07th of January, 2021.
You all have to understand that writing this chapter it is very difficult for me. It had been more than half a year since I last wrote something. And this time, for a long time, I thought I would never write again. Today is the 25th of August, 2021. But the dates on top are about the day of my tragedy. I though that my travels and so everything important for me it was over. I wish I had come here earlier. And by here I mean by my diary. If I had done so, I would have seen that my last text it was Miedo. That would have showed me (earlier) what to do and how to behave. Instead, I hid behind it, I hid behind my miedo.
I decide to go for a long walk, climbing up the hill in front of the lodges, to the bunker house, and from there walk to a lake nearby. It would be a day trip. I would pack some food, get warm clothes and enjoy my little adventure.
The view from the bunker house it is great. On my way I see a man walking with his dogs towards the place. I also see a lot of ice on the floor. The way to the lake it is very tricky. It looked much easier on Google Maps. There is snow everywhere and during a long way, the snow it is deep, up to my knees, and my boots and trousers get quite wet. I finally find the lake and the view is tremendous! I enjoy my egg salad sandwich before heading back. I try to find an alternative route, all the way through the road so I can skip all the snow. But I cannot find it. Stupid Google Maps again!
I am quite exhausted from the walk, the snow, the wetness, but I am happy. Instead of walking all the same way back, I decide that taking the road all the way it might be faster. After I pass some sheep, there is a gate which leads me to the road. I can see the bunker house, It cannot be more than five minutes walking. I cross the gate. And when I turn around… boom.
I hear the noise of bones breaking. I am sure I heard it but my brain and my heart keep telling me that I am wrong. I did not feel any pain. Only fear. When I look at my left wrist (yeah, of course is my left hand since I am left handed!) it is in a “s” shape. Horrible! I have no idea of how many things have crossed my mind! But I try to remain calm, to get up and find a solution. I tell myself: I will not die here. Laugh. Didn’t I just say that the bunker house it was only five minutes walking? So why the hell was I thinking about dying? Anyway, I first think about walking back to the lodge and WRITE AN EMAIL to Tina. Laugh again. Then I think better (really?) and decide to walk to the bunker house, ask to borrow somebody’s phone and call Tina immediately. (YAY!).
Even before I get in there, a couple is coming from there in my direction. I feel no pain. I tell them what had happened and ask if they can call Tina. I do not even have her number with me. I tell the lady to search for the lodges name, being a holiday rental place, and she gets a number. The lady talks with someone but she says my name slightly wrong so Tina does not understand and says not to know anyone called like that. By this time my imagination is flying away telling me Tina understood everything but do not want any trouble so she simply will abandon me. Laugh. At the second time the lady call Tina everything is resolved and Norman will pick me up at the bunker house in about 45 minutes. The couple walk back with me and we hope there are people over there. There are and they are very kind and hospitable. They open the hostel and I wait inside.
So that is it how I broke my wrist. How I first broke a bone in my body! A very stupid and ordinary way of doing it. You always expect that if it to happen that at least it is in a cool way, like saving a puppy from a car crashing or something… nope! After camping in my tent among hippos and elephants in Africa; after almost have been kidnapped and manage to escape of the car; after have had a knife pointed at it, I slip in the ice and break my wrist. Congratulations, Lei!
When Norman arrives I can barely look at him. I am so ashamed. But when I finally do, the first thing I say it is: I am so sorry! I feel incredibly guilty. As it was my fault! As I could have done something to avoid that. The truth is I was not prepared for the ice. Nobody had warned me to be careful. I was being careful. Just not careful enough. In anyhow, Norman is incredible kind and say I should not worry. Things like that happen. And I really think he meant.
We had barely talked before, me and Norman. So this is kind of our first long time together: the over one hour drive to the closest hospital, in Perth. We talk about many things but what I remember the most is when Tina calls him to know how I am and he tells her: “She is laughing! She is laughing over the pain.” I had not even realized that somebody else would maybe be much more bummed.
At the hospital I am nervous. What should I tell the receptionist? The truth? How will she react to the fact that I am a tourist? Norman helps me to fill the form. Then I wait.
The nurse who takes care of me is an angel. When she first looks at my wrist she says it is broken. And it is the first time I slightly cry. She starts to arrange the X-Ray and asks me to take out my clothes and informs me that we will have to cut out my bracelets. After the X-Ray she tells me I will need a surgery because my radius is broken in three parts! The (almost) perfect triangles (as I can see in the X-Ray) which when broken, moved my wrist bones, causing what now is my “S” shape wrist. The good news are that this angel nurse manage to fit me in a cancellation for surgery next morning, in Dundee. Without that, the waiting time could be up to one week! One week! Apparently this time of the year loads of people slip in the ice and break their wrists. Why nobody told me that before? The lovely lady also comes with me outside to tell Norman the news.
So the nice nurse had done her part and she leaves. A second nurse and a third male nurse arrive to put it on my first plaster. I feel as I am going to die in pain but it does not happen. Something worse does though. At some point I ask the male nurse how my recovering it will be, because I am a “writer”. He says that it will be OK but it will never be the same. What? How the hell could you say something like that to someone who is clearly worried about the situation? I immediately have my eyes wet and started to cry. But then I though it was ridiculous so I stop.
In the car Norman tells me he talked with Tina and they decided that the best thing is for me to spend the night at their house so it is easier for us to go to Dundee early next morning. I should be at the hospital at 7 a.m. We stop by the lodge so I can make a bag with a change of clothes and toothbrush. “To make a bag” it sounds funny when I remember how difficult it was! Anyway, at their house I feel a bit awkward, even though they are being lovely, but is only because I have never spent that much time with them. Their son, Callum, is staying with them for a while so the four of us have dinner together. After that I have a shower (also very easy – sarcasm) and then try to sleep (not even going to make a comment…).