It seems to me that it was a previous agreement between Miss Preston and Miss Sheldon as to who would take me to school and take me home in the afternoon. My mother was free most afternoons but Miss Preston still insisted on taking me home. On afternoons when my mother was home, a group of my school friends would drive along and we would form a study group at my house. It was easier for me to walk at home than at school. Usually when I got home Miss Preston would stay in the living room while I go to my room and change.
Sometimes I would discard the back brace and sit in my chair but mostly I would soldier on with the back brace, walking against the walls until I reached the sitting room table.
Dr Jones had me start on strengthening my legs and lower back. I lay flat on a bench and pressed against a small weight that rested on my feet. We did all kinds of exercises that made the time pass by very quickly. She kept me busy for about three hours when the receptionist entered, pushing the next patient in a chair. “Oh my!” Dr Jones exclaimed. “We are not even halfway done! Maggie, can you please ask Joanie if she can assist with Mr Peters?” I lay back on the floor and breathed hard. The exercises she had me do was not
Dr Jones had me in the pool for just over an hour. We lay on the paving for a little while, just relaxing and chatting while I caught my breath. I was about to get up when a racket infiltrated my brain. It sounded like a live band that was warming up but it went on too long for it just to be a warm-up.“What the hell?” I asked Dr Jones cringing at the sound.“It’s my sister. She needed a place for the band to practice before they audition for the concert.” She replied, pulling a face as the lead guitarist hit a wrong no
Gwen got me home at around two pm. She helped me into the house to the sitting room and handed me the TV remotes. I lay on the couch and scrolled through a couple of channels until I came across the Discovery ID channel. I watched a couple of episodes of Criminal Investigators before I realised I couldn’t hear anyone in the house. My phone was on the coffee table not too far from me. I sat up carefully and picked it up. There was a couple of messages including one from an unknown number. It read simply“How are you feeling?”
I sat down on my bed and called my father. He answered after the third ring.“Hey kiddo, what’s up?” he asked in a hushed tone.“Sorry to bother Dad, but can I use my car this evening? I’m meeting someone for drinks and dinner tonight and I really don’t want a third wheel hanging around.” I asked him, matching his tone.“May I ask who?” he replied
I took my time to get home. I was still in the mood to dance. Billy Idol was blaring from my car when I pulled into the driveway. I lowered the volume when I pulled into my parking spot. I switched everything off and closed the door, locking it as I crossed the lawn to my parents’ house. The kitchen and sitting room lights were still on, an indication that my parents were waiting for me.“Did you have a good night?” my father asked me as I walked into the kitchen. I grinned at him and
The exercises we did were identical to the previous days’. Some weights in the gym, then some pool time. We had not mentioned the previous night at all in the hour and half we had in the gym. She only mentioned it when we got into the pool. “So, Claude tells me you are quite the showman if you want to be.” She said while I floated on my back.“Not really. We haven’t done a proper show since my accident.” I replied and closed my eyes.
The alarm went off at six-thirty the next morning. I almost jumped out of bed and got my things together. I had my shower then went to the kitchen to join my parents for breakfast.“You’re up early.” My father commented over his cup of coffee.“Yeah, I want to get an early start. Doc said she’ll be there at seven-thirty so that I can get in before the first patient.” I replied with a smile.
I slowly walked through the hall, ignoring the calls from Joanie. Brandy was very quiet. I pushed into the music room. The band stopped playing immediately and stared at me as I limped inside.“You lot are out of tune, off-beat and are making a mess out of a damned good song.” I commented drily.“Well, that is why we need your input, are you ready for it?” Geraldine Jones stood up from her chair and walked towards me.