Could we come over?" my cousin's wife asked.
"Of course!" my father told her. He was having a post-prandial nap and this was one phone call he did not mind being woken up for. He is very fond of her.
She has been very ill. Earlier this year she had an operation for bowel cancer. She became ill on a caravan trip and they had to rush home. Afterwards it was "touch and go" as they say. She was critically ill for some weeks, too ill to have visitors. Her husband spent most of that time sitting by her bedside and doing what little he could for her. We wondered if she would recover.
And now she is home. She has been home for some time, doing little more than eating tiny meals and sleeping.at first and then a little more and a little more.
Unfortunately for us they live on the other side of the city in a not very accessible area by public transport. We don't own a car either so we have not seen them since our brief visit towards the end of her hospital stay. It has been phone calls and e-mails.
So, yes do come and see us!
She looks much better although she is still much too thin. Her hair has gone from very dark to white but it looks good. She was almost her old, chirpy self. It is still little meals and often but I handed over the biscuit tin almost as soon as she arrived. We talked and talked about all sorts of things including their plans to go away in their caravan again. They had a three day trip recently and she enjoyed it. She was going to be a "happy wanderer" again - even if it was just in short bursts.
And I was reminded of something I had not thought of for a long time. We had a record as children. On one side there was the story of the Musicians of Bremen told in words and song. On the other there were German folk songs and one of them was the one we know in English as "The Happy Wanderer".
I looked here on the internet this morning wondering if it was by any faint chance still available and there it was still with the same Obernkirchen Children's Choir. It's a download but her grandchildren will know how to provide her with her theme song.
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3 comments:
How good to hear a hopeful outcome...and that Happy Wanderer brought back memories too...we had it, though I don't remember the other side as as soon as it was over father would start telling me about the Wandervogel.
I too remember that song - by that choir. It was a regular request on Children's Favourites -on Saturday morning radio, introduced by Uncle Mac.
I am glad other people remember that song in that way. I know we ended up singing it at school too - although we were a decidedly unmusical lot!
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