But the moment he stood up, the concrete walls of congestion slammed back down.
He lay on his back, staring at the ceiling, mouth-breathing like a dehydrated goldfish. Beside him, his girlfriend, Sam, slept peacefully, her gentle, unimpeded breathing a cruel mockery of his suffering. unblock a blocked nose
Defeated, he padded to the kitchen. He needed a Hail Mary. The internet had suggested weird things—onions, wasabi, holding your breath. But one old wives’ tale caught his eye: The push-and-hold method. But the moment he stood up, the concrete
“Desperate times,” he whispered to the dusty ceiling fan. Defeated, he padded to the kitchen
He filled a glass with water, grabbed a box of tissues, and sat at the kitchen table. Step one: push your tongue against the roof of your mouth. Step two: press your thumb firmly between your eyebrows. Step three: hold for twenty seconds and rock back and forth.
Then, a sound like a tiny, rusty gate swinging open. A whoosh. A glorious, cool, life-affirming whoosh of air rushed through his left nostril. Then the right one answered with a smaller, but no less heroic, pop . He could smell again—the faint lemon of the dish soap, the dusty books in the living room, everything .
He looked at Sam’s sleeping face and smiled. He wouldn't wake her. This tiny, nasal victory was his alone. He closed his eyes, listening to the quiet whistle of his own relieved nose, and fell asleep just as the first hint of gray light touched the window.