The Company of (Late Middle Aged) Men

My Dear Princess and Dear Fellow,

Manda is really not very well at the moment. She is awaiting a hysterectomy and until she gets it she is in a lot of pain and not really eating.

Jeff is taking care of her as best he can. And it sounds like he is doing a really great job. But on the other hand, I suspect it's also running a bit thin for them both now. 

Reading between the lines of a WhatsApp message he sent, I got the distinct impression that Manda had told him to just GO OUT for the night and leave her to be ill in peace.

Jeff asked if Mo and me fancied going for teppanyaki. This is just about Jeff's favourite thing to do, so I suspect Manda was trying to lift his spirits. 

Caro couldn't come because she was on call, but I asked if Abi could come along and he was more than happy to have her drive us, so that he could drink sake. Which is his SECOND favourite thing to do. 

This was after a very full day with Abi. She and I had gone to the beach for lunch (she paid). We went for a long walk, and I drew a picture of a kea in the sand for her. Then we forgot where she had parked, eventually found her car again and then went to the shopping mall to pick up some odds and ends. 

We got back just in time to leave again. Caro didn't mind. She was having a really busy time of it on call. Sometimes she gets no calls at all, but today she had TWO, one right after the other. 

So Abi and I went out* and picked up Jeff. Abi got a big welcome from him and they talked happily about music while she drove into Wellington. 

At the restaurant, Abi BEAMED with delight as the chefs put on their show, starting massive fires and throwing bowls of rice at her. It sort of felt like taking her out as a little girl again. She was so happy and excited. 

But I'm being patronising. She's also smart and clever and independent and accomplished. She talked about travel to Mo and Jeff, got some ideas about where to go in the South Island and generally impressed both men. 

ALSO, she managed to work the car-parking ticketing machine by pressing the button saying PRESS HERE while me and Jeff were getting out our middle-aged-man spectacles and speculating why the machine wasn't working. 

Stupid machine.

After the teppanyaki place we went to Bar Vinyl which is a music-themed bar that plays all the oldies. However, Abi has been well brought up and knew most of them. She listened happily while Jeff told her about The Grateful Dead. 

Despite our advanced years, we all had a great time because of Abi. Middle-aged men love to talk and share their vast middle-aged wisdom. And Abi was interested and engaged and seemed genuinely interested! No really!

"Middle-aged?" said Jeff. "I don't think I'm living to 102, buddy. And as for YOUUUOOUUU...." 

He didn't finish the sentence. He didn't need to. 

Abi drove us all home and her car just had that excited buzz that you have after a really good night out. Everyone's spirits had been lifted, and when I got in I found even Caro was happy after her busy day. She was eating the korma I had put in the slow cooker and just getting ready for bed. 

It was such a good day and I went to bed happy, but with a sore throat. I'd been talking a LOT at Abi all day. 

It is a good thing she is so tolerant of us.

S.

* I left a korma in the slow cooker for Caro, covered in sticky notes on the rice and naan saying "warm me up in the microwave" and "add some more of me to the korma if too bitter."