The Third Opinion

 

If it's something beyond my understanding I don't 'play-play' with it.  More so if it has to do with something supernatural.  My youngest girl's temperature just went back to normal this morning.   This is the 2^nd time in my life as far back as I can remember that any member of my family has faced this situation. 

 

Our girl went to a schoolmate's birthday party one hot and humid evening.  They held it in their newly built empty house that had no electricity yet.  Next morning, she woke up with a horrible sore throat (swollen tonsils) and a high fever.  The doctor prescribed antibiotics, cough syrup and panadols.  Nornally by the next day she'd be as good as new except for a little cough.  But this time around, even after two days the fever didn't go down, the cough got worse and she had the chills and sweated alternatively.  We thought perhaps the traditional sinseh could do better, so I brought her to our 'regular consultant' at a local medical hall. 

 

Three days later, fearing it could be a typhoid fever we took her to consult another traditional sinseh.  She declared it was only a mild strain and gave us a packet of prepared herbs to bring down the temperature and clean out the system.  But after all her mother's efforts preparing it, a few minutes after she drank the herbal concoction, she threw up all of it. 

 

On Saturday,  we took her to our regular temple.  The medium was not in, so in desperation we went to another doctor who recommended another round of panadols, antibiotics, cough syrup, etc.  Still no improvement.  Yesterday, we took her to the temple again.  The medium said she had an encounter with something 'unclean'.  He performed a cleansing ceremony and gave us some talismans to burn and put the ashes in water for her to drink.  He also advised us to continue with the doctor's medication.  This morning her forehead felt cool.  The chills and hot flushes have gone.

 

Flashback 20 years.  When we first moved to Sungai Petani, we rented a house.  The previous tenants had vacated the house and left a huge mess.  We needed to clean it up before we could move in.  By the time we obtained the keys to the house it was already evening.  So that evening itself and for several evenings after, we spent our time going over the whole house until it was spick and span.  I also added in mosquito nettings for all bedroom doors and windows.  Before we we could move in, wifey went down with high temperature and fainting spells.  Several clinic visits later and with her temperature going like seasaw, we still couldn't understand the nature of her illness. 

 

Fortunately, a brother-in-law saw the condition for what it was.  He went to a temple and came back with some instructions on rituals that we had to follow and we did as instructed.  The very next day, the fever was gone and she was up and about as normal. 

 

Don't ask me for scientific explanations because there's none.  Ghostbusters maybe?  But I'd keep in mind that if something doesn't look right, one should always go for a THIRD opinion from a different level.  We're only as good as what we can see, feel or understand from our earthly experiences.  What's 'one step beyond' is beyond us.  I can only say, Thank God, it's over.