Monday, April 30, 2012

A post for Rachel, wherever she is.

These are my friend Rachel's feet. 
They are very often in hideous duck bill shaped shoes.
Just like mine.
Freya wears them too.
I said goodbye to Rachel at the grading at Darling Harbour. She made me bawl in public, stuck between a gallery of strangers and curious friends. She's going back to England for a year, maybe forever.


Rachel's a brave woman. She walked with me up Darling Street when we lost Jordan. I was bung eyed from bawling for days. I had snot and tears running uncontrollably down my face. If she was perturbed at my lack of a stiff upper lip, she never showed it.


She was there too, when Rufus was sick. I remember bawling on her, squashed into a corner of a cafe on Oxford Street on a dismal rainy day. 
I bawl way too much for a person of my age. Why I haven't yet learned to have more equanimity and accept The Things I Cannot Change is beyond me.


I told her how scared we were of making the wrong decision, of not knowing when the right time would be to let him go. 


She told me the story of a dog she'd had a long time ago. 


One night, when the dog was quite old, it went from one family member to the next, had a moment with each, then went to its bed, fell asleep and didn't wake up again.


How lucky, I thought. If only we could all say such elegant goodbyes.


***


Freya and Tiggy are the only children Georgia knows. She's known them since they were tiny enough to gobble up. 


Did I mention Rachel is a brave woman?


They're not so little anymore.




Freya.


Tiggy.

This is the picture that makes me remember how I met Rachel.


This is her atabaque that Rufus fell in love with, and that now sits in my study.
She brought it over, riddled with fur-eating bugs, though I never saw any. 

It's been drowned in Raid, wiped down with 100% pure eucalyptus oil, flea-bombed and quarantined for a month. If there are still bugs in it, I guess they've earned the right to live.

***



Freya thinks she may have enough money in her piggy bank to buy a car when they get to England.

I hope Rachel's feet take her somewhere ridiculously happy. And maybe, one day, even back here. 


Until then, tchau, Chapeuzinho Vermelho! Boa viagem! Thanks for the occasional afternoon teas, the many hugs, the walks and the memories :) x





16 comments:

sonia a. mascaro said...

What a beautiful post to Rachel! She looks a lovely person. It's so great to have good friends.
Freya and Tiggy looks gorgeous kids.
Many luck to your friend Rachel!
(Muitas felicidades para a sua amiga Rachel!)

Im Joy said...

that's beautiful, just, beautiful xoxoxo

Jean said...

Travelling half a world away is a big step, but one made smaller and more manageable thanks to the internet. I hope you and your friend will find many chances to chat 'face to face' via Skype or other techy methods. Just keep in mind that keyboards don't handle snot and tears as well as shoulders do.

Patrice and Higgins said...

Beautiful post. It makes me want to cry as well!! Good luck Rachel!!

~Higgins

Jan said...

We feel like we know Rachel from this great post.

rottrover said...

Ah! An excuse for you to travel to England!!

Kirsten (peacefuldog) said...

I'm like you, not much control over the waterworks.

I'm sure you'll stay connected to your good friend Rachel, and it's always good to have buddies overseas. You'll miss her but those kinds of bonds don't go away just because of distance!

Kristine said...

That is so sweet. It's so hard to be away from such close friends and it sounds like you and Rachel have been through a lot together. I wish her well and I hope she returns home soon!

houndstooth said...

It's always hard saying good bye! I hope that she returns to see you one day. Tears just mean that you've loved deeply!

What Remains Now said...

Now that's friendship.

Tootsie said...

A beautiful post for beautiful friends.

It makes me sad, too. May the feet of friends walk back to you all (fly, since it's London) again someday soon.

Love,
Tootsie

Pamela said...

So sorry to hear you're missing your friends. I hope you are able to keep in touch and see each other again soon. And that the ways Rachel's friendship has enlarged your heart will leave you lots of room for many new ones.

booahboo said...

Its always nice to have a close friend nearby to catch you when you fall. You both will just gonna need internet for now.. and that will bridge the distance and make things better.

I am sure Rachel will be fine with both sunshine in her life... May she be happy in England. Hey... you can go visit and go for the Olympics too :)

I've realised that ppl will come in and out of my life... and that is constant. Change is always constant. Crying is alright. It just makes us human.

*HUGS*

pees! didya tell her that England is cold and and wet most time of the year.. hehehehehee

booahboo said...

We are all here with you if ever you are lonely... even though this is virtual.. its as real as real can be.

If that don't work, just hold GLP close... and all will be fine.

georgia little pea said...

Not anymore Ms Oon - I think they're in the middle of a drought ;) lol

chandra said...

Bon Voyage to Rachel and her exquisite tots Freya and Tiggy! As soon as the typist finds out where she is, a visit is certainly in order.

Sending you a passionfruit tart in spirit!
-c at ddy.