YesBut count on me - Part 1

Bart was the first winner of YesBut’s Images Caption of the Week Award with his caption for the photo posted on 19th June 2007:

“84 squares, 85 square, 86 squares, orange and green blockades . . . ? Oh crap, now I‘ve lost count . . . 1 square, 2 squares . . .”

This story is dedicated to Bart:

I know my mother was worried about me, I think she expected me, one day to phone her to say I was pregnant or I had had an abortion. I was perhaps typical of a twenty-five year old working in the City of London. We worked hard and played hard. Many mornings I got back to my flat with just enough time to take a quick shower and change my cloths before going to work.

I only have a very limited memory of the day that changed my life. The evening before I had come home late from work, we had a report to finalize for a client. After a shower I went to bed and slept soundly. In fact I slept too well and was later than normal leaving for work. I remember walking to the underground station. I arrived at the road crossing just as the green man went off and the red man was illuminated. I had just about enough time to rush safely across the road. What happened next I have to rely on conflicting witness statements. Some said the motorcyclist jumped the lights others said he was quick off the mark when the light turned green.

The next memory I have was being in hospital three weeks later. I had been unconscious for three days and in the intense care unit for ten days. I was to remain in hospital for just under three months, while I recovered from a compound fractured left leg, broken left wrist, fractured ribs, one puncturing my lung, and a fractured skull - quite a mess.

It is only in times of need you find out who your friends are. And when I came out of hospital they rallied around me to provide support and assistance. They did my shopping cleaning and took turns to keep me company. But as time passed I saw fewer of them. Soon I was relying on my neighbour to do all my shopping, and to accompany me when I went for checkups at the hospital. After five months my medical care was transferred to my own General Practitioner. After a further two months my GP said I was fit to return to work. But I wasn’t ready and persuaded him to give a medical certificate for another month. At the end of the month I received a letter from my employers asking me to contact the Personnel Manager. I phoned and was asked to go to the office to discuss my future. I tried to make excuses but the Personnel Manager was adamant, if I wanted to retain my job, I had to attend the meeting.

For the first time I had to admit to myself, I had completely lost my self-confidence, since my accident I had never left my flat alone and I knew I was frightened to do so. But I also knew I couldn’t afford to lose my job. I phoned my neighbour and asked her to come with me. She came up to my flat and I tearfully explained to her my predicament. She took my hand and said she had been happy to do my shopping and when I became mobile accompanied me to the shops, but now was the time for her to be cruel to be kind, it was now time for me to venture out by myself.

To be continued tomorrow - Bookmark this page