Goodbye and China

My father died this day four years ago. His long time friend Kenneth Kaunda flew in from Zambia for his burial. An act of love and gratitude.

I heard tonight that a dear friend died yesterday. Her birthday was the day before my father's. We used to meet in her house for our Course in Miracles group every month....a fire lit in her sitting room   in the winter...... the patio doors open onto her beautiful, peaceful garden in the summer.  She was unfailingly kind and sweet to me..... I loved her gentle sense of humour......loved her fierce poetic heart.

This evening while I sit on the edge of the bed struggling to fit  a slippery, elasticated glove over Robin's  curling swollen fingers, he asks me,

Where are you going tomorrow?

To have a Family Constellation session.

In China?

No, not China.

In Cornwall?

No, not Cornwall. In Cheriton Bishop. It's on the same road that we take to go to Castle Drogo.

Castle Drogo?

You went there yesterday with our friend, T.

Is it East or West?

As I'm not good with the compass, I say,

Not sure, but it's the big National Trust property we often go to......they are renovating the house ....there is scaffolding outside.....we've climbed up it.

I'm trying to remember where I went yesterday. Oh yes Castle Drogo. Is that what you said?

Yes.

And finally I manoeuvre his thumb into the right hole without the other fingers slipping out of theirs and yank the glove down over his wrist. I feel like cheering.

We both laugh when I tell him where China is.