Malious the Great, part 2

A few days ago. I copied the first few paragraphs of Malious The Great- the Voice of M.E., which had appeared in my diary in April 2007.

As lots of my readers enjoyed this piece:

• What imagination, that is the makings of a fantastic story, he didn't outsmart you though, you have done so well over the years, you may well get rid of him altogether some day! Really enjoyed that piece Corina
• This is brilliant Corina. Entertaining, if it weren't so true and sad.
• Love this, Corina 
• Great piece of writing! Can relate to a lot of this
• it is very very clever writing

I'd share the next few chapters with you.

(for those who have not read the first part, I would recommend to read that first)

 Again- unedited

inside a virus

...

She started to find ways fit me into her daily life, like taking me out to the beach, with the help of friends. Enjoyable enough, I got to know her friends. But I would not have it that she would try to continue with her doll making career. She had orders to send out and work to complete for her upcoming exhibition in Waterford. She liked “dolls” so I toyed with her. I gave her enough energy to lift the box of unfinished work on the table, and to lift up the sewing machine, and make herself a cup of tea, before I would take out my own tools, to hit her hard inside her head to knock her out. I rather lie on the couch watching “James and the Giant Peach” on video, than do some work! 4-1 for me!

I know she started to feel deeply unhappy with having my presence in her life. I remember nights when she cried all night. Here she was in small room in a friend’s house, all her belongings in boxes around her and in friend’s garages. Her life was falling apart and I pride myself for giving a helping hand. Yet she did not give up, or give in. After weeks of deliberation, she still decided to travel to France for the doll-making holiday. She knew that she would enjoy the setting and the people. I came along, I love going on holidays! On the way to the Dublin Airport, her friend and She decided to stop for lunch in the Book Centre in Waterford. I made her walk towards the health section and brought her eye to a book by a Dutch writer. In the introduction there was a mention that Post Viral Fatigue is the same as M.E. I could feel her die a little, right there and then, sitting on the steps of this large bookshop. 5-1 for me!

We did go to France. She had decided to deal with me on her return. Fair enough! I enjoyed a time of good food, lots of rest and great people around me. The teacher mainly created the doll She was to make.  

She had heard about ME, actually somebody had suggested that to her at least a year before my entering her body. My researchers had already visited my Host a few times, but she choose to ignore them too. She had said that people with ME lie on the couch all day, she was still working, ok maybe a bit tired at times, but there were enough reasons for that too. Marriage… hard working artist….

Anyway back to the bookshop. The book she came across, she put back on the bookshelf, did tell her friend about it, but walked out of the shop, stating: “I am going on a holiday first, after I come home I will deal with finding out what is wrong with my body”.

Leaving Ireland was a challenge. After entering the plane, after a delay, the passengers were told all to get of the plane as there was a fault detected. She was exhausted and had not even left the country yet. As the suitcase with her clothes and dolls for an exhibition in France were already in the plane, She was unable to turn back, ring her friend and go home…. and deal with me. Stubborn. When we finally landed in Paris we had missed the connection flight to Toulouse, and after a long, very long time, was she able to get a hotel room for a few hours. Hard work. On top of it her suitcase was lost…

Escaping me was not easy. I made her feel sooooo miserable. However She did make it to the Certe, and did enjoy the time out. I did too, good food, great people, and I knew my time was about to come.

Malious the Great. The voice of M.E.

I was looking for a particular story I wrote about a battle to get bulbs out of a planter pot, years ago. But I found  "Malious the Great. The voice of M.E." in stead. Thought I'd share it with you...

In April of  2007, my diary writing took on the voice of the virus that attacked my body in June 1998. Its attack left me seriously ill and disabled. I would like to let the virus speak and learn from what it has to say. Below are the direct, unedited first few paragraphs of the writing that “appeared” in my diary.

image of a virus

1 April 2007

Malious’s story.

Bored to the gills with spending time alone, I ceased the opportunity to play a trick on the young woman walking along the path. While she photographed the sheep in the adjacent field, I ran quickly to the single huge tree in my paddock. As luck had it, she entered my little patch to photograph “my” beautiful beech tree. I appeared from behind the tree and frightened the life out of her. What fun! She ran around and around the tree, trying to outsmart me, but hey, I am strong and fast and she was in MY patch! My mood from looking for a bit of mischief soon turned into serious business.

When the game began, during that memorable summer of 1998, my opponent did not recover from that first fright. Having a huge pride and believe in my expertise in this game I strategically choose to invade a part of her brain. She became so ill that she was afraid to go to sleep that night, in case she would not wake up again. 1-0 for me!

The friend she was staying with suggested seeking medical help. The poor innocent creatures! I could have told them- but did not - that nobody in the hospital would recognize me: the mysterious ‘Malious the Great’! Nobody believes in fairy tales. Nobody believes I exist! I really started to enjoy the game we had entered. I had a completely free playing field!

The few days in hospital were fun. My “host” if I may be so candid to use this label for the young lady I invaded, did try to level our score, with telling the medical staff that I did exist. That the symptoms, of not being able to deal with lights, and noises, to be unable to walk or even to sit up were real and not imagined. At some point a doctor got really interested and I thought the game might be over soon. But no, my host was sent home after 4 days with the diagnosis: “All is well!” 2-0 for me!

She tried her best to believe the medical staff. They must be right; they are trained professionals. “She was extremely tired, but maybe all she needed was a few days off, a little holiday”. The fool!  I was greatly relishing the results of my invasion into her body; I was there to stay. When friends came to visit, I made it impossible for her to sit up for longer than 5 minutes, or to follow the conversation they were having. She needed to acknowledge me, so I made her lie down in bed for long periods of time and made her focus on me! Stubborn as she is, she tried to live a normal life as possible. One day, my host tried to walk across the street to the supermarket to buy some groceries. I let her go there, sure I am not the worst….. But on the way back I played a favourite trick of mine, keep her on the footpath, unable to move, while the road was clear for crossing, and made her walk when there was traffic coming. We escaped death. I was not ready to die this soon! Of course this episode made her go back to the medical profession, this time to the G.P. He did some more tests and did utter the words of post viral fatigue syndrome, which he said was not the same as M.E. Good man! The blood test performed came all back negative, She was deemed healthy! 3-0 for me!

My host moved to another friends house for the month of July. She was supposing to care take the house in the country, when her friends were on holiday. The G.P. did not think this a very suitable place for my host to live, as she would be on her own, and was unable to really mind herself. But little did he know that she was not alone…. I was very much keeping her company. I kept her awake every night for a month. Every night She would go to bed tired, but unable to sleep. I loved that, I loved listening to the radio and hear her talk to her good friend E. and discuss her life in the past and her life with me! However, She still did not acknowledge me. I told her to rest all day, what does she do? Goes for a walk every day. Well, the one night that She got really brave, and walked the full circle with her friend, I made her feel my presence. I made myself so heavy and injected pain in every part of her body. I am in control sweetheart! Still no sleep that night though! During a phone call to a friend in Holland, she became a little more aware of my relations, one whom had invaded her son for a while. She listened intently and felt some relief, that the effect I was having on her, were not imagined. 3-1, I am still in the lead!