Whilst Cinderella-like I sweep up the fallen frangipani leaves in our back yard, I know some of you will be shovelling the winter snow from your paths and drives.
It has been a very sporty week for us Hoyle's. Ellie ran like a gazelle into the strong winds at her Cross Country event, finishing first out of approximately 50 Year 8 girls from other schools in Qatar. My heart swelled with pride as I saw her sprint to the finish line using her natural talent to the best of her ability. This talent began when she was two years old and used to run away from me down Station Road, Shepley.
The storm arrived later that evening with stronger winds. Large splodges of rain were followed by sideways sheets of driving rain. Thunderbolts and lightning were very, very exciting for me as I watched the Grand Finale alone outside in my raincoat. It cleared the skies for Joshua and the year 4 football team to come 3rd in a tournament the next day. All the players proudly received Bronze medals. Their bright orange kit matched Joshua's orange hair nicely I thought.
Cycling outside of the compound is my Get Out Of Jail Free card and I use it as often as I can. I do feel really free as the barrier lifts for me to go through the security gate. Thinking about it now, I got the same feeling when I was 10 years old whizzing relentlessly around the cricket ground, singing to myself. There is, however, a fine line to ride for this freedom feeling here. I cycle on the right side of the road, just to the left of the white line marking the edge of it. If I cycle on the right side of this white line I am teetering on the edge of the tarmac and into the desert itself. Sometimes I venture off road anyway for fun. At other times though, I am forced to swerve off it to save my soul from a terrifying truck. Making me feel as though I am being hunted down like David Mann's character in Spielberg's thriller, Duel (1971).
On another evening outside in the dark, stargazing again, something suddenly bites me. It isn't a desert viper or camel back spider but a menacing mosquito. It bites me on my left thumb, right on the knuckle. Soon I had a red, swollen, itchy erection attached to my hand. Neither the Anthisan cream or Piriton helped much. I awoke in the middle of the night out of my Olbas Oil infused stupor, scratching it madly. I wanted to free myself from this agony and considered getting a blunt kitchen knife to amputate it with. My very own 127 Hours dilemma. Instead, I decide to shove my throbbing member under my pillow, hoping the daylight will bring some relief.
'' Because I don't live in either my past or my future. I'm interested only in the present. If you can concentrate always on the present, you'll be a happy man. You'll see that there is life in the desert, that there are stars in the heavens, and that tribesmen fight because they are part of the human race. Life will be a party for you, a grand festival, because life is the moment we're living right now.''
from The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho
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