I fell last week. I am waiting for a new hip from the government hospital but the waiting list is one year. I have nine months to go. Occasionally my right leg does not listen to my brain and fails to lift. So I fell on my boob of all things! Very painful, with the pain going right through to my back.
In this retirement village that I live in news travels fast. I was in bed nursing the pain when there was a knock on my window. Enter Eleanor with an ultra sound machine and a rose. “Mary sent this.”
Now Mary has had some sort of throat trauma and cannot speak. Eleanor spends a lot of time with her and Mary communicates on a Tablet. Mary also has a digestive problem and has to feed herself each day with a syringe. Meet Mary on any of the myriad paths in this complex and she always walks with purpose, always smiles. Bends down to pat Jack. Mary lives each day of her life. Unbelievable courage.
I have the rose in a glass next to my bed. I asked Eleanor to please tell Mary just how much I appreciate her gift.
Courage is everywhere in this complex where more women that men live. I never cease to marvel at how these women, after lives that encompassed much pain as well as joy continue to live each day as it comes, many of them giving time to charity. This year we had a craft exhibition and the variety and quality of the work was outstanding! That is not to say that the men don’t have those qualities, it is just that in the part that I live in there are many more women living.
My other precious gift some three years ago is Jack. I was earning extra money doing pet sitting and was at a local veterinary practice handing out printed notices of my services. The receptionist greeted me having read the note. “You have come at just the right time!” It appeared that a young couple with a toddler had bought a Dachshund puppy without checking whether they were allowed to keep a pet in their flat. They were moving to a proper house soon but in the meantime did not know what to do.
In next to no time a very small puppy was handed to me with his medical card. He had had all the necessary injections. I agreed to keep him for three weeks until the move. I climbed back into my car and settled the little man on my lap. His name I was told was Jack.
Now I had some shopping to do and did not want to leave him alone in the car. As it happened my daughter was staying with me at the time. So I went home, opened the door and handed Susan this little animal. “I am going to do the shopping and will be back soon. Will explain later!”
When I returned Susan told me that Jack had howled his lungs out at my disappearance! In those few minutes of sitting on my lap Jack had decided that I was his person! As the time came to hand him back I realized that he was so bonded to me that to send him back would be cruel. I consulted the vet who in turn consulted the owner who graciously told me to keep him and he would find another puppy for the family. Jack had found a home to his satisfaction!
Jack is well known and loved throughout the complex. He likes everyone, loves a few favourites and the staff always greet him. “Howzit Jack?”
One of my neighbours, Murray moved here only a week before her dear husband died. Murray somehow coped by joining the needlework group. She does the most exquisite embroidery. Jack and I often drop in for a chat. However a cat moved in, deciding that Murray had what was needed for any cat’s wellbeing. The cat lies indolently on the back of the sofa while Jack trembles at the end of his leash like some bloodhound on the trail! On the days that the cat is out on his rounds Jack lies exactly where he does! Occasionally he will sit on Murray’s knee surveying the world through the open doors.
Jack has one fault. He hates cats. When he was still a puppy I took him to Mozambique. We stopped overnight in Nelspruit at Mbombela Backpackers. Here two enormous dogs made a huge fuss over Jack so that he was covered by slobber!
However a large black cat that had the reputation of a Black Mamba snake killer lived there too. The Backpackers overlooked a vlei wetland that had tall elephant grass. Ideal Mamba cover. The black cat would stalk and kill this, the most poisonous and dangerous snake in South Africa. Very, very few people survive a bite.
The cat was on the kitchen counter and Jack gave a puppy bark at it. The cat flew to the ground and proceeded to hit poor Jack with a left and a right just as the line of a song I remember from my youth described! The song lyric ran like this: “Come on kid! Come on kid, hit him with left and a right!”
Jack also has the run of Heather’s house. Heather had to put her elderly Dachshund, Oliver down and loves Jack to pieces. Jack loves Pat. We cannot pass her house without him scratching for permission to enter. He makes a fuss of her and goes straight to her fridge, standing there in expectation!
One lady here has a severely handicapped son who visits occasionally and drives around in his little automated chair. Jack runs up to him and sits beneath his toes patiently allowing the man to rub him with his toes.
Barbara walks a lot and has offered to walk Jack when my hip gives trouble. Jack can spot her from a long way so I let go of the leash and he gallops up to greet her with much enthusiasm. He is happy to go and walk with her just giving a last look at me to get a double “Okay, go Jack!”
Jack and I had a routine for our walks. Early in the morning we would stroll so that he could read the newspapers on the due wet grass. At eleven we would take a proper walk for exercise. On a Tuesday I would attend art classes and come home in time for the walk. One Tuesday I was late and arrived at twelve. Now I enjoyed listening to a political commentator called Stephen Grootes at that time. So I settled with a glass of wine thinking to take Jack for his walk afterwards.
Jack had been restless with the disruption to his routine and in desperation jumped on to my bed and proceeded to bark angrily at Stephen Grootes’s voice emanating from the radio on my bedside table! I got the message!
Jack can get very angry at me. If he wants a second helping of chicken and rice and I refuse he sits in front of me the picture of indignation with his ears out, glaring, then with funny fierce barks registers his anger! If I tell him to stop he runs around in circles then recommences the performance until I am forced to dish out a little more!
I could go on and on but must be off to give a lift to a friend and thence to my son TJ and his wife Maud and their children Greg and Neve. Jack considers them part of his family and loves to visit! TJ will put this blog on the internet for me. It is useful having an IT son!
Molly's Musings On Life And Travel 