After I Tripped; Let Me Explain (Friday Series #4)

Before I continue my story, I need to tell you about “B.” (My then fiance.)

“B” had quite a past. I’d call it a bit shady. It involved some illegal dealings, alcohol abuse, but more so – drugs. Married once but divorced, and had a daughter. “B” road a Harley, and drove a Mazda RX7. He was a truck driver for the Port of Seattle. Born and bred in the Pacific Northwest.

“B” had been injured on the job. He was waiting for his first back surgery when we met. A mutual friend of ours had introduced us. To be honest, I wasn’t interested in dating him. He had ‘bad boy’ written all over him. We were friends for about six months before he asked me out on a date. I said no but he persisted, and things moved quickly from there.

He had a deep, raspy smoker’s voice, and eyes as blue as the ocean. He tended to be quiet. He didn’t have to try to be intimidating, he just was. He always treated me like his queen but eventually, the medications for his back issues were never enough. He went through his first back surgery, and it was an epic fail! He needed a second surgery. He started abusing prescription and street drugs. Everything started going sideways. He just simply checked out and stayed high.

Back to my story.

The visit to the first physical therapist I saw after my car accident did not go well. I was on edge about attending my pool session, and it was a class, would I be turned away? I went hoping for the elusive “relief” from the pain I was constantly in.

I met Avril. She would be in my life for the next two years. I attended her class Mondays through Fridays, and occasionally on Saturdays. I would have been there Sundays as well, but they didn’t have class. I got into that water and just started to float… tears ran from my eyes, I could not believe the relief I felt! Magic! I was supported by the water. Most days I would join the class for exercises, making sure I was in deep enough that the water touched my chin, supporting my neck and everything below. On very bad pain days, I spent most of the class time just floating! Sheer bliss!

Another man who would remain in my life for many years was Paul, a massage therapist. I developed a ‘thing’ about people touching me. (Chronic pain does that to a person.) So, stripping to my underwear and having a strange man touch me with nothing but a sheet over me was… unsettling. It was a painful experience at first, then it became an absolute necessity to work out the knots that formed in my body due to the pain I was always in.

---

Me, picking up the phone: “Hello?”

Paul (in choppy English): “Hi Kim, you come today?”

“Yes, Paul. Two o’clock, right?

“Yes Kim, two o’clock, I have surprise for you-u-u-u!”

“A surprise? Please, Paul, no surprises.”

“Yes! A surprise, come today, OK?”

“See you at two o’clock, Paul.” 

---

Avril and Paul, my first supporters. My tribe. My healers. My friends. Paul did have a surprise for me the day he called me. I got to meet Jimmy Hendrix’s dad James Hendrix, or “Al” as he preferred to be called. Al was a great guy, and I tried not to slather my appreciation all over him for being the father to the greatest guitar player I had ever heard. Al was cool. I know I slathered!

(To be continued…)

~Kim

Want to review or catch up?  After I Tripped (#1)