Natarah's first bee encounter

I think I was in standard three (now referred to as grade five) when I had my first encounter with one of nature’s hardest-working insects; the bee.
 
I remember walking home from school on Nordale Road in Newlands West one blistering hot afternoon playing ‘stingers’ with friends. We plucked what looked like small, round stones from a tall plant on the side of the road and sent them flying onto the bare legs and arms of classmates with impressive accuracy. 
 
These welt-inducing stings were painful to the recipient and I didn’t want to be a victim. So I ran to the plant to stock up on a handful of these stinging stones. While collecting my pellets I suddenly realised I couldn’t open my left eye anymore. I initially thought I was standing too close to the plant, a branch could’ve somehow jabbed my eyelid while I was fetching the ‘stones.’
 
So I took a step away from the plant but this did nothing. The branch was still in my eye. I walked further and further away from the plant until I was standing in the middle of the road and still nothing. I decided then to try and open my eye. The scene was frightening. All I could see were wings, beating fast against my left eyelid. 
 
I immediately whacked the insect off my face and ran home in a panic. It was my gran who pulled the stinger out with a tweezer. 
 
I couldn’t go to school for the next three days. I looked as if I’d had a one-on-one with the Hulk’s fist. 
 
I was stung three times after that on different occasions. The benefits? I think that’s what helped me build an immunity to bee venom. The discomfort from the sting now resembles a mere mozzie bite. 

The famous bee sting mark still on my eyelid today:

Any #TBT stories you would like to share with us today?