It would be over a year before I would see Kayla again. The seemingly magical powers of the Popcorn Kernel of Truth had failed me when I swore I'd meet her in May. On the final day of the Sunny-Dale Adventist Academy Youth Rally, she made me promise that I would come to the next one four months later. Like on the first day we met, I swore on the magical popcorn kernel. I did so mostly in jest, but half believing that if it had worked once, it could do so again. But nay, it was not to be, for life had other plans in store. As the late rock-and-roll legend, John Lennon, once said, "Life is what happens to you while you're busy making other plans."
It was late April when it came. The invitation to the May youth rally. "Finally," I thought to myself, "I'll get to see her again. . ." I immediately had my mother RSVP and then I was all set. A few short weeks and I would get to see Kayla again, just like I promised.
The days came and went until one week remained. The Friday night before we were to leave (exactly one week before) my dad and I decided to go on a short walk. During our walk I began to feel a strange stitch in my side. I thought this was weird because I almost never get those and it persisted all evening.
The next morning I was feeling worse. The stitch had become a mild stomach ache. I told my parents, but they just thought I was trying to get out of going to church. As the day went on, the pain started to subside slightly, but I still felt sick Sunday morning. By Sunday night the pain had worsened and moved lower down my abdomen. The only thing that made me feel any better was a steaming hot bath.
By Monday morning, nothing had changed. I still felt sick to my stomach and I found it hard to focus on my schoolwork. I was homeschooled, so my mother was giving me an oral test in history. I think what tipped her off about my condition was that I couldn't answer any of the questions right. She sensed something was wrong and took me to the doctor. During all of this, the word "appendicitis" never even crossed my mind. It didn't feel like how people usually describe it. They usually describe it as a horrible, burning pain and use adjectives like "sharp." My pain just felt like a dull stomach ache, but when I got to the hospital my appendix was on the verge of rupturing.
Needless to say, after that I didn't go to the youth rally the next week. I stayed home and recovered from the surgery. Of all the times to get appendicitis, I got it that week. I felt horrible that I couldn't keep my promise and what's worse, I was planning on telling Kayla how I felt about her that weekend. By the time I would see her again, it would be too late. But perhaps it was all for the best. Life has a habit of messing with our plans, but often times it improves our lives. What we think is and should never be at the time can turn into something we never expect later on. Perhaps it was a good thing that I got appendicitis and missed my chance. Otherwise, things may have turned out much differently in my life.
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