Drawn by a Star

Life beyond chemo! I went to market this morning to buy organic strawberries and to  find a model.  I was too late for the strawberries but witnessed the following scene at the organic veggie stall. I meet a friend with her dog and I draw her attention to the rye bread that’s being sold for the first time at this stall. The seller is young, pretty with darting dark eyes. There are tiny tasters: wee slices of thin dark brown bread on top of which sit trianglar slices of fresh goats cheese.  Yum.  We taste, and my friend accidently  tips the plate onto the ground.  The cheese and bread hit the road.  No pasenada.  The girl is not bothered. I ask if I can buy half a loaf.   No, sorry, she says firmly. Actually, I don’t think she said sorry! I’m aware of a young, bearded man standing close by.  He’s French.  He shows the pretty young woman two 20c coins. They sit in the palm of his outstretched hand.   He talks...

You are a wonderful team ! Last day of chemo after 7 months. Such a touching goodbye with the four nurses, Reyes, Maika, Rocio and Maria J who run the day hospital. 3 of these four women are ex intensive care nurses, and are so professional and attentive they immediately inspired confidence. Rocio was instrumental is changing my oncologist to the lady doctor. She made that easy and did not criticise my decision. My parting gift to this wonderful team was the vase of flowers with a thank you hand written on the front, filled with flowers from Kay’s garden. Unfortunately the group goodbye I had envisioned didn’t happen! The .lovely Maria Jose Just before my session finished, an elderly man had a heart attack 5 feet away from me, behind a screened cubicle. The staff leapt into action. My companion in the next chair who told me what was happening -she could see everything- luckily was wrong. The heart attack turned out to be a losing of consciousness, and after a doc was...