the life coach 17

Jay's accident

17

Now you say you got trouble

you say you got pain

you say you got nothing left to believe in

Nothing to hold on to

Nothing to trust

Nothing but chains

You been scouring your conscience

And raking through your memories

You been scouring your conscience

and raking through your memories

But that was the river

This is the sea

The Waterboys: "This is the Sea"

Pearly and Jay is back in the house again...

It's early morning. Pearly is out in the garden; sprinkling trees and flowers and sweeping the concrete floor for leaves and insects and today's downfall of mashed plums.

She calls in at Jay:"are you coming out here soon; I need my

morning tea, you know, as the incurable Brit I am!"

Jay's voice inside; "be there in a sec, hon!"

He's coming through the hall with a tray with two cups of tea and a couple of biscuits...

As he steps down into the garden he says: "I'm so happy that you're not keeping up with the horrible full English breakfast, my dear!"

"Oh, you know, I might have it one of these days." "I hope I am not invited?" "I am happy if you stick with your green tea and cereals, my love. I am not going to feed you more than you would like yourself."

"I am so glad I have you with me, Pearl; sincerely, I am a lucky man to have such a perfect and brilliant and good looking and sensible partner! I mean every word I say, Pearl."

She sits down by the table and blows her hot tea. "Thank you, Jay. It's nice of you to tell me. You are a very considerate man and I must say I feel peaceful and satisfied with what we have achieved so far, my love. Still I am worried about you. I am expecting some kind of disaster every day;

with all these strange things happening to you. I feel a little helpless as it seems that everything goes so deep and; what can I say; so devastatingly? Yes I think that'll be the right word for the feelings I carry with me all the time."

"You know, Pearl, I am quite sure that the end of this story will be pretty good! I do not doubt that a second!"

She looks at him with the shadow of a smile on her face. "Thank you for being so reassuring."

"What are your plans today, Pearl?" "I am going to Lilli's atelier; she was putting up some amazing paintings last night and I want to see the whole and complete exhibition before the gallery fills up with people. Would you like to come with me?"

He looks up at her; he's been admiring her pretty face and posture with the blond hair hanging down along her ears, neatly arranged he suspects and he loves the whole composition... "Eeeeh, yes! I would like that." Pearly smiles as if she knows what has been going on with him...

"When are we leaving?" Pearly looks at her watch; "in 20 minutes, would that be all right for you?" "Whatever you say, my love it's all right with me..."

She smiles again and takes his hand and holds it in both of hers. She doesn't say anything and Jay loves her silence too.

She rises up from her chair and holds his head and then bends down to kiss both his cheeks...

After a while she says: "I am a happy woman, Jay", and she looks him deep into his eyes with a probing glance in her eyes.

He takes her hands in his and kisses her palms lightly... "Thank you Pearl. If I go on like this I might explode in pure joy and bliss, my love."

She turns and goes inside to put on her shoes. He picks up the tray and carries it inside and leaves it on the table in the hall.

Then he puts on his sandals and returns outside to take the bicycles out and roll them to the gate.

Pearly comes out with his mobile phone in her hand. "You better take this one with you; I have this thought in the back of my head that you are going to need it today."

"Yes, you might be right, darling", he says and puts it in his pocket.

They jump their bikes and roll out into the alley "Low road or high road?" Jay asks. "Low road along the sea, my love", she replies. Jay says: "How did you know?" "Because we both know, darling", she says; and off they go...

They pass the place where they had their first love encounter and both laugh out load. "I remember this place very well; it's become a magic place for us, my love!" Pearly syas as she moves alongside Jay and he holds out his hand to her and for 20 meters they ride along like this.

Just as they share these golden moments , Jay hits a big hole in the road and keels over. He falls and hits the road on his flat back. all air is kicked out of him. He is lying on the road, unconscious; not breathing and very pale. Pearly screams as she lets go of her bike and runs over to him and kneels down by his side and starts pumping his chest up and down whilst she in between gives him mouth to mouth treatment...

It takes some time, but she notices that the colour is returning to his face. She keeps on pumping his chest though and finally he comes through with a gasp.

She pulls him up in a sitting position and drags him closer to the sidewalk... He crawls across the sidewalk and lies down on the lawn, not far from the pine trees they parked their bikes under just a week ago.

Pearly picks up the bikes and pulls them up by the railing along the lawn and sits down beside him. He is lying on his side and looks up at her: her "L.J. was talking to me just before I fell; he repeatedly told me to focus!" "I didn't and well: you saw it all." "Pearly", he said, "can you call a cab please? I am quite groggy and I don't think I can make it in the gallery with all the people being propped in there." "Of course, darling. Do you want me to come with you?" "I don't know actually, because I am not quite sure how my condition is right now and I must say that I feel safer with you around me. Maybe I need a doctor too, it hurts like hell in my back." "Ok, my dear; I'll call a cab and a doctor friend of mine and of course I will stay with you." She sat down on a nearby bench and started calling: first to the gallery to tell Lilli about the accident. Then she called a cab and then the doctor who fortunately was available...

Jay had dozed off and Pearly checked his pulse, which seemed to be a little too fast. He was hot too, so she was anxious to see the cab arriving. She called the central again; they just told her that they had no cars available right now, but if she wanted an ambulance they could provide her with the emergency number. Pearly got the number and called immediately.

Jay seemed to drift in and out of conscience. She tried to probe carefully along his spine. When she reached the lower back he screamed and she swiftly pulled her hand back...

After 10 minutes of worrying and waiting, the ambulance finally arrived. They lifted Jay on to a stretcher and put him inside.

One of the nurses checked his back and to Pearly's relief she reported that the damage was only muscular... The driver put the bikes on the roof of the ambulance and then they were ready to take them home.

When they reached the house Jay was carried inside and put to bed. Then they put the bikes in the Shed. Pearly was grateful for their assistance and thanked them.

She went inside and closed the door behind her. She stopped and sighed deeply. "What will happen to him next?" she was thinking when she entered the bedroom...

Jay lies in bed, neatly tucked in. "I can see there's been professionals here", she said. "Yes, finally", Jay says, and smiles. "They left some pain killers here somewhere", he added. "They're here on your night table, dear." "Can I have a handful?"

"Well I gues one will do you good. I'll fetch a glass of water."

She comes back with the water. He helps himself to the pill; swallows it and sinks down on the pillow...

"I haven't had as much beating this last week than I have had over a period of 20 years!"

Pearly's phone rings. She takes it and says that they are at home now.

The doctor, Jay assumes and he is proved right at once as Pearly says:"your doctor is coming in 5 minutes, my love." She smiles at him, relieved now...

She was right; the doctor arrived exactly 5 minutes later; seldom for a Greek...

He checks Jay's entire body; palpating him. He measures the temperature and his pulse.

Can't find anything damaging wrong with you, my friend", he says, "you need to take it easy 2-3 days and you'll be all right. Watch out for the holes in the roads here in Chania, there are plenty of them. sometimes I think they are attacking us, especially when you are on a bicycle!

I have to run along to another patient, but call me if you need to", he says, kisses Pearly on her cheeks and leaves...

Jay now faces a long time in bed, but he knows he will be up and going in 2-3 days. He cannot stay long in bed due to his disease. His muscles will be stiff as logs and the pain unbearable...

croenning@rocketmail.com