"Now then, are you okay lass?" he asked.
I hesitated in replying because I didn't want to lie but on the other hand I didn't want to say the truth because of all the explaining that I thought would have to follow.
So before I made up my mind, which at this moment in time was something that was not proving very easy to do, he said," Listen, we've just put the kettle on, why not come across and have a cuppa with us and get out of this rain awhile?"
He said this at the same time as giving a little nod towards the camper van parked down the road. Again I hesitated, this time because I wasn't sure if I could make it that far, although having been sat here for a little while I did seem to be slightly recovered. The thing that decided me though was that I would be out of sight of that guy when he returned. So I thanked the man, got to my feet and followed him.
"What was going on with him in the van?" he asked.
I needed what energy I had just to keep up with him so I wasn't about to get in to a lengthy explanation so just told him it was a misunderstanding. By the time we reached the camper I was just about ready to flake out again. He opened the door and motioned for me to enter, there was a woman standing there so I said hello and then I did something that I can't account for. I always take off my footwear before entering my own house let alone someone else's. Taking in to account that I was wearing wellington boots which I had simply to pull off my feet, but for some reason I bent over with the intention of untying laces, which of course they don't have. Then I recall the floor of the camper van coming up to hit me in the face.
The next thing I know I'm laid out on something hard with this bright white light, so bright that I didn't dare to open my eyes. I thought I was dead. I could hear someone talking, although it didn't really sound like words, it was sort of muffled. I certainly couldn't understand what they were saying, not at first. But then I did hear the person to my left more clearly say, "this is what happens when you go interfering in other peoples lives."
It seemed to me that I ended up this way because of someone messing with my life and I can remember feeling really cheated by this. Then there was some sort of confusion as to who they needed to call and how were they going to do it as there was no signal. I think I was more or less properly awake by now as the next thing the person on the left mentioned something about being still able to dial 999 even without a phone signal. Straight away I knew I didn't want any of that 999 and all the implications associated with it. The light didn't seem so bright anymore so I opened my eyes wide and shouted, "NO!"
It didn't exactly come out of my mouth as "no" because my mouth was so dry that my tongue was stuck to the roof of my mouth but it had the desired effect.
"Oh my goodness, you had us worried there," said the woman, before going on to say they were just calling for help. I couldn't speak until I had a drink so answered her by simply saying, "water."
She run me a glass of water and said to sit up but I couldn't very well, my body was so heavy, so the guy got down and helped me to sit up and then supported me while I took a sip of water, a lot of which went down the outside of me rather than the inside. I noticed there was a numbness to my lips, also my mouth was not working properly at first but after a few sips it improved although the numbness was still there.
The guy suggested that he got me off the floor and on to a seat. So I started to pull down the zipper on my ski suit while he lifted me to my feet but it was a bit of a fumble for me and then there was a debate as to whether it needed to be removed or not, but I ignored him because I knew it was filthy and wet so he gave in and started to help me get out of it.
"Oh! Hold on a minute, you've nothing on under here, and what you do have on it soaked" he exclaimed.
Writing about it makes me smile, sort of sweet and a bit innocent. Anyway I was wearing vest, panties and socks so not naked, except to the guy who I came to know as George. He was right about them being soaked though, due to the sweating thing that had been going on with me.
The woman disappeared and soon returned with a robe and blanket and instructed George to shape himself as the door needed closing. Because my feet had been hanging out of the door while I was on the floor the door had been left open, but the rain and cold was blowing in so the place was now freezing.
Then as George was pulling at my wellies and I was holding on to both him and the counter top the best I was able, the lady started going on again about me seeing a doctor.
How many more times do I need to say "Look, I don't want the doctor, ambulance, police, fire brigade or anyone else you can think of, I just need to rest, OKAY?" I snapped. immediately wanting to punch myself in the mouth for saying it, I felt terrible, such a shameful thing to do.
"Okay I'm sure, but you don't talk to me, or anyone else for that matter, in that tone of voice - young MADAM," she said, putting me very firmly back in my place.
It's okay, I deserved that.
Once my boots were off the suit soon followed and discarded in the doorway and the door closed. The woman helped me in to the robe that she was holding and after she fastened the belt, and with I still feeling great guilt I wrapped my arms around her and gave her a big hug.
"Please forgive me, it just came out. I don't want to get involved with those sort of people that's all. I really am sorry." I said.
"I've said things I've regretted saying in the past so we'll just forget about it this time, I'll put it down to you being so poorly. you had me so worried collapsing like that." she said.
I gave her another squeeze before George guided me towards the seat that went along the side of the table. He sat me on the end but I shuffled to the far end where I propped myself up in the corner. They disappeared to the other end of the van, I could hear them talking in low voices but could not tell what they said, I assumed they were saying something they didn't want me to hear but I didn't bother as I dozed off to sleep.
Reading through this may seem like it all happened over a longer period than wasn't actually the case so I will say that the whole incident from getting to the camper van to getting my cup of tea probably took no more than twenty minutes. It's just that I write in a long winded manner.
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