The people we meet along the way

The first time I saw ‘Mary” was one day while returning to my room at rehab. She was in a wheelchair in front of the nurse’s station with her arms raised in the air and moving them much like a 60′s flower child at a “Dead” concert. She looked to be in her thirties and had long and straight brown hair. Her eyes were closed as if she were lost in some far-away place. Carolyn and I got by her and went on to my room, neither of us paying the young lady too much attention.

A few days later while I was waiting for lunch to be served, I was shaving with my electric Norelco when I heard someone entering the room; it was Mary. I was shaving my left cheek and she wheeled her chair up beside me and began making circular motions in the air with her left hand. I stopped shaving and she said “check the other side; I just shaved it for you”. I was taken aback when she continued “I’m a witch, you know?”. Carolyn was there and we all talked a bit about witches and witching in general. I almost forgot about the shave when she again asked me to check my cheek to see if it was shaved. I rubbed my fingers over my skin and the whiskers were still there but not wanting to disappoint her I put on my best “amazed” look and told her they were gone and i thanked her.

Next time and the last time I saw Mary was in the rehab gym. Carolyn and I had just wheeled into the room when Mary again came up beside me. She looked at me and said “I would marry you sometime”. Again I was surprised at the brief statement but sputtered that I was flattered by her words and that she would be a fine woman for any man. It was one time when my spouse had nothing to say for a few minutes. Before Mary could say anything else, her nurse found her and wheeled her away. We found out a few days afterward that her daughter had taken her home later that same day.

Not much of a story but Mary is someone that Carolyn and I will always remember. I hope she heals and that she will always keep doing good deeds and saying the right words; the world needs many good witches.

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Tomorrow is surgeon checkup and Friday is appointment with my regular doctor. Knee is still very sore and the leg will not straighten more tan what it was two weeks after surgery. I am disappointed and losing my belief that I will ever walk again.