Cheers CMW
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| Magnetic Island |
We had built a rather large pole-house, double storey with open plan living, even the children`s bedroom walls were built to allow air-flow, they went three quarters of the way up to the ceiling. Glass doors, opened on both sides to verandahs. The coolest house on Magnetic, literally!
Even though we had our own resident pussycat we had many visitors including huge green tree frogs, lizards, snakes, butterflies as well as a huge amount of birds in the garden. Often the magnificent Cairns Birdwing butterflies flap, flap, flapping through the house as well as the speedy little micro bats zooming inside, through the open doors, and up the stairwell and then out again. Take the 'net' out of Magnetic and there you have it- Magic Island - a nature lover`s dream.
I had been commissioned to paint a large foyer piece of work, for a tourist resort, so was upstairs on the verandah busy painting when the phone rang. My partner was in Townsville working, so I ran inside and picked up the phone, "Hello, Christabel speaking." There was a sickening silence, then a distressed voice whispered, " My beautiful son has died."
I was shocked, very upset. How devastating it was for my friend, a single father, to lose his son. Even though my friend told me not to come down to Brisbane, I needed to get down to Brisbane as quickly as possible to support my friend. I quickly rang my partner who said he would book me onto the next flight available and then ring me back. Meanwhile I changed out of my sarong and into some city clothes. My partner rang back, almost immediately, to tell me that the next flight out of Townsville was leaving in three quarters of an hour and I was booked on! My partner had also rung a taxi to pick me up as the ferry was to leave the Island in seven minutes!
I very quickly squashed undies, a change of clothes, toothbrush and a hairbrush, into an old overnight bag, and ran out the front door to the already waiting taxi. The driver flew over the hill and screeched to a stop at the beginning of the jetty. The ferry, whistle blowing, was ready to leave. How I managed to catch the big, and fast, cat-ferry Lord only knows. I do know that I ran like a bat out of hell down the full length of the long jetty, waving my arm and yelling as load as I could " HOLD THE FERRY, WAIT". and that they did. Panting, and very red in the face, I paid my dues and then collapsed onto a seat.
"Please God, let me get to the airport on time."
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| Magnetic Island Jetty |
I arrived at the airport to find that passengers had already boarded, but luckily the airline was waiting another minute, or two, for me. Everyone looked so settled in their seats as they turned their heads to acknowledge the late passenger, me, flushed and dishevelled.
I put my dark sunglasses on before I climbed out of the taxi as I knew that as soon as I had a moment of rest, and reflection, I would be tearful. The pain of loss was beginning to surface. I needed alone quiet time and the flight would afford this.
Every time I travel anywhere I seem to always be seated next to someone who either is ill mentally, physically or emotionally, this time was no exception. So much for my quiet time. Sitting in the seat next to me was a teenager, a young man of about 13 or 14 years old. He seemed to be in a terribly dark state. He obviously needed to off-load all his problems and here I was, a motherly soul, sitting right next to him. As soon as the seat-belt light was off, the youth, being an opportunist, got everything, I mean everything, off his chest.
Brisbane was hot and smoggy, but the half hour taxi ride to my friend`s home was airconditioned and
sort of relaxing as I listened half-heartedly to the incessant ramblings on of the middle-aged driver.
"Peace, if only," I murmured to myself as the taxi sped on its way, "just a little bit of peace."
Finally my destination was reached.
"Yoohoo" I called out, as I let myself in through my friend`s unlocked front door, "where are you?" He wasn`t expecting me at all and it had been only three hours since he had told me the very sad news.
" Yoohoo, A......" I called again, then spotted, through the kitchen window, my friend in the back garden. My swollen eyed friend turned around, ran to me and then we hugged and sobbed. He was so relieved to have my company. Friend`s are special, aren`t they.
The funeral was in a few days, and my friend would be sharing his son`s life with the congregation.
His son was very popular and the church was absolutely packed, with teenagers even sitting on the floor in front of the pulpit. There wasn`t a dry eye in the church. All very emotional. My friend spoke of his son and also gave much solace to his son`s friends, talking about the 'reality' of death being part of the journey. My friend hadn`t been sure that he would have the strength to speak, so before the service we had made a pact that he was to look at me and feel the love and strength pouring into him. Every time my friend was overcome with emotion he looked me straight in the eye, felt the love and strength in union, and continued on with his sharing. I was so proud of him.
I stayed for a few more days to assist my friend and his teenage daughter, mainly for emotional support, food preparation, telephone answering etc. and of course to give love.
My very talkative brother, who lived on the Gold Coast, picked me up and drove me to the airport. At the time my brother happened to be a part-time a taxi driver. Maybe all taxi drivers are talkers?
I was utterly exhausted. It had been such an emotional wetland, and yet still, I hadn`t had two minutes to myself to process my friend`s son`s death. I had shed a tear with others and had been their strength, but now I needed to rearrange my own head-space as my brain was beginning to reach the overloaded marker.
Once again I buckled the seat-belt ready for take-off. A nice quiet composed lady was in the seat next to me. At last I would be able to relax, unwind, be still, connect to God. I wanted to be less cluttered in my head, and heart, before arriving home to my family who were also very upset about the sad news.
A cup of tea was offered almost immediately we were above the cloud line. I turned around to ask the lady if she would like a cuppa and spotted a silent tear on her cheek " Are you alright?" I asked softly.
"It`s my daughter, she has luekaemia" she quietly announced, "I`m on the way to see her."
The rest of the flight was spent listening, it was such a relief, and release, for the woman. My heart went out to her and her family.
The ferry from Townsville was full. Everybody wanted to know where I had been. Everybody also was shocked to hear of my friend`s son`s death as he had also lived on the Island. I could see my partner waiting on the pier for the boat to pull in. Twenty minutes later I was home with my family. It was early afternoon on a Saturday so the kids were home.
After sharing all that had taken place in Brisbane over a cup of tea, I sat down in the corner of the large bright red corner couch, my head resting on the wall behind. I was utterly exhausted. The sounds of nature faded out and my mind became fuzzy and quite vacant. This was not 'the peace' that I had in mind. It felt like my head was full of cottonwool, a horrible feeling. I had never experienced anything like this before. "Maybe this is what happens when you lose your mind or have a breakdown?" I thought, as the cottonwool feeling took over. Eyes open, mind blank, dense, separate. No mind only heavy fog, a horrible feeling. I sat there, like a lump of wood, for a few minutes.
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| Micro Bat on Magnetic Island |
The furry little rodents never, well never before, had flown near any of us, or in any other parts of the house. They had always sped in high up through the giant glass doors and up the stairwell and down and out again and this only ever happened in the evening when it was dark. This time though it was different.
Two little furry things flew into the sitting-room at top speed. With no time lost, they flew in through the top window, above the glass doors, straight into the corner where I was sitting and circled around me, still at top speed. Then in a flash they were gone. Just like that. Instantly my head and mind were totally normal again. I was back to myself, energised, clear-headed and alert!
How did they know that I needed my aura, and my being, recharged?
How did they sense my need in broad daylight? Normally bats are busy sleeping during the day.
I have always given healing to birds and animals, in fact sick birds and animals often found their way to our house. Was this karma? A thankyou?
Who knows. All I know is that healing sometimes comes in unexpected packages!
The universe does have big ears and when help is needed, and when you are receptive, it is given
Cheers and love, CMW
