“Nah Nah, Nah Nah Nah, You fell off the bike!”
Usually revenge comes in the form of a sweet victory, this time it was a trip to the medical clinic and ten stitches. Let me rewind…
Cassie and I awoke yesterday morning to the familiar scent of ocean water knocking at our front door. Of course we let it in, its always welcome in our home. I perched myself on the front deck and began to reconnect with the world, checking my emails, and answering the plethora of incoming messages on Facebook. Cassie brings me tea every morning, a habit of hers I’ve come to love, and she sits next to me with her coffee, also reconnecting with the outside world. Usually following our boost of caffeine we cultivate a plan, usually consisting of breakfast and a dip in the ocean, however this morning in particular we had plans (something we have yet to have on this island). Before our departure in the United States we put a deposit on a small bungalow, in the heart of Koh Toa’s city, Sairee. On the way to breakfast we continuously bickered about the bike situation, Cassie wanting her own, and myself just sick of hearing about it, I relinquished my efforts and we decided we would rent a second bike (which only cost $7.50 by the way). We inhaled our combination of eggs, dumplings, fresh fruit, and made our way to the renting station. At last, we were on our way to our new home. Our imaginations ran wild, fantasising about the clean ocean air outside our balcony, and the refreshing gardens surrounding our domain.
Boy, where we wrong. When we finally arrived to our “home”, we were greeted with a dismal sight. Garbage lined the almost impossible to climb landscape that was our doorstep. Stepping over jagged rocks, that I think were meant to be steps, we come to the front door. Out of breath, and ultimately out of shape, we enter. Nothing like i’d imagined, the room was musty, the lights were dim, the view was non existent, and the fan was broken…we got the hell out of there.
Both Cassie and I, disappointed and stressed out, we set forth to find a new and more comforting home. After three hours of searching, and a stop at a cafe, we found it. We were actually on our way to our favorite beach in Mae Head, taking a break and fearing we would have no choice but to live in our predetermined home, we found it. A large entry way welcomed us along with a very pleasant and friendly woman. We explained our predicament and she seemed to have the perfect answer. She took us around a bend and up a few well built steps, where we lay our eyes on what we both knew would be our new home. It was perfect! No garbage, breathtaking view and sitting between two of our favorite beaches, we signed the lease. As our moods were being uplifted and our worries at bay, we decided to celebrate with some lunch and a snorkel at Tanote Bay ( a gorgeous coral reef about a minute away from our new home).
It was after this point…my intuitions came to reality. Cassie and I were making our way up from Tanote Bay, a somewhat rocky dirt road, when all of a sudden I hear behind me…
“MIKEEEEEEEE!!!!!!”
I have heard this type of scream before, from my sister, and immediately my brain sends signals to the rest of my body. I whip the bike around and run the throttle. Again I hear…
“MIKEEEEEE!!!”, this time with more infirmity.
Not to my surprise I see Cassie, struggling to get the bike off her, a cloud of dirt around her, and blood engulfing both her leg and arm.
I use my superman strength (just let me feel awesome, okay?) to assist the bike off of her and direct her to sit on the ground. A lovely and very sympathetic german couple also come to the rescue, handing me a very large water to wash the blood off, so I can get a better idea of where the blood is coming from. A large sigh of relief comes over all four of us when we discover just few small lacerations on her elbow and another two, deeper (but not terrible) lacerations on her knee. After a few more seconds of thought, its a community decision that its best to take Cassie to the hospital, because nothing is worth an infection.
We leave the bike on the side of the road with a busted mirror. The german couple insists that they take our bags and lead us to the nearest clinic, being extremely grateful to have stumbled across such kind human being, i accept and we make our way towards recovery. It was no more than a five minute drive with Cassie hanging on to me and taking the mans lead, that we arrive at the hospital.
“Closed”, reads a sign on the door.
“Shit”, reads the expression on my face.
I help Cassie off of the death trap that is a moped, and on to the step where she sits. I walk over to the couple and convey my never ending appreciation for what they have done, and ask them for there names.
“I am Mario (an odd name for German I thought), and this is my wife Claudia. It is no trouble at all”, says Mario. “Us people must stick together in times of need”.
I thank them once more and wish them a farewell, just in time for the sign to be taken off the clinic door and a nurse to help Cassie inside and onto the bed.
After a few more tears and a crushed hand from Cassie’s clutch, a doctor comes out his office and assists the nurses in cleaning the wound. He decides as a precaution, it’s best to stitch the laceration on her knee, to prevent infection. Cassie was more comfortable with the possibility of infection and just wanted to scram. However, I told her that it was necessary, and we weren’t going to take any chances. The nurses localized the area with an anesthetic and proceeded to suture a few stitches. Before we knew it, Cassie was wiping the tears from her dirty face, and we found ourselves paying the hospital fee ( about $120). On our way out, two local girls who were also there for unknown reasons, handed Cassie a drawing which also contained a get well letter not he back. If there is one thing we learned through out the day, its that people here are kind, whole hearted, and always ready to lend a helping hand. Cassie extended her gratitude and we made our way back on to the death trap, and headed home. I rewarded Cassie’s courage with a large portion of sushi, and we fell asleep to a movie.
Cassie is awake now, and has just brought me my tea. Her knee is sore but still in tact and on its way to a fine recovery. She is bummed out that she can’t swim for a few days, but i keep reminding her we moved to an island, and the ocean will still be here upon her stitches being removed.
So, moral of the story, should have listened to me. Would Cassie have stitches if she listened to me in the first place? You be the judge.
For now, ill just sit here with my tea and rejoice, I was right.
Forever and always right- Mike
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