This morning on the train I stood close to the door as I had nowhere to sit. At another stop, a gentle looking black lady came in. She stood next to me. I didn’t say anything even though I am always curious when I stand beside a black person. I usually wander where they are from. If only I could find the courage to ask. Well I didn’t have to say a word as she came closer to me and said good morning. I was surprised but I responded warmly to her. She said she was French and lived in France so she only understood a little English but fair enough she understood enough for us to chat. She asked if I was a student but I told her that I brought my daughter for therapy at Peto. My family was seated away from me so I pointed to each of them and told them who they were. She smiled and she told me something personal. I guess she told me because I told her about my daughter or because she felt I was a stranger and the likelihood of meeting again was very slim.
She said she had breast cancer. I asked her what stage was the cancer. She said when she first found out it was in stage two but presently it had entered her bones and liver. Wow! I looked at the woman and I was shocked. I looked at her beautiful afro hair with patches of grey. I knew she would be in her forties and yet I didn’t know where she found the strength to be that cheerful and full of hope. I felt she couldn’t have hair as beautiful as she had if she was doing chemotherapy so I asked her if she was having chemotherapy. She said no; she said she was determined not to go through chemo and that was the reason she was in Hungary to have the bath therapy. Hungary is known for their famous thermal medicinal baths. She said the baths remove toxins from her body and the therapy also infuse a lot of oxygen into her body. She told me that when there is adequate oxygen in the body the cancer cannot spread. She also said she had to combine other therapies as well. She said since she started the therapy some years back she has been doing well. I asked her if she was married and had kids but she said no. She said she had to concentrate on getting well.
She got down at the next stop then I remembered that I didn’t ask her for her name. I prayed I would see her again even if it was just one more time so I could ask her for her name or even get her email address.
One thing I like about her was her cheerfulness in spite of her present challenges. Wow! Yet I thought I had challenges…God forgive me for every single time that I had ever opened my mouth to murmur about Nimmy’s health. I said a quiet prayer for her and waited for the train to get to my stop.
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