The kindness of friends

Maria, my radio-oncologist, had an English teacher, Elaine, and over the years they had become close friends. When Maria knew she was going to have an English patient she told Elaine and asked her if she would like to meet me. Yes, she would. Elaine was married to a Greek guy and had lived here for over thirty years but didn't speak a whole lot of Greek herself and didn't have a large circle of friends. Maria's offer to introduce us to one another was as much for Elaine's benefit as it was mine.

In Glossa it was normally my role to collect mail from the post office, bread from the baker and groceries from the supermarket, but during my absence Spouseman had to run these errands for himself. Naturally the villagers asked where I was and of course Spousie told them. News of my treatment in Thessaloniki travelled round the village like wildfire.

It just so happened that I was in Elaine's company when I received a phone call from our friend and Greek teacher, Smaroula. She had heard where I was and that I was travelling back and forth each weekend and suggested that if Spousie wanted to come and spend a weekend with me then her father would happily pop round to look after our animals while Spousie was away. The normal British response to this offer would have been a grateful thanks but please, no, don't put yourselves out. Elaine, being au fait with both cultures, told me categorically to accept the offer, anything else would be rude. So we did. Spousie planned to travel up on Friday 3rd Feb 2012

Vicky, the proprietor of the hostel, decided to move me from the six-bed dormitory to the only double room for the duration of Spousie's weekend visit and not charge us anything for those two nights.

Elaine bought me a lovely dark pink glass candle holder and some candles for a romantic weekend. This image includes those same candles but sadly not the candle holder, which was smashed on its journey home by someone who thoughtlessly put themselves first with no consideration for others or their property. I have done what I can to recreate the original but obviously, I cannot place lit candles inside a jug of wine.