I can still behold the gentle waves of cerulean against a distant horizon and a sinking orb of orange... I can still feel the slush of the golden sand beneath my feet and its wet squeeze between my toes as we both walked along the edge and the gently surging water. On our right-hand side is a dense wood of palm scattered in orchid oranges, reds, lavenders and calcimine. The fumes issuing forth were exhilarating in the sense that it generated a giddy euphoria among the both of us.
Even before the sensation of fumes, both of us were giddy just being one in blissful company with the other. There it was that we lived for life, and our life was to be in the eternal company of one and the other. One without the other, the one remaining then bore no reason to carry on, no true reason for a continual existence, no matter what the surroundings may consist of....
I can vividly recall the walks on the beach, the mid-night swims in the warm gentle waves and water, the explorations amid long forgotten ruins, the lines of verse composed, only to be read aloud and admired by the other who was always ready to lend ear. I can still hear the late-night serenades as we dine in the open-air Parisian cafes with the full blush moon to our left-hand balcony side, the many gondola rides down Venetian waterways that offered the feeling more of a water filled maze than actual river streets, the sky rides up and down many famous and infamous slopes of the Pyrenees. I can still hear her laugh as she crashed headlong through the heavy snow drifts, upon losing her direction... and right into my awaiting arms on the other side...
Our lives were ones of completely contented bliss... like no other bliss known by mortal souls. Our entrepreneurial endeavors were nearly certain to succeed. While in reality, the fact of their possible failure mattered not in light of our standing, we both had numerous interests we desired to fulfill. She possessed a hidden desire to open a shop selling high fashion dresses and clothing; I, on the other hand, held a desire to open my own bookshop and initiate my own publishing company. She assisted in purchasing a well-developed marketing plan, and both of our enterprises blossomed into a glowing success... This success and all of our adventures brought us gleeful happiness, not for the financial rewards, but for the positive feeling of doing what we always desired deep within ourselves and seeing our own success blossom while remaining in the company of the other....
The day arrived, however, when our clear skies suddenly darkened... I witnessed streaks of fire and heard the raging clash of storm and rain. In the midst of this furious rage and storm, I beheld the hideous face of adversity, a face I cared not to ever behold. My dear wife fell into the floor, consumed by intense abdominal pain, to a point where she feared for her very life. She gazed upward into compassionate eyes, weeping, reaching outward toward me, begging me to assist her in discovering a means of alleviating this wrenching pain.
I seized her hand and then her arms, lifting her up to transport her crumpled form from the threshold of our home, into our awaiting ride. I cannot recall the type of ride it was. I can only recall leaping into the front drivers' seat and activating the engine, then speeding outward toward the most modern infirmary on the island. In the local Latin vernacular, it was called El Supremis Curationum.
The infirmary was one of the few enterprises not owned by her father. In fact, the hospital was owned by a single speculating investor and his three associates. This speculator also owned the market square in town. All of them had allotted shop sections to it among themselves. These people beseeched loans from her father, who granted these loans, but only in lieu of the treble valued collateral. The general understanding was, as usual, where the debtor was to repay the loan at reasonable interest, or the collateral would be collected at three times the loan amount. When the debtor neglected payment, for whatever reason, then he lost three times the amount in hard property assets.
Following such event, the situation between these families was never quite right again, but the antagonism was never immediately obtrusive, only being casual simple "slights" that were noticed. Such as being invited to dinner socials and the other parties, then simply not showing up. Or the other party promising to assist in some sort of laboring endeavor, then conveniently not showing up; and when asked about it, only possessing an excuse in no way justifing the absence.
Only two years ago prior, one of them had attempted to court my dear Thea. He had shown up at her doorstep with flowers, showing off his new Lamborghini with the gold-plated grill and the diamond studded seats. He was always careful to display before her his latest debonair suit and tie. Other than that, however, he possessed little to be desired. When Thea questioned him concerning his knowledge of the latest novel or literary poem, he could barely make reply. Most of the time he could only laugh and shrug his stooped shoulders. When requested concerning the latest opera, he could only laugh again, and announce.
"I can barely even understand what is going on. Why would I know anything about such amusements?"
