GROSS

Caution: This story might affect some of your routine. So sensitive people are requested to avoid this.


It is such a beautiful day in Chicago. I cannot believe that temperature is finally above 60s in here. Finally there are some birds flying high in sky trying to feel the warmth of the sun. I would say it is a bad day for Phoenix to try reaching sun. I could see the kids playing baseball, students playing basketball in the grounds and old people taking walk on the streets. Finally summer is here.

And I am here sitting in the first compartment of the train facing the rest of the compartments attached to it. An African American guy whom I did not even know was there suddenly got up from his seat to the entrance door. All I could see was he was bending towards the floor and some white watery fluid was oozing out of his mouth. It did not take me and rest of the people, long time to realize that he was puking. Thank God! He was standing beside the wooden partition at entrance and puking. I am not able to see him but hear him puke. But that sound itself is enough for me. I can feel all the sound coming from his vocal chord while bringing out all the stuff, and then the sound of puke hitting the floor. My brain is out of my control, I am hearing the sound and then visualizing it.

Finally he stopped puking and went to some other seat and is resting. I was relaxed. But then started the real struggle. The smell of the puke, it had already spread through out the compartment. There is nothing bad in that smell, it smelled more or less like the rice while it is boiling. I guess even it looks same with rice in white water. But the very thought that smell of rice boiling is from a puke is bringing my insides out. I thought of crossing over to other compartment but for that I need pass the spot where he puked. So I decided I will get off the train and so I did.

While I was waiting for my train I thought of one similar incident, which happened to me, when I was a kid. Even it was a pleasant Sunday as me and my kid brother were at home and of course he was sick. If someone is sick immediately mom thinks of using the soji to make the irritating upma. Then she was making him eat that when he was denying it (none at home likes upma). Finally it all started, he said "Mom, I am going to vomit". Mom took him to bathroom where he started puking. I went into balcony just to avoid that sounds. But I was not successful. I still could hear it. Then the upma in me arose and acting against the Newton discovered gravity it traveled all the way up my alimentary canal, through my throat, touching my tongue and finally oozing out of my mouth hitting the balcony floor.

I still could hear those sounds of my brother puking. Next intelligent thing I tried to do was to rush to another bathroom, which is just beside the one where my brother is busy. But those sounds made my insides more active and faster than my legs making me puke on the bedroom floor. This time it was not upma, as I have not eaten much of it. I guess it is the good day biscuits I had early in the morning. I could see the cashew pieces, which I did not chew properly while eating, in my puke. I soon escaped from that spot to dad's office room, which is the farthest from that spot. On my way itself, "by then" hyperactive digestive system of mine acted once more bringing out all the chapathi and Aloo kurma I had last night. I could not see aloos but pieces of chapathi were all over the place with some mustard seeds.

After I was done with getting rid of chapathi I rushed to dad's room. As a matter of fact I thought I was empty by then. But when I for the last time heard my brother puke, my thought proved to be wrong. This time the 3 cups of coffee I had from morning came out. I could easily make out with the brown color of the puke and also its taste and smell while I was vomiting.

By then my brother was done and I had decorated house with my puke all over. Thinking of all these I smiled and thought that today it was a narrow escape. My next train arrived and got into that again enjoying the beautiful Chicago on a summer day.