The setting sun
On Coping #149
We spend most of half term on the beach.
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More than once I catch myself thinking: ‘this is why we chose to leave out friends, our home our community behind us and start a new life by the sea’.
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It’s a thought I intend to hold on to.
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On one particular evening we barbecue steak with friends and then swim as the sun sets beyond the ocean.
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. . .
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Earlier that day, shortly after we had arrived at our hut and unpacked the paddle boards and barbecue stuff and blankets and deckchairs, a woman has a panic attack on the boardwalk just in front of us.
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I don’t hear how it starts but I later find out that her five year old son rode his bike into the back of her leg.
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Presumably there was some shouting followed by crying followed by panic.
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My friend S. was on hand and came out to help her.
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I was down at the water’s edge blowing up a paddle board. Our son came to me and told me a little of what had just happened with the bike and the leg and the panic and he asked me to come back to our hut where the lady was now sitting with her five year old and her two year old.
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This is Amy, my friend says as I come into our hut.
She’s having a bit of a hard time so she’s just sitting down for a moment.
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Our kids crowd at the door, curious and keen to help.
We usher them away for the time being.
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Hi Amy, I say, I’m George.