In fact, all that he and his associates mostly spoke of was the success of her family and how much they must feel blessed so much more than any of the others in town. Hearing this talk so frequently from them soon disgusted her to a point where she came to dread meeting up with any one of them. The family name hooked itself deeply inside my head, for some unknown reason I never could deduce... Ekviostis.
I rushed her to the infirmary, being guided into the waiting room while she was simply told to hold her seat and wait, even though she wreathed in wretched pain right there before them all. When I questioned them, all concerning this matter, they rudely exclaimed where her misfortune was no excuse for expecting special treatment there, and consequently she would simply have to wait her turn, as everyone else was doing. Upon my request that she then be administered pain relief, their heartless coarse reply was that every patent inside the facility desired pills for pain. I exclaimed, only that she was wreathing in pain there before them all, and that no one else inside the waiting room was. Their unprofessional reply was only a smirk and a shrug, claiming where they were so sorry, but they did not feel anything on their own part, and that she would still have no choice but to wait her proper turn before they would examine her, or even administer any type of relief! I was insistent, returning back before the glass covered reception window within three minutes, asking again and again, when it was that they could examine her, until they finally reluctantly remitted, taking her into a back room for an examination and the ultrasound. I remained in the lobby until the examination was complete.
Time passed, as I can recall. Minutes felt as hours, and hours as days, then finally the nurse called me into the back rooms. The verdict was calculus, she informed me. These were the culprits responsible for all of my dear Thea's dreadful misery. I fell backward upon the message..., a simple operation..., I then reasoned. A simple incision, a removal, a two-week recovery period, then all would be well, I told myself. A dear lady whom we both knew very well, from the island of Patmos, a very undeveloped area, recently had such an operation, and she was up and walking in some two days following. A week later she was completely revived. Surly we could expect much more from this highly developed facility.
My dear Thea was to be assigned a surgeon; I was told. Under his instruction and care, she would be most certain to heal promptly. I inquired as to the surgeon's name, and I was told that his name was one Ekviostis.. Dr. Ekviostis.. I inquired as to what his first name was, but I cannot recall at this present time, I can only most vividly recall the sire-name... Ekviostis!
I walked on back into the waiting room, awaiting the surgeons' return. During that time, we inquired again as to the surgeons first name, still only the sire-name was recalled, but my wife had never heard of it. Seven dreadful crushingly painful hours passed. Finally, the surgeon entered into the room, and to my shock and surprise, he bore the appearance of an expatriated Irishman rather than that of your average Aegean islander. I inquired upon this observation, and the Dr. stated where he had married into the Ekviostis family, and had chosen to go by that name, since it was legal on the island to do so, and by doing so, he could then develop positive rapport with the locals. His true family name was Bryant, and where he was ordinarily very proud to be known by it. He then continued on, explaining to both of us the proceedings of the operation.
He showed me a crude diagram of the procedure, and the operation appeared to be simple enough; a single Y with the long side running from the liver and the intestine, and the small side simply a stem supporting the gallbladder. During the procedure, his employment was to sever the gall bladder from the stem, then removing it through an incision, cap off the stem, then simply stitch up the incision. All of the procedure sounded basic enough for me to comprehend. I was game and so was she, since something certainly needed to be done to address this potentially serious matter....
My dear Thea wreathed in horrible pain still as the Doctor spoke, but she would be going in for surgery within six hours' time. My Thea squirmed there on the bed. Neither did the nurse visit nor the doctor advise. When I stepped out the door, I saw the prices posted there onto the clipboard hanging beside the doorpost outside. First it was three thousand drachmas upon our entering the hospital, then the price transformed into six thousand drachmas, only for the examination recently performed. It would be a thousand more for any medicine or painkillers administered. So thus far, our expenses were more than nine thousand drachmae in total, and we had not even made it into the operating room. All of this cost was to be handed over in cash and paid for in total completeness prior to any further services being rendered.
