An Unusual Valentine’s Adventure

It’s been a bit of a strange week, my eldest daughter fractured her ankle and I’ve been helping her out. So here I am in Brighton spending Valentine’s Day with my injured daughter! Motherly love knows no bounds…..

My journey to Brighton was pretty eventful, I decided to take the bus to Cambridge station, and by the time that I arrived at the bus stop I was regretting this decision. I was running a little late. I saw a very tempting taxi just sitting there but I’d walked all the way to the bus stop so I wasn’t about to hop into a taxi. I’m stubborn that way. Then a lady asked me for help, she was trying to print out her tickets for the bus, but she couldn’t work out how to use the ticket machine. And guess what, she was on crutches! I knew that if I didn’t get my skates on I’d miss the train. So I had to abandon the lady on crutches, fortunately she managed to get help from one of the staff in the bus depot. Luckily I managed to get to the train station in time but then of course the ticket machine refused to work. It took me several attempts to print out my train tickets. Could this have been retribution for abandoning the lady on crutches?

Then, just before I arrived at my daughter’s University campus the ticket inspector came on the train and asked a young man sitting opposite me for his ticket, he rummaged around in his bag making a big show of trying to look for his ticket, but couldn’t produce the goods. Then he got up and made for the exit. The ticket inspector came after him, asking for his ticket all the way, and then proceeded to follow him off the train. The guy was obviously  travelling without a ticket and the poor ticket inspector must have had a rough time trying to get the money off of him.  I’ve no idea what happened as the two of them disappeared out of sight but I just hope it didn’t turn nasty.

Anyway, I’ve been crashing out on my daughter’s student flat, sleeping on her floor, reliving my student days. Quite an experience, I’ve not been getting much sleep,  (Friday and Saturday nights are the worse what with parties, kids getting locked out of their rooms, and all sorts of shenanigans.) I’ve been doing my daughter’s washing at the launderette, buying her groceries, and cooking student dinners in a state of sleep deprivation. This morning my back was aching and when I bent over to lift her laundry bag I pulled a muscle. I won’t be much help if I injure myself too! I’m going to treat myself to a night in a hotel before I go home as a bit of a reward! I reckon I deserve it. It will be so wonderful to sleep in a bed, instead of on top of  a pile of cushions from the living room settee. Oh, I forgot to mention that the blasted fire alarm went off one evening. That was quite a challenge getting her down three flights of stairs, she’d just finished washing her hair, too. Believe me when I say that washing, and showering is some challenge in such a tiny floor space when you’ve broken an ankle.  Of course, it’s no surprise that we were the last down on hearing the fire alarm,  I’m so relieved that it wasn’t a real fire.  Luckily she’s young and bones heal real quick when you’re her age.

Breaking limbs seems to be a bit of a family trait, I  broke my foot years ago when my youngest daughter was fairly little so I know just how incapacitating it can be. I tripped in the playground while I was carrying her.  I had two possible choices: drop my daughter and save my foot or ensure that my daughter was safe. Of course you know which one I chose. I did the motherly thing, saved her and broke a foot. One of the mums joked that I should have dropped her and she would have bounced but I’m not too sure about that, that concrete looked real frightening.

Luckily, breaking my foot wasn’t all doom and gloom, there were some compensations. I had a real nice trip in the ambulance to the hospital with a liberal supply of gas and air, and the handsomest paramedic to attend to me. I can still see him now……..

So tonight is Valentine’s night and my daughter and I are going to attempt the bus journey into Brighton city centre, for a mother and daughter dinner.  On arrival at the restaurant we made quite an entrance, she managed to knock the shelf above her with her crutches as we arrived, I’m just glad she didn’t knock down that elaborately wrapped Valentine’s chocolate raffle prize, that would have been oh so embarrassing.

She’s feeling a bit tired, a double Macchiato will be required to get her up and running after dinner.   She’ll be booted up and on crutches. I’ll be hobbling about with a twinge in my back, and shadows under my eyes. Then she’s off to a friend’s birthday party for an hour or two, again on her crutches.  She’s made of determined stuff. After that I’m taking her back on the bus. No idea what I’m going to do on my own in Brighton for two hours on Valentine’s night! I reckon there’s bound to be a touch of Valentine’s craziness on the streets of Brighton, apparently when there is any festival or cause for celebration everyone is out and about, creating mayhem.

This is going to be the strangest Valentines I’ve ever had. Have you ever had an unusual Valentine day? I’d love to hear about it if you have.

Bye for now! Watch out, remember to look where you are going…

Marje @ Kyrosmagica xx