Another hospital adventure this morning with Merche’s husband Javi.
The appointment is for 9.30. We leave Orgiva at 8am. We both yawn a lot as we approach Granada. The snow-capped Sierras are magnificent. My heart always soars at the sight of these mountains. It’s a bit chilly though. I wearing 4 layers, just in case.
Javi drops me outside the clinic and disappears to find a free parking place. I sit in the entrance area, and de repente- love this phrase ( suddenly and without warning)- a very extraordinary thing happens. I’m visited by an angel.
Yes. Honestly. A large, plump, middle aged angel clutching a pile of official hospital notebooks. Not files. Notebooks.
'What a lovely smile you have,' she says to me. 'Where are you from?'
I laugh. She laughs.
' Ireland,' I say.
Ah Ireland!’ she sighs. I don’t remember what she said for the next 5 minutes because I got caught in a beam of pure loveliness.
All the time she was befriending me she kept catching sight of somebody else she knew. She would beam a greeting, blow a kiss, and when the handsome but terribly sad musician with paralysed legs passed by in his motorised wheel chair.. she called his name, and he stopped in his tracks. They exchanged a smile that brought tears to my eyes, then he whizzed off, still smiling into the busy Granada street, alone, but recharged.
'Ah here’s my boss,' said the angel backing away from me. The petite lady wearing brown trousers and a warm jersey was heading for the admin office. Hello, she mimed, grinning at both of us. The angel immediately, respectfully followed her.
Javi appears. I want to tell him I’ve just met an extraordinary person whose mission in life seems to be to make people feel happy to be entering, or leaving this clinic. But I don't. Not sure why.
'I’ve worked here since 7.7. 77,' she'd told me.
‘Oh 7.7 is my birthday!’ I'd replied.
‘Really ? Mine’s the 5th of July.’ she'd said.
‘So we’re twin souls,’ she added.
Humm.
Not quite, but who knows ?
The appointment goes well. The lady doc is charming. There are 3 options she says. A pill a day, a single blast of radiation, or surgery. We’ll go with the first she decided. Javi and I agree. Your thyroid problem is very old she adds. Ok I say, so long as it’s not….of course it’s not !!
Javi and I walk to where he’s parked his car. It’s now getting hot in Granada. If you’re not in a hurry he says… I could visit a friend… something about a slip of paper.
We then go off on a wild goose chase in a suburb called Ogijares. A WONDERFUL back street adventure commences. We nip in and out of a myriad of one way streets. Fabulous hanging gardens spill over tall white walls. How on earth does Javi know his way. I’m disorientated instantly.
Javi’s friend is out. Never mind, it’s breakfast time so I suggest we head for the same café we went to last time. My treat.
The waiters are wearing white tee-shirts this time, not black.
Javi gravitates to a table infront of the nosiy TV. He yawns a lot. I feel tired too. I catch his yawns. I order melted cheese on toast, he chooses tomato on toast. He has real coffee, I chose decaf. We eat in silence.
The lady doc wasn’t impressed when I told her I was taking a herbal remedy for the thyroid problem. Even though the analysis was much better than the last time, she would have nothing of herbs.. not a good idea she said.
I want to end this mornings adventure by buying goats yogurt. Since the last chemo I haven’t felt much like cooking. Smoothies and juices go down very easily though.
I ask the parking angels to find me a space right beside the indoor market. They oblige, of course !
I return to my safe nest with yogurt, raspberries, avocados, and bananas, all organic. Yum.
My heart is still deeply astonished by the meeting with the hospital angel. It’s a bit like Rilke’s ‘quirky God’ decided to give me a lovely surprise. I didn’t know I was feeling so nervous. But somehow she did.
Why else did she single me out ?
