A lice problem...

Before leaving for Bombay, mum told me not to go around proclaiming the news to people. So, naturally, I decided to write a blog about it and post it on Facebook.

It started as a small insignificant itch, before slowly gaining the kind of frenzy that had me scratching my head at every given moment, regardless of who was around. After one month of crazy scratching, the first thing I said to my mother when I met her was “Something is wrong with my head! Please have a look.”

She didn’t have to look, really. The incessant scratching was enough to tell her what was the problem. But just to confirm, she glanced through my hair, before stating, “Yep, you’ve got lice.”

Now, for anyone who might not be aware, head lice (singular: louse) are “wingless insects spending their entire life on human scalp and feeding exclusively on human blood.” – Source: Wikipedia.

Okay, so the problem was diagnosed. I had insects sucking the blood from my scalp and making babies all over my head. Now all we had to worry about was the cure. So we scanned the pages of Google to figure out the best way to remove head-lice. After rejecting the possibility of dousing my hair in cooking oil and vinegar, I decided on a safer alternative – poison.

At least, that’s what it said on the cover of Licel oil. Moment of self-realization: pouring oil on your head suddenly becomes a lot harder when the bottle comes with a single-word warning: poison.

In any case, I did it. Twice. I even bought a special lice comb from this guy at Dadar station, who laughed when I asked him for it, saying most people never ask him for a lice-comb so directly. His words reminded me of something my mother had mentioned. Apparently, society – aka people – tend to have very similar reactions when they encounter someone who has head lice. I think the reaction goes something like: ewwwwwwwwww!!!!!!!!!

Before leaving for Bombay, mum told me not to go around proclaiming the news to people. I think she knew my erratic tendencies a bit too well.

So, naturally, I decided to write a blog about it and post it on Facebook.

I’m trying to understand the connection between head lice and eww. Sure, the last thing anyone wants is to have little insects pouring their faeces all over your head, but still. The problem is the insect, not the person, right? Why ostracize the person?

Perhaps this has a lot to do with the cause of head-lice infestation: they are more common in places where personal hygiene is not seen as being of utmost importance – such as slums, where people might have slightly bigger concerns in their lives. And the most common way for transmission is through hair-to-hair contact. Assuming that I got the lice from one of my 45 kids, the thought that comes to mind is – how do I make sure I don’t get it again?

The answer is simple – I stay away from them. Physically, I maintain my distance. This means no carrying them, or swinging them around, or receiving impromptu bear hugs from the entire class.

To any other person, the choice might be a no-brainer, especially when you consider the importance of your hair, the embarrassment from walking around scratching your head at all times, and the thought of creepy-crawly insects going at it through your lovely tresses.

To me, the choice is also a no-brainer, especially when I think of a little girl Mahek who gives the warmest hugs after Mom; the kind of hug that cheers you up no matter how bad your day is going; the kind of hug that makes me get down on my knees in front of this little kid and ask her specially for a hug - a request she is only too happy to fulfill.

Three guesses as to which option I would choose?