When he said 'Chicken Pox' !

The first time I fell in love was when I was in Class I, barely six years of age. He was new to my school, and I felt that it was my duty to make him familiar with the surroundings. I don't remember if it was love at first sight, but there was no doubt that I was falling for this tall, dark & intelligent guy! What attracted me most to him was the way he spoke, he was indeed wise for his age and so much confident. I wanted to befriend him, but was too shy to talk to him. My darling class teacher solved my problem- She made me sit with HIM when she made the seating arrangements!! He smiled at me, I almost blushed. It is true that age is no barrier to falling in love.
But my happiness was short lived. One day I discovered that my face and body were covered with small blisters, like the ones that form when something really hot falls on your skin. Of course, I was too young to be concerned- but my mother was and she took me to the doctor. He looked at me and said something to my mother as he wrote out a prescription. Mom told me that I would miss around 2 weeks of school, & that I would need to take some medicines & apply a thick, smelly lotion called 'Calamine' if I wanted to get well soon. It was strange, given that I did not at all feel like I was not well!! Yet, I had to comply with what Mom said. And I badly missed school for the next few days, which seemed to drag for an eternity. Not that I liked to study, but I was feeling lost without my sweet love.
And finally one day, mom decided that I was well enough to return back to school. She dressed me in my uniform, slathered calamine all over my face & scalp, and wrapped a scarf around my head. It felt strange to be back- all my classmates stared at me curiously as soon as I entered the classroom and bombarded me with questions.
"Why were you absent?"
"Were you sick?"
"What are those pink dots on your face?"

Being an introvert who prefers her privacy, I was very much uncomfortable with the unwanted attention I was getting.
As I stood wondering how to escape, HE came to my rescue.
He smiled at me and addressed the class- "Can't you see that she is not well?"
"Does she have fever?" enquired a classmate.
" No. She has Chicken Pox. Now let her rest. OK?"

Chicken Pox. Wasn't it the same thing the doctor had said when he first saw me?
WOW,I thought, impressed. This guy is as intelligent as the doctor!!
I went to my seat at the back row as my other classmates gathered to discuss the new term they had just now learnt. A sense of warmth and pride engulfed me as I smiled to myself. I was glad to be in love, and happier still that I was in love with the most intelligent guy in my class.