20160704 (chance?)

All the machines he'd installed to fight cancer not one could help him

I really thought it was time again

To alienate those readers who are

H—-y supporters, but something 

Truly marvelous, serendipitous,

Evocative just happened that I’ll

Stave my rant off another couple

Days to tell you about this instead.

I was working on taping boxes for

The move when Loki began barking.

Since the weather was so congenial

I’d left one of the front doors open

For pet exits and returns, when I 

Heard along with the barking a 

Woman’s voice saying something

Like, “Oooh, you’re such a cutie.

Why are you barking?” I looked 

Up and a couple were at the gate

Trying to get Loki to calm down

So she might pet his head. Since

People have been stopping to

Look the house over from the 

Outside I stepped off the porch

To see if they had any questions I

Could answer. We did a little

Chatting about the good weather 

For a walk and soon enough

Got into a more meaningful

Exchange. She revealed they

Were here for his treatment

At the Seidman center for stage

Four adeno-cortical carcinoma

Which had developed in recent

Years and had been resistant to

All earlier measures. They were

Staying with relatives on the

Next street while in town for

His care. Ironically he worked in 

Cancer care, installing at various

Hospitals and medical locations

Special “proton” based (I really

Can’t explain it) devices, I think

To kill cancerous cells by focusing

A beam on their loci. We talked 

About our children, their successes

And losses—they about a gifted

Child who walked away from 

Scholarships and I about Peter’s

Death at his own hands. Regular

Readers know I have often talked

About the wonderful people I’ve

Met by chance in this neighborhood.

But our exchange tonight was so

Much deeper, so more personal and

Affecting it clearly wasn’t an idle

Hi, hello moment like so many

Others. She was the picture of

Health but her conversation told

Of losing their house, being there

At his heart attack when he seemed

To have died in her presence, and

The numerous struggles they’ve

Had to make any progress against

This rare type of cancer. I don’t

Have the right words to describe 

His appearance. He was thin and

His skin had a darkened tone as 

His liver was making it gray

And sunken. He said one of the 

Effects is difficulty remembering

Things in detail. We talked about

Believing, Job, and a God who 

Doesn’t do what we think is best.

He said he couldn’t say for sure

Whether his illness was work-related

Either by radiation or being subject

To strong magnetic fields. I have

No idea how long we talked. I

Wanted for him not to get any 

More tired than he looked. As 

We closed, I wished them the 

Best, and she said something

Very affirming: “I don’t think

We met by accident.” That

Was the marvelous part. I

Felt that way too.

c. J.S.Manista, 2016