Yesterday, as the Melbourne Aussie Summer heat sweltered on.

I returned home, from a week long stay hospital (spicy!)

How did this occur?

You may ponder.

Well a week ago, I was roller-skating around a large pier in Melbourne.

The wind was fresh,

salt sprinkled the air-

softly dabbling my skin.

Mother natures kiss-

turned into instant demise.

I fell.

My right foot bent a spine shuddering 90 degrees towards my my left ankle.

In an instantaneous moment,

as I was falling,

I noticed the poor tragic state of my ankle.

With one quick breathe,

I popped my ankle back into place.

My thoughts at that point of time,

regarding my ankle,

was that there was no point of a civilised surrender to conclude this misfortune.

The damage was being down.

Let’s be honest…..

was already done.

I decide with deluded hast that,

‘ay, my ankle already feels pretty bad. At least if I pop it in place, the skate boot will be able to eventually come off….’

Regardless….of current events,

my ankle will most certainly need to be addressed at some point tonight.

Boy, may I personally add,

after the initial adrenaline and shock wore off.

I realised the little conundrum I had rolled myself into (excuse the pun.)

Snapping back to reality,

I glanced up like a wounded deer.

Fellow skaters came over,

realising that I wouldn’t be going anywhere with out some sort of help.

They huddled around, elevating my foot.

One asked,

‘if I had someone around?’

I was like,

‘yes my Husband, but he is some where amongst the crowd….’

I fumbled for a photo of my Husband on my phone,

in the hope they will be able to identify who I belonged too.

Many painful moments went on by.

Finally I saw him, coming around the corner.

He ever so briefly smirked,

then his eyes turned to worry,

as he realised the conundrum I had put myself in.

Although,

I will admit,

that he didn’t look surprised one bit.

But aye,

neither was I surprised, regarding the whole situation.

I admit,

I have a tennedancy to fall into these situations….

My helpers and I huddled around and concluded that I needed to go to Emergency.

But,

how I was going to get there would be our next puzzling question.

The ambulances were booked out.

I was on a waiting listing, feeling kind of like an Uber Eats meal awaiting ETA updates???

Thankfully,

we had my car.

My Husband would drive it near us,

and I would get in.

Simple ya?

Wrong…

How was I going to get into my car?

It was starting to seem like a build up to a punchline,

starting with,

‘How many skaters does it takes to get a skater in a car?

The answer?

One skaterboard.

Four skaters to help drive and move the injured.

And a hell of a lot of confidence, in your current wardrobe attire.

If you are a fellow skater,

you know exactly what kind of confidence, one needs, to reach such enlightenment.

It would of been quite a sight for fellow passer-bys.

Seeing five women crab crawling along Princes Pier in Port Melbourne.

One skater only having one skate on, and is in shorts and bikini top.

In my opinion,

The observational thoughts would of been hilarious.

Or was I just trying to distract myself with these imaginings through the pain?

The distraction worked,

I gleefully thought to myself during moving from point A to B on the board,

what passer-bys may be thinking,

as I rolled on by.

Such thoughts,

I thought,

when I saw people glance at me.

Was such things like:

Middle aged man-Glasses wearer-Beady eyes beholder.

Thinking to himself,

‘Is this a new form of transport? Or is the one boot, well, Fashion?’

Frazzled haired women-meerkat eyes. Glancing back and forth.

Thinking to herself,

‘I mean 2021 has been crazy down under. Lockdowns can change a person.’ Darting her eyes away.

We completed, mission get to car.

Now we just needed to complete mission, get in car.

My husband picked me from behind as the fellow skaters supported my legs.

I was then place horizontally in the back seat.

I mumbled to my hubby as we drove on,

‘Thankfully we invested tinted windows into my new car…’

Oh the irony, I reflect on now.

We arrived at the hospital. Hubby and I had to be separated.

The beeps and boops of the hospital, echoed a tone deaf duo, throughout the ward.

I was hurried to get an Xray.

But first,

My right skate needed to be removed,

slowly they undid the laces.

By the time the boot was off, my ankle had became the modest size of a baseball.

The Xray was done, and it was confirmed, that of course I had brokend my ankle in…

Drum roll please.

Three places, my nurses and Doctors all said I did an impressive job.

I was chuffed by that little achievement.

My inner child never ceasing.

Nurses had to do a temporary cast for my ankle.

The pain would be an issue.

The solution?

Laughing gas.

Of course.

Deep breathe in-

Deep breath out….

A purple haze was beginning to drap over me.

I dont know if it was exhaustion, pain or even the purple haze vibe going on within me.

That caused me to nonchalantly admire and mumble out,

‘The gas tubes are beautifully coloured pink and blue. Pink being my favorite colour ofcourse.’

Then I was out..

As I was slowly coming through, I could hear the nurses talking.

I felt a coolness on and around my ankle.

A feeling of such,

resembling that of,

the gentle caressing touch,

of,

ocean water,

ever so gently dancing around the ankle,

within the eb and flow of the tide.

Five days of hospital passed in an Oxy filled haze.

Friday finally arrived,

my operation did occur.

I re-woke with a metal plate built within the right side off my ankle.

The inner left side of my ankle is, ‘delicately’ crowned with a couple of screws.

After the operation,

I persisted in telling my Doctors and nurses,

‘That I will be going home on Saturday.

At the very least,

I will limp on towards home.’

Thankfully,

I was home on Saturday.

Which I guess is yesterday from today’s date.

Well that is that for now.

Pain be creeping in.

Peace….