The archaic blue church vision passed just like that. I searched the images and they matched Hagia Sophia. I noted that maybe I was there at a certain time in one of my past life.
Though the feeling I had during the visions were deep and vivid, I needed to put them off temporarily since they didn't have any other clues.
[…]
Works piled up. New Year came. The pandemic has been going for nearly a year. We welcomed the new year still in lockdown.
[…]
Couldn't deny what the nature was telling. The winds whispered—again they say to wait for 'a time corn stalks to ripe'.
Gosh. Luckily I still remember the biology class. They meant three months—more or less.
I told Kaelen and Auriel. Auriel confirmed with her tarot cards without hesitation.
Kaelen, as usual, always thinks ahead, prepared to go back home. Done his research for COVID vaccine.
I, of course, knew about it, my brother's family recently vaccinated since they were civil servants.
Mine a bit trickier with my autistic youngest son.
I finally found a private foundation offering vaccinations. Not a government-run clinic, but a reputable health foundation working with licensed professionals. And the best part? They had several vaccine brands available—including the one approved for international travel.
Of course, there was a catch. They only offered a limited number of doses each day, and registration had to be done fast. But they provided a full package—first and second doses scheduled from the start.
That alone gave me peace of mind.
So that morning, I herded my sons into the car and brought them along. They were half-asleep and mildly grumpy, but followed directions without complaint.
They went through the usual checks: body temperature, blood pressure, a brief health screening. I handled the admin for my youngest, especially since he had a known medical condition. Thankfully, the staff were kind and attentive.
Then came the funny part.
The front security officer looked at us and made a bold decision.
"You three look like international travelers," he said. "Better go with the vaccine accepted worldwide."
I face-palmed internally.
Still, he wasn't wrong—it was the one I'd been aiming for. And thanks to his unsolicited profiling, we got fast-tracked to my vaccine of choice.
Turned out it was also the last doses for today. It was fate.
So, I went along with it. Why argue with fate?
The after effects as predicted: I got fever and flu-like symptoms for two straight days.
My sons, on the other hand, handled it like champs. Aside from swollen upper arms and an 8-hour nap right after the shot, they bounced back faster than I did. I half-joked they must've secretly leveled up in their sleep.
First dose done.
[…]
Kaelen already got his vaccine earlier—he completed second dose even before my family got one.
Done without much fuss.
For the second shot, we came as scheduled and got it done in a jiffy. Even the vaccination certificate was ready to download by the time we got home.
This time, the two rascals—having learned from the first dose—quietly went to bed without complaint. No fuss, just a long nap coming their way.
But the after-effects were truly a big deal this time.
For me it was a knockout. It wasn't that it unbearable, but it drained every bit of energy I had. My body ached in strange places, and even thinking felt heavy.
Kaelen insisted on a video call the night after my second shot.
Not a message. Not even a voice note. A full-on video call.
"I just want to see you," he said.
Honestly, I wasn't in shape to text back, let alone smile on camera. My fever hadn't broken, and my nose was stuffy from the flu-like symptoms. I looked like someone who'd barely made it out of battle. But I answered anyway.
The moment the screen lit up, he exhaled like he'd been holding his breath all day.
"You okay, sayang?" he asked, eyes scanning me gently. "You don't look dead, so that's a good start."
I tried to glare. Failed. "Feel half-dead though."
He gave me a small smile. That kind that didn't reach the lips but softened the eyes.
"You should've told me earlier. I was… kinda worried."
That surprised me. Not because he didn't care—he did, in his own quiet way—but because he rarely admitted it out loud.
Turned out, we had unknowingly gotten the same vaccine brand—the one known for its 'knock-you-down' after effects.
"Match made in immune response," I joked.
"Means we'll survive the apocalypse together," he said with a wink.
I chuckled, then winced from the headache.
He didn't talk much after that. Just stayed on the screen while I lay back, occasionally murmuring soft things. A quiet "Drink more water," or "Close your eyes if it hurts."
So I did.
The call wasn't long. There were no deep confessions or grand gestures. Just his voice in the background, and the comfort of knowing someone was there—even through a screen.
And strangely, I didn't feel quite as miserable anymore.
Alas, the sleep turned out restless. The pain got intense. My body felt heavier. The strange part was—I felt my body bruised and beaten black and blue.
I took a cold medicine tablet before bed, so it would reduce my fever and pain. But it wasn't.
A sheer thought told me I was dreaming.