Introducing Bob

Once upon a time, about a week ago, a Khmer mosquito decided to attack. He chose his time carefully so as to ambush me at my most vulnerable and enjoy his long thirst quenching drink from my blood without interruption. In consequence to this uninvited drain from my personal blood supply, my body decided to defend itself and begin the natural healing process by creating a sensible blister over the scene of attack.

I noticed the appearance of said blister and, after saying a silent prayer that it wasn’t due to the insect being a malaria or dengue fever carrier, I was thankful that my skin had this amazing ability to create a force field around an open wound in order to protect it from infection. I have been happily going about my business as usual, occasionally stoking the blister in order to check it and have found myself introducing it to my new friends and colleagues as if it were a small puppy following me around or a plant that I have lovingly cultivated from seed. (I haven’t noticed the same fondness in those who have been lucky enough to be introduced.) In fact, I have become so attached to this blister that I have named it Bob. Bob sits on my left ankle, perfectly circular and slightly raised from my skin. He is dark pink in colour and a little smaller than the size of a 5 pence piece. I know that Bob won’t be around for long (in fact I’m slightly worried he has survived this long with all the fluid he is carrying around inside him) but I want to enjoy the time we have together before the inevitable occurs and he bursts. He doesn’t hurt or itch, he just sits quietly on my left ankle, always there when I look down to check, always there when my hand reaches down to give him a gentle stroke.

And what I should be doing right now is learning my new Khmer words from language training today... it's really hard!!!!!