From my perspective, price was not an issue to stand between my Thea and her salvation. The pain both in Thea and myself was way too much, even near to the point of being unbearable, both physically for her and emotionally for myself. I dutifully paid out the amounts in gold coin, indeed without question nor regret. A few more hours passed, and soon the surgeons arrived with their dismal stretcher to take my dear Thea away. My dear Thea was wreathing with more intensity, even to a point where she was tossing and turning violently in the bed before me... Why did they still not administer any pain killer? I wondered in the silence of my mind.
An hour that seemed like an entire day transpired, and when they finally wheeled my Thea into the hospital room where we were to rest for the night, she lay there in the bed as though consumed by a perfect slumber, in complete peace. Momentarily, the sight was wonderful to behold. At least now my dear Thea felt not any remaining pain, nor did she wreath upon the bed any longer, as though wrestling with some unseen phantom aggressor. Six hours later the surgeon appeared again to our door.
"She is in positive form at present," said he.
His tall form appearing to acknowledge where he performed the services to the best possibility that could be expected.
"Tomorrow she may travel back home. She will be effectively released at 0600 hours, tomorrow," he assured us. "All is well now, on this date."
I felt more comfortable with him being Irish and not one of the blood relatives of that family he had married into. He was trained and experienced in Ireland as well, rather than out there in the island city alone. Later that evening a nurse came to the door of our room, demanding of my dear Thea that she arise and walk to the ends of the hallway there before us. Thea barely could sit up, and then only by my assistance. She could not make it out of the bed to stand, she could only sit there upon the edge of the bed and weep, saying repetitively where she felt way too weak to even stand, much less walk. She wept at the demand, saying aloud that she only desired to sleep, and nothing more. The nurse finally exited the room, and we both remained alone for the night.
My dear Thea slumbered through the duration of the night. When she awoke, nearly at the same time, a nurse appeared at the door again saying to us both; "Well now, it appears that it is time for you to get ready and go home. Doesn't that sound so nice to hear? You are going to go home after this horrible ordeal at long last."
I moved around, assisting her in removing the gown and getting dressed. I demanded a wheelchair, and I received one following a wait.
"Be certain to pause by the exit window before making your way out. Once you pay our required fees for the surgery, then you may exit out and drive the limousine outside our front door there. Our nurse will wheel your wife out to the car," so stated our concerned room maid.
I followed through on the orders. I paused at the glass covered exit window, the attendant asking me in an emotionless monotone voice lacking personality.... "What is the room number again?"
"8-0843," I immediately replied.
"What was the time and date that you entered into the facility here?" she inquired.
I replied with the proper time and date.
"The fees for service rendered will be nine thousand more for the surgery alone. We also need another six thousand for the room and the room service, as well as the medicine given. The total will be fifteen thousand drachmae for the surgery, the room, and all other services following."
I gladly paid the fees requested, but I could not refrain from asking an obvious question.
"Wow," I said. "Thank the good Lord above that I possess the funds, but what if I did not? What would a poor person do?
"Do you own property," she snapped in a now rude sharp monotone, without making a smile and barely glancing up.
"Yes, a bit," I replied with a slight gasp then a laugh...
"Well, you will surrender that until the price plus interest has been redeemed," she snapped very quickly.
"And what if I did not own property," I inquired?
" In that case when she healed, and she would indeed heal very promptly.., your wife would serve the Ekviostis clan patriarch in his harem or kitchen enterprises, and you would labor for him on his extensive landed estate, assisting him with gathering in vast stores of tobacco, cotton, olives, pomegranates, grapes, and making wine on his vineyard estates.., until the value of the services rendered, plus all interest and fees incurred, were redeemed in full," she coldly stated through an icy soulless glare.
"Wow, getting sick and going to the doctor here is really serious business," I laughed as I spoke, attempting to break the ice. The lady behind the glass never glanced upward, remaining ridged as though she never heard my words as I spoke.
"Here are your discharge papers," she snapped as she slapped them down onto the counter before me. "Have a good day, and best of luck to you and your fair lady."
I quickly glanced the papers over, then upon being abruptly puzzled, I inquired...
"Where are the prescriptions for pain, and the anti-biotic?"
The woman replied in the usual monotone manner of speaking that she held to.
"Those were given right along with the surgery, dosed out inside the IV bag. Her body has no need for any additional."
