I could utter another word, my mother had whipped out her blessed oil and holy bible and rosary beads. She doused me with the blessed oil and stayed up all night praying for me, she made me stay up all night too maybe for fear that I may not wake up again.
How it started
I used to faint repeatedly when I was little, around the ages of 7, 8 and 9 years and it usually happened in the mornings while I was busy with an activity in school or at home.
On the first day I fainted, it was in front of a retailer's store where my sister had forcefully sent me to get her things. I was feeling dizzy and didn't want to go out but she pulled the big sister card on me and made me go out and while making the purchase, I blinked and when I came to, I found myself lying on the pavement with a bruised face.
It turns out I fell hard and hurt my face in the process. I stood up and went home and my siblings asked what happened and I narrated what went down but it really felt like I fell asleep and I had just woken up from a much needed sleep.
My mother was a bit worried and she thought I fell because of my poor eyesight and immediately she took me for my first eye test afterwards I got my very first eyeglasses.
That was the first of many blackouts.
It kept recurring and I began to visit the hospital frequently, no one knew what was wrong with me.
I didn't like the fact that I would pass out for no reason at all especially without warning signs so I began to pray in my mind whenever I felt suddenly dizzy.
I would repeat over and over again in my head.
"No more fainting again. I will not faint. I will not faint."
It was my mantra.
Since I clocked 10 years, I haven't passed out till this day, though dizziness may arise from time to time as a result of stress, it passes after a while and I am fine once more.
Till this day I still don't know why I used to frequently lose consciousness without any sign of terminal illness. Some speculations were made about my genotype, but I'm AA which confused everyone even more.
My Mom believes there was a battle beyond the physical over my life and I won because God is with me.
I believe her.
After the experience I had while watching that horror movie with my brother and sister, I have never liked watching horror movies till this day.
They mess with my mind and scare me.
This is my entry to the creative nonfiction prompt: TWO TRUTHS AND A LIE
- THE LIE:
I have never had any vision whenever I lost consciousness. It was always black, like I was asleep and I always felt like I woke up from a deep slumber.
I didn't see any white man standing beside my Mom, but I did pass out while watching the movie.
THANK YOU FOR READING!
What an interesting story! I too almost thought it was in response to the fiction prompt. You captivated me. I admire how protective your mother was of you and how you both found solace in faith. I know most of our mothers in our country would do the same! 😅
Your mantra highlights the power of the mind and the impact on our physical health. It's like the mind controls our bodies, most time. This is a well-written account of your experiences and it was a pleasure reading it. Nicely done! !LUV
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Thank you very much. I am grateful for your feedback and the tip. 🤭
The mind holds the most power sometimes and we just don't know it.
Well done! Until I saw the creative nonfiction tag I thought this was a response to the Vision prompt.
Oh! 🤭
Thank you for reading.
It sounded so true that I thought you've had visions before.
I haven't.
Thank you for reading.
On a normal ground, when you are stressed up, you need to rest and when you are not, it could cause dizziness.
I think your case of fainting is not the best...you know...
Oh well, I wasn't all that stressed as a child so it was a cause of worry for me.
Thank you for your feedback.
Totally mesmerising read! Wow, those fainting episodes must’ve been scary for you and your family. So glad that they stopped.
I'm glad too. Thank you for reading.
Omo! Thank God that you won the battle because I'm among those that assume it's spiritual stuff. It's rare to faint without any medical symptom of sickeness
It is.
I'm grateful I won too.
Thank you for your feedback.
Such a refreshingly great read! Those episodes must’ve been very scary for a little girl; It’s even scary for the reader.
It’s wonderful that the “vision” wasn’t real because it would’ve put your experience on a totally different plane. However, it’s defining that you felt it was a rather supernatural experience. It’s most interesting that the fainting spells stopped and have never returned.
We appreciate the effort you put into the community.
It's a huge relief that the fainting spells are no more too.
As always your feedback is greatly appreciated. Thank you!
You take us by the hand progressively and we are able to feel the childish fear that can be the cause of vomiting and fleeing from reality. The mind is a wonderful ally and finds ways to benefit the body. Yours has fulfilled the function of protecting you. To me it sounded totally believable that you had a hallucination in the state you were in. You took us through the reading very well so that the lie was congruent with the episode you narrate. Congratulations, @stellageorge. Well done.
Thank you so much for your feedback.
I'm happy you enjoyed reading.
Wow this is beautiful story. You got me hooked all through the story and I like the way you started the story from an action point, that was smooth and I like it. Nice one dear.. I pray it doesn't reoccur again
Thank you for reading.
I pray so too.
Nice read, you got me captivated all through, it must have been very worrisome to your parents during these episodes of fainting, thank God it stoped
It was quite worrisome.
I'm grateful it stopped also.
Thank you for your feedback.
This was a great read. I empathised with you throughout. I am happy that you don't faint anymore. I thought the vision was the lie. I also have a history of fainting. I started fainting in my teenage years but unfortunately - it continued to adulthood. Like you I have a mantra when I get dizzy. It might have worked because luckily I have not fainted in the last years. Like you the mystery of my fainting spells were never figured out.
Oh my!
I really think the strength of our minds keeps us going.
I really hope you don't faint anymore.
I still wonder what exactly made me faint till this day.
Thank you very much for your feedback.