Magpie Tales #33 - Something Stinks in Portofino - September 28, 2010
Stephanie had spent the past month on the Italian Riviera. Somehow, the lifestyles of the rich and famous seemed aberrant to her after the two months of summer vacation she had spent volunteering in the refugee camps in Darfur. She wished she had stayed there for her final month before returning to her senior year of medical school at Harvard. Her mother had insisted, however, that she "have a little fun" and had arranged for her to see family friends who owned a villa halfway between Portofino and Santa Margherita. She had finally acquiesced when her parents agreed to let her take a week long seminar at the International Institute of Humanitarian Law in San Remo. The class, which dealt with refugees and international law fueled her desire to continue providing medical services to the victims of the genocide in Darfur and the Sudan.
She glanced up from her book as Luigi approached the pool. He looked like a model and had, in fact, appeared several times in photo shoots for Pal Zaleri. They were about the same age and had spent a good deal of time together since they were toddlers and their fathers, famous cardiologists, first met at an international summit. Over the years, he had become a pompous, spoiled young man, who had little regard for others. It was clear that Luigi was used to getting whatever he wanted. This past month, it seemed he wanted her.
"We're taking the yacht and sailing over to Monte Carlo, then on to Barcelona," he announced. "There will be about ten of us. You know everyone. We'll be back in time for your farewell party before you return to America." Stephanie really did not feel like a jet set party but she finally agreed. She would be headed back to school in less than a week and she was very happy to be leaving. She was tired of fighting off Luigi's advances.
The group aboard The Portofino Princesa was in high spirits. The chef prepared exquisite meals and bottles of Barolo poured freely. Luigi constantly tried to drag Stephanie to the owner's cabin on board the yacht. "You are leaving and we have not even had a chance to be alone," he pouted. "Precisely," she responded, slipping away from his drunken embrace. "You are like a brother to me, Luigi! I'm not interested!" She finally managed to pull away and went to her cabin.
About 3AM, she awakened to find Luigi standing over her, holding two glasses of wine. He was wearing a bathing suit and his usual fragrance, Acqua Di Parma. He leered at her as he set the wine on the dresser. He bent over and tried to kiss her, fumbling under the coverlet to touch her breasts. "For God's sakes, Luigi, get away from me," she hissed. "Get out of here now." As she struggled to move away from him, Luigi grabbed her wrists, pulling her toward his cabin. "You know you want me." In a fury, Stephanie went with him. Before he threw her down on the bed, her hand grasped the bottle on the dresser and squeezed tightly. It was the Acqua Di Parma. She moved swiftly. It made contact with his head, giving a resounding, "thump," shattering and spilling perfume everywhere. She ran from the cabin and dove into the Mediterranean waters off the coast of Nice. As she swam she thought, "I hope I never smell that stuff again."
Alphabe-Thursday, A is for Antidepressant - September 23, 2010
Well, I must admit, I have had the blues these days. Things are going from bad to worse.
I have depleted all my savings now, supplementing my half time pension and social
security since my job loss eighteen months ago. The pension, after taxes, is twenty five
dollars less than my rent and my social security doesn't even cover food, utilities, my
car payment and other bills. My lease is up, though, the end of November so I will be
moving out of the home I have rented for the past ten years. I have begun the tedious
and sad process of clearing things out and disposing of much of my life. I had never
anticipated this is how things would end up for me toward the end of my life.
This past weekend, I threw away most of my forensic nursing life. I discarded books,
notes, conference materials, and the like, since it looks like I won't work in the field
again. What a painful experience that was. Forensic nursing absorbed the past
twenty-one years and was the passion of my nursing career. I identified with this new
field for nurses and was thrilled to have been part of the meeting that founded the
International Association of Forensic Nurses. I attended every single scientific assembly
for the first ten years. Now, I am debating as to whether I will even renew my
membership in the organization as that is money I could better spend elsewhere. I may
even, after45 years, let my nursing license go inactive. All of this is too sad for words.
I've tried to tell myself that I am better off than so many people in this world and I know
that I am. I have been a world traveler so I know the poverty and pain I've witnessed in
places I've visited. At least, I'm getting a half time pension and social security. That is,
I'll get social security again. I've just gotten a notice that my payments are suspended
from September until December because they inadvently paid me for February 2009
when I, in fact, worked that month. So, instead of the $2300 pension and $1300 social
secuity, I'll only have my $2300 pension which doesn't even quite cover my rent. I do
have an appointment October 5th to try to challenge this or to beg for some sort of
payment option so that I don't have all my social security check attached each month.
I am not on antidepressants. I wouldn't take them. At least, I did have a wonderful
antidepressant this past week in the form of a visit from one of my dearest friends,
Sherry Arndt, the forensic nurse who used to live in Santa Cruz and taught me how to
be a sexual assault nurse examiner. Our entire nursing group from the San Francisco
Rape Treatment Center went to Cabrillo College in Santa Cruz for our SART ( sexual
assault response team ) training in April of 1990. Sherry was not only my instructor,
she became a mentor, a great friend, and a traveling companion, with whom I shared
many wonderful adventures about the world.
Sherry and her cousin, Nancy, made an overnight stop at my house, during a road
trip which started at Sherry's home in Minnesota. That visit did so much to lift my
dragging spirits. We had the most incredible San Francisco weather - blue skies, no
fog, and warm temperatures and we made the most of it.
We started out with lunch at American Sushi House near my home in Daly City,
complete with a wonderful sake and bento boxes with assorted dishes. Then we
drove into San Francisco for sightseeing. It was especially nice since the tourist
crowds had departed with the start of school, parking was easy and the weather
continued beautiful.
Bright and sunny at the Golden Gate Bridge
Sherry & Nancy with San Francisco in the distance
A stop at the Palace of Fine Arts
Afternoon break at the Cafe Divine in North Beach
Cheers from the Champagne girl
Champagne AND espresso with vanilla ice cream for me
Nancy and her dessert
Yummy!
Nancy & Sherry in front of Sts. Peter and Paul Church at Washington Square
With Robert and Nancy, dinner at Nick's in Pacifica
Waiting for our crab sandwiches!
Dungeness crab sandwich with tomato, red onion and avocado - eggplant fries
A beautiful end to a perfect day
After dinner, we came back to the house and finished our night with a bottle of
champagne, talk, and lots of laughter. Sherry's visit, all too brief, made me realize that,
no matter how dire the circumstances may become, friends are what get us through the
hard times and give meaning to our lives. When it comes to that, I am, indeed, wealthy.
I am participating in Jenny Matlock's Alphabe Thursday - join us!!
-Check out the link for info on my blogaversary giveaway:
http://rnsane.blogspot.com/2010/09/flash-55-friday-happy-anniversary-to-me.html#links
