We´re settled into life here with our generous and kind hosts Lavinia and Doro. We see our helpful Mr Fixit, Gustavo, aged 18 years, most days, as well as our Mrs Fixit, Angelica, who is not only teaching us Portuguese but takes us out to the hospital and to lots of other places as needed. We are also visited by Fernando, his wife Angela (and their baby Lucas aged 1 yr - our grandchild aged 1 yr is called Lucas too), their friend Renato and his wife, Louise and her mother Sheila, fugitives many years back from the English colony at the State capital Sao Paulo which was too claustrophobic for them, Andre and Thales and more other friends than we can possibly mention here. Gustavo´s father Antonio has a 1979 Mercedes 610D school bus. He, his wife Thelma, Gustavo and brothers Alexander and Ricardo would like
to convert it into a motorhome - but unfortunately Antonio has to make a living driving it as a bus!
OLWYN´S BIRTHDAY PARTY
Olwyn was 65 years young (people won´t believe her age) on 24th October and a wonderful party was held at our home here. Among those who attended were Dr Lelio and his wife - Dr Lelio operated on Olwyn´s heel (though not at the party), and Dr Marcus and his partner Deborah. The doctors have been brilliant and more than dedicated in their care of Olwyn. At the Party, Fernando played and sang at the piano and played his guitar. Doro is no mean guitarist and played his too. There was loads of food and fun and we all had a great time.
JOHN´S ATTEMPTS TO COMPETE WITH OLWYN´S INJURY
It must be an age thing but when I dry my feet after showering I seem to hop around on one foot and always expect to come crashing down, as I once did in the shower at the hospital when Maureen was visiting - i.e. visiting Olwyn, not me in the shower - and she wondered what the loud noise was. But that is as nothing when compared with my latest escapade.
Yesterday, at their invitation, we went with Doro and Lavinia to a service at their R.C. Church and we were interested to compare attendance with that at UK churches. This one was overflowing such that the car park was taken up with overflow chairs instead of cars. The service was colourful and a young people´s group with guitars etc. provided the accompaniment. It felt more like an evangelical service. Olwyn sat in her wheelchair. Afterwards we went to a mint tea and biscuits social in the church hall. There´s more to come!
Afterwards, at 9pm, a group of us went from the church to a sort of hangar at which one half is taken up with ADRELANINA - KARTING INDOOR and the remainder with bouncy castles and the like, and an area of tables and chairs to which food and drinks are brought. Doro and I elected to go, not on a bouncy castle, but along with four other chaps in the karts. We were kitted out with clothing and helmets, signed disclaimer forms which included ones blood group, then hit the track. I had high aspirations, but the 10 minutes slot ended with me seeing the computer printout which showed that I finished last, having completed the fewest/slowest circuits! The friend from the Church who showed the printout to me was a true diplomat, adding that perhaps it was not correct!I´m sure that I was considerably slower than a blind young driver who had the circuit to himeself for a slot later in the evening.
While the karts were still, and sometimes even when they were racing, a well known local blind singer guitarist, Luis Henriques, sang traditional songs. He was very good. We had to admire his fortitude in competing with the roar of the karts.
OJ´s PLANS
Olwyn has to keep her heel higher than her head (which is difficult if
you´ve never been a Tiller Girl, or for those of you who are very young, a Television Topper) until circa 3rd Jan. The stitches were taken out last week and a couple of weeks from now should see the permanent removal of the awesomely heavy cast from her leg. The leg is somewhat withered, despite exercises, and she will not be able to touch the ground with it until Jan. because of the healing heel but it is hoped that at the end of November we can bid our sad farewells to our friends here (and we hope that they will be able to stay with us in Birmingham in the future) and start the journey via Iguazu Falls if we haven´t been there before then, down to meet the rest of the Group at Tierra Del Fuego around Christmas time.
A large part of our hearts will remain in Marilia where we are so much at home. We have the strong feeling that our different journey thus far was meant to happen, unpleasant though its cause indeed was.
OJ
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