I told my wife to wait for me there sitting in the chair, until I could get our car and park it outside the front door. Supposedly the nurse would then wheel her chair out to the car. I left out, walked around the medical facility and into the parking lot behind the infirmary. I got into our limo and motored on around, coming to park before the front door of the double glass doors into the foyer entrance. After an hour or so, the nurse then wheeled my Thea out toward the parked car. I exited the car, opened the passenger door, assisting her into the seat beside me. I smiled confidently toward Thea as we both eased on out of the front door parking space before the infirmary.
"Well, my honey, we have you all patched up now. You'll be fit as a birch-wood fiddle very soon, before you know it," I joked, attempting to raise the feelings and general mood.
Thea never made a return in reply, she simply sat there in the front seat of the car as though she were exhausted into numbness. I continued motoring on across town, attempting to speak to keep her mind activated and engaged with what was occurring around her. I felt that doing so would ensure her survival and hasten her general recovery, since half of recovering involves the issue of mental attitude, and then the medicine.
By the time we made it home, it was around 0900 hours, if I can recall right. I wished she would go to bed, but she stated where she preferred to sit in our lounge chair out on the front porch overlooking the large town before us. We both carried on some fond conversation, our maids bringing us a bounty in fruit variety, since this was what my dear wife presently desired. I would sneak around the corner and tip the marble wine amphorae, pouring myself a strong crystal glass full, from time to time. My Thea could not participate, since she had been dosed with the medicine and anti-biotic, so I did not dare wish for her to notice me doing so. For quite a time that day, the sun shone with a brilliant glow inside clear skies, and all seemed to be returning back to normal.
When the sun rounded the distant horizon, the heavy veil of darkness then returned. Once again fire ripped the sky, which then angrily growled from being treated so violently. A dragging, continuous wind appeared to blow across the entire town, and into a thin infinity beyond. Then the once bright eyes of my dear Thea, abruptly became sullen and dull. She turned to me, seizing her stomach with her right hand, saying...
"My dear husband, the pain is returning, and it grows with an increasing intensity. I may be in need more medical assistance."
"Oh, my dear Thea," I gasped. "Allow me to call upon the medical information line first, before we hasten a return back into the infirmary."
"Oh, please do so," she replied in gasps of breath as she held to her upper abdomen. "Oh please, please do so soon."
I picked up the phone and called the number there on the discharge papers. A lady with a slow icy monotone answered. I described the situation to her, and she assured me where my wife's experience was only post-surgical pains, since she had an organ removed only the night prior. Wait until morning, then examine her for her feelings regarding the situation. Usually, such situations will improve over night, she assured me....
The storm only worsened outside, with streaks of fire slashing in great angry lengths from infinity into an infinity, one directly behind the other. The sky continued to rumble in its angry response at being disturbed. Then the rains commenced to pour in heavy sheets. My dear Thea then began to clutch her abdomen area, moaning aloud in sheer misery...
"I only hurt more and more... I do not know how long it will be that I can tolerate this misery. The intensity only increases steadily, in dreadful increments. Help me my dear one, oh do please help me..."
At 2300 hours sharp, my dear Thea was crying, pleading with me to take her back into the infirmary. I told her to assist me in helping her get cleaned up and dressed, so that both of us could head on out. I assisted her in the effort to make it out of the door. Soon we were walking across the threshold and onto the front porch, then she abruptly changed her mind, and for reasons which I know not, nor can I deduce any valid conclusion using any sort of sequence in logic.
"What do you desire, my love?" I inquired to her.
"Only to remain here inside, laying upon our plush couch. Only the blanket of velveteen silk upon my heaving breast and you..., my dear love..., by my wreathing tortured side," she replied as she lay drenched in ice cold sweat and tears.
So, I carried her back across the threshold, laying her gently upon our feather filled mahogany couch. I administered foxglove tea for pain with a petite careful daintiness, such being all that I had on hand. I lay by her side throughout the night as she continued to weep in pain, still consumed by her own misery.
"Just give me the word, my dear Thea, and on our way we shall both then be...," I whispered amid the flash of the night fire and rolling rumble following.