"There is no such thing as... free mangos"

We’ve all heard of the expression, ‘there is no such thing as a free lunch,’ meaning there are always some strings attached. Well, I’ve got a new one, ‘there is no such thing as free mangos.’
While out on my old boss’s mango farm in Arenillas climbing mango trees and picking bags of free mangos, I was unknowingly bit by a caterpillar.
The day after I’d been out in the farm I did notice that I had a weird rash on my wrist and a bite in the form of a caterpillar. But being how I always am with medical issues, I just ignored it and decided I’ll worry about it next week (this week is Christmas, no need to bother the doctors). A few days later, I traveled back to Quito for Christmas celebrations. The rash was still there but at that point it wasn’t bothering me. The Monday after Christmas I was going to take a bus down to the beach and visit one of my friend’s sites for a few days since we had vacations for the holidays. I had literally just gotten my bus ticket and was on the metro to the PC office to get some work done before my trip , when all of a sudden my arm started to itch, and I noticed my fingers were red and swollen. By the time I got to the PC office, the rash had spread up my arm, down my back shoulder, and onto my hands, face and ears. I ended up having to get a painful steroid shot and was prohibited by our doctor from going on my trip until I was better. I spent the next few days with a horrible skin reaction and fever, pretty much like an uglier version of the chicken pocks. It turns out while out on the mango farm, that bug that bit me was a poisonous caterpillar, and I had a delayed allergic reaction to its venom. It took 10 days to get rid of completely; three shots, 30 pills, and lots of anti-allergy creams later I was healed. Luckily, by the time New Years came around my face and ears had cleared, otherwise I would have been wearing an año viejo mask for the night! I never did make it to the beach to my friend’s site.
“There’s no such thing as free… mangos.” I definitely paid for that sack of mangos… but I think if I had to do it again I would, it was worth it for a day out on the farm and delicious mangos for the week.