Sylvia's Journal

The dishwasher drama Tessa described is one of those moments that my inability to do much of anything comes sharply and painfully into focus. I can’t jump out of bed, run up or down stairs, and really be of any help other than telling what I know. Coming out of sleep, my brain did not function all that well. Anyways, I am glad to read that Axel did not experience any such handicap and was able to give wise counsel from afar. I am also happy to know the cause of this mishap and waking up this morning without seeing water seeping over the threshold. I may further contemplate sleeping upstairs again, after Axel comes home. But that is another story.

John Gorsline, the father of Tessa’s best friend Sarah, surprised me with an hour of his undivided attention. We knew each other only slightly through our daughters and a couple of Christmas get togethers. We may never have exchanged more than 20 words in our lifetime. And yet, we sat in the yard and talked as old friends. We talked about this tendency of the mind to rewind the story over and over. I was deeply moved by his generosity of spirit.

Pauline and Alberto Haddad showed up with their little children and an enormous Lebanese mezze. It was the biggest meal I have eaten so far (with this sort of food I forget about limits). We had a wonderful time, talking, eating, watching the children, as if nothing had happened to me. Just one of those great summer gifts: friends, great food in the most beautiful place on earth. Sallie Craig showed up minutes after the Haddads with Gado-Gado, an Indonesian vegetable dish which we saved for the evening. Sallie Craig’s presence released the girls and all took off to run errands and do things they needed/wanted to do.

Sallie Craig took me to Axel and we had another nice visit. Not having seen Axel for nearly two weeks, Sallie Craig was quite surprised to find him in great sprits and not so much looking like an accident victim. He is not wearing a Johnny anymore but a regular T-shirt. And of course, no braces. Sallie Craig withdrew to the rehab’s lovely deck and read her book, so we could be alone for a bit. Thank you for all these gifts (food, driving, privacy, company, etc.)

These trips to Salem exhaust me and I think I ought to be taking them earlier in the day and may be not each day, as much as I like to see Axel. I am counting the days until his return home, maybe another 10 days or so.

I was thrilled to see Joan’s appearance in the guestbook. I am encouraging her to write in the journal as well since this calamity happened to three of us, not just Axel and me. I also hope that Joan and Morsi will use caringbridge to indicate their needs as I imagine Morsi must run out of steam now and then.