Slow down

****If quickly you walk, then even quicker will you deliver.****

My mum has always walked quite briskly, and called it her leisurely stride. When I wa young, I used to go on walks with her and if I didn't want to be left behind, I had to walk quickly as well so as to stay with her. I really hope that it was not her way to get rid of me like in the story 'Little Thumb' where a woodcutter decides to leave his children in the forest as he couldn't take care of them, because she did not suceed, and instead I became a brisk walker like her.

When I would go to work, I used to walk at the same speed, surprising students who did not expect me to reach class so soon. Once, when the bell rang, signalling that it was time to go to class, I left the staffroom and on the way I saw some of my students going to the canteen. One of them had remarked, 'Don't worry, we'll get time to reach class on time.' And it had been so pleasing to have them come to class where everyone else, including me, was already seated and the attendance done. They were marked as late.

During my pregnancy, they had hoped that I would slow down, but after the first three months of morning sickness, I felt in one of the best shapes of my life. To be honest, I sometimes even forgot that I was pregnant.

I was alreday in the 34th week of pregnancy when I was told that my class had changed because a teacher broke her ankle and needed my class. So instead of going to the 2nd floor, I was exceptionally supposed to go to the second floor for class. No problem. I charged ahead and asked the students to follow me to class. Many were huffing and puffing when they reached.

'Miss, do you have a plane to catch?' one of them asked me.

When it was time to do the attendance, two students were missing and they reached later, saying that they were getting old and couldn't walk quickly.

That afternoon as I reached home, I was still feeling fit and as I climbed the staircase to go to the toilet, I felt a rush of water go down my legs. Oh shit, I had urinated on myself just one meter away from the toilet. I took off my panties and sat on the toilet seat. Apparently, my bladder was still full because it took me some time to empty it.

My mum had come over for a visit and when she saw me walking with my panties in my hands, she was perplexed and shocked. I then sheepishly told her that I didn't get time to reach the toilet. She opened her eyes wide and told me,

'Your water broke silly, it's not urine.'

It was now my time to stare at her. She asked me if I had done anything more on that day and I recalled the stair-climbing event. She rushed me to the gynaecologist who gave me an injection after scolding me for not taking care of myself.

The next day at the same time, I was in the clinic with induced contractions and I was getting ready to welcome my baby 6 weeks in advance.

I learnt a very important lesson on that day, when you do something in a rush, then later you have plenty of time to repent. My son is still bothered by the fact that he was born in March when he was supposed to come in this world in the first week of May.

One should assess in which physical state one is before doing an activity.