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Alive and Well...and then Home

Okay, so last time, I left off with our getting a phone call (whew!) from Martha’s friend Judy, who had taken a fall off her porch and had been rushed to a hospital in Wichita. She was bright and alert, and just wanted to reassure Martha.


I’m not sure how much Judy recalled of the fall itself. But, the important thing was that she seemed fine. She would be getting the results of her tests in the near future and would let Martha know.


And, of course, Judy being Judy...she wasn’t a bit upset about the whole business. In fact, she sort of regarded it as a grand adventure. She’d never been in an ambulance for a long-distance haul, she told Martha. It had been great fun, she added. I can envision her...having long conversations with the attendants, maybe asking if they’d turn on the siren for her (they would have if she’d requested it, I know), watching the countryside flowing past, meeting the doctors and nurses etc. at the hospital, enjoying the bed rest which the medical professionals would doubtlessly prescribe.


Fast forward: by the end of the week, we’d learned that her tests had come back negative. No sign of a brain bleed. They let her go home and she picked up where she’d left off with her life...apparently no worse for it.


We did wonder if we should go visit her. And, in the end, that’s exactly what we did. We flew out in May and saw her. She seemed fine. She was still having some aches and pains, but nothing like what *could* have been the case.


So, all in all, we were lucky.


Anyway, getting back to San Antonio. After the phone call we were much happier. Now, it was time to get ready to go home. We had decided that we’d take advantage of the hotel’s “complimentary breakfast” so that we save could a little money and get on the road sooner. But, we were a bit concerned. Our run-ins with the surly desk clerk hadn’t made us feel all warm and fuzzy about the staff, and we weren’t too sure what kind of reception we’d get downstairs.


But, we went, and the breakfast spread was actually rather nice. We put eggs, bacon, and toast on plates and moved into a space attached to the hotel with tables and chairs. It wasn’t, yet, a restaurant. But, we learned one was coming soon.





About the photos: First, here’s a fun one. This is the famous “Big Pig” which you can find in San Antonio at 801 S. Presa St. It just sort of appears as you walk or drive by, with no apologies or explanations. Supposedly, it dates back to 1935, and has been at various times a barbecue stand and a restaurant. Whatever, it’s tres cool. For more on the beast, see: René Guzman, "The Big Pig in San Antonio’s Southtown has a hazy history that includes the Pig Stand restaurant, South Side tavern," San Antonio Express-News, October 4, 2021, https://www.expressnews.com/lifestyle/article/Big-Pig-in-San-Antonio-Southtown-history-16503364.php.


Second, here’s an interior shot of the restaurant Halcyon which I’ve mentioned a time or two. Not a great photo, but it gives you an idea of what it’s like inside. And, I love the way the bottles and lines work in the picture.


Finally, here’s a shot of Martha, once again at La Villita, and looking smashing as always.


We started to eat and then realized we had company. A young mother and her beautiful little boy were with us in the room.


I ended up speaking to her and to the boy because...of course...that’s what I do. I cannot count the number of times I’ve said “Good morning” and been promptly told to mind my own freaking business and/or go suck an egg. But, it doesn’t stop me. I’m way too dumb to learn from mere experience. So, I just keep doing it. And sometimes I find myself in fascinating conversations as a result.


This time was one of the latter sort. The young woman proved to be part of the family that owned the hotel. She was friendly and happy, and full of plans, and delighted to find someone interested in what she and her family were doing. The space we were in would be their restaurant and it would be in operation soon. They had extensively refurbished all the rooms. She hoped we’d liked ours. By the way, the hotel was actually kind of historic. Back in the day it had been quite fashionable. But it had gone to seed. Now, though, her family had bought it, and hoped to bring it back.


It was a pleasure talking to her. She was the antithesis of the sullen young man on the desk. And I wondered quite a bit about that.


Finally, it was time to go. We said good bye to the young woman and her child, packed our bags, left a tip for the maid, and headed out. Of course, nothing went as well as we’d hoped. We drove into an enormous traffic jam and sat for long, painful minutes. But, eventually, we were on the open road, and homeward bound.


I had the first shift, and as I drove, I had an odd--and disturbing--thought. To wit, the situation with Judy had proved benign. Thank heaven for that!


But, let’s face it, we have many friends and we are all about the same age. We are already starting to lose people. Just in the few years since we moved to Texas, we have lost several dear friends in Albuquerque. And elsewhere.


And it’s only going to get worse.


How do we deal with that reality?


I think ...I think...with Ismo, and people like him. I mean, you focus on the times which are good, the things and people that make you laugh or otherwise feel joy.


You know that, in the fullness of time, night will fall. But until then, you focus on the dawn.


And go bravely, if sometimes blinking, into the light...


Stay tuned. We have new adventures coming up.


***


Copyright©2025 Michael Jay Tucker


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