Wednesday, March 17, 2010

Unexpected trip home

I could tell from my mom’s message that she wasn’t just returning my call. “Um I’ll send you some information by email . . . “she said on my skype voicemail. I called her right back. She was still at the house, just ready to go back to the hospital. “Your father fell and broke his hip. “ Even though he crashed on his bike and broke it, still breaking a hip doesn’t sound like breaking a leg, or breaking an arm. It is something that happens to old people.

Surgery was scheduled for that night and happily they did not have to replace the hip, just shore it up a bit with a plate and screws. The next morning my dad was feeling pretty good. It actually didn't occur to me to go home. I am, after all, living in a foreign country. The surgery was simple and easy and my dad is in tremendous shape. He is 70 years old and swims a mile at least 4 times a week. Sometimes 6.

Although things are not that serious, after hearing my mom talk about scenarios for moving furniture around their house and putting in rails and such to make the stairs easier and where to move the bed I felt overwhelmed for her. They have friends in the neighborhood and all of my friends have already offered to do anything to help, but it isn't the same. I realized I should probably go help her out. I would go if I were in New York, and it really isn't that much farther.

Maybe I am going because I feel guilty about leaving for the year. My unspoken deal with my family has always been that I can live where ever I want, but when needed I get there as quick as I can. So we searched for a free ticket and then a cheap ticket and then any ticket for the next day. I got the last seat on the plane and it happened to be First Class, but oh well. It was only a little more than the regular fair the next day.

Five o'clock Tuesday morning Bosco was there to take me to the airport. As we drove in we passed the buses full of vendors with market baskets piled high on the top of the bus. Everyone was waiting for the bus to go to work and I could here the roosters crowing as we went through towns. Fruit stands were already full of fruit as the sun came up. It was hot and hazy and I tried to image what it was going to be like to step out into the cold rain in Seattle.

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