l followed her lead my fingers searching blindly, my ears listening for the click that signalled the release, finally the strap loosened, l was free, but free to go where, there was only one door that l could see …and where the hell would l go anyway.

“Come on cowboy let’s get you seen to,”

l wasn’t too keen on the invitation, struggling to swallow the lump in my desert, dry throat l had no other option but to again play follow the leader, up a flight of stairs through the only door and into a room, because of the sink and various items of kitchenware l rightly figured was a kitchen, even l can’t be wrong all the time, she directed me to a bar stool that she had placed ready beside the sink,

“Sit.” she ordered.

l sat and waited, she had left the room but quickly returned carrying a white box which she placed at my elbow on the sink drainer, within minutes she was daubing, poking and digging at my temple and forehead, the frequent jerks of my head and my movements away from her probing fingers did nothing to dissuade her they only met with more ‘tuts’ and growls of ‘OMG will you hold still’.

Maybe she was trying to distract me or maybe she was genuinely sorry, but she kept apologising for the ‘state of the place’ and ‘the dirty dishes in the sink’ explaining that it was always when she had unexpected visitors that she got caught out, l really didn’t give a dam about her dishes l just wanted my head back, allowing me a moments respite l flicked a glance around the empty room, l figured l was the unexpected visitor, she returned to torturing me, for a small gal it felt as if she had Ponderosa Pine tree trunks for fingers, hissing my painful disapproval for a brief moment l successfully gained release from her clutches,

“OMG sit still you wuss, l aint hardly touching you,”

Not knowing at all what a ‘wuss’ was, l figured some kind of animal, all l can say is she certainly had a way of putting a fellas back up, at one point l felt sure she was going to slap me, and as much as l don’t like to admit it, l couldn’t guarantee that l wouldn’t have returned the blow, at last, finally l thought, she’s finished but the look in her eye told another story.

“This might sting a little,” she advised as she used her hand to shelter my eye, the freezing cold blast of fire that hit the side of my head fair lifted me off of the chair, l thought it would burn it’s way into my brain,

“What the f…,” my Pa’s lessons in manners and gentlemanly behaviour hit the dirt,l hadn’t realised that as l leaped backward l had knocked over the stool,

“l told you it would sting,” she said as she righted her furniture, as if that made it OK.

“That weren’t no sting, you done branded me,” l yelled protecting the now covered wound with my hand.

“Oh come on don’t take on so,” she cajoled me back to sit beside the sink, “come ‘ere an l’ll kiss it better,” she placed a quick peck on the side of my face, “as my mum used to say it’ll be better before you’re married.”

l couldn’t help but grin, she maternally patted my curls, l could never understand why, with all the ‘patting’ my hair had gotten over the years it wasn’t permanently flattened to my head like a dried piece of cow dung, to my apprehension she gave her attention to my torn pant leg.

Whoa, hold up l told her, it aint nothing but a scratch, it’s OK, l tried every means to thwart her administrations, l didn’t think l could take another clubbing, she advised against infection and that by the length of the tear in my pants it was hardly a scratch, leave it to me, l countered, holding her slim wrist firmly in my hand keeping her intrusive fingers at bay, l can do it, l tugged gently at the bundle of cloths wedged between my pants and my leg, they stayed firmly in position.

“Those pants are going to have to come off, l can’t get at it otherwise,”

The thought of her ‘getting at it’ was just as disturbing as the thought of removing my clothing.

“Nah it’s OK, it really is nothing,”

l again countered and looked up for her agreement, the sight that beheld me was, well if l hadn’t seen it with my own eye’s l wouldn’t have believed it, she stood in a stance very familiar, her arms crossed over chest, leaning slightly to one side, a look on her face that subtly and silently challenged my decision, and of course she was right, though there was still no way, l even if my leg were hanging off was going to stand half naked in her kitchen, while she played nurse.

So for a moment we stood eye to eye, me with teeth clenched, flared nostrils and my best face of defiance, her with a look of raised eyebrow, knowing, smugness,

“You riding commando cowboy aint ya?”

“What?”

“You are, aren’t you, l do sometimes, usually depends on where l’m going and what l got to wear on top, no VPL, get my drift,”

Defiance seeped from me like butter melting on a dish of corn cobs to be replaced by total puzzlement, she handed me the long, soft piece of material she had snagged from a fence of garments, standing against the wall, l fingered it but remained in ignorance.

“What…?”

“Don’t look so offended since Becks sported a sarong they’ve become very macho, now don’t be such a ‘big girls blouse’, you can slip it on in there, ”

l turned to face the door she had with a flick of her shaven head directed me to, with a shrug of my shoulders l decided it was time to offer some sort of explanation…after all what had l to loose.

“Look, l’m sorry to be so…so offhand, l guess l sounded kinda rude, l can see you’re trying to help me, but it’s just l caint, l’m having trouble…l just don’t know what you are…,”

“No Cowboy,” she interrupted, slowly walking right up to me she very gently placed one small tanned hand on my chest, ” it’s me should apologise, see l spent most of my student years in England, an l guess l still talk a lot of ‘Limey’  l know too,  l been told so many times l talk too fast,” she grinned sheepishly, though her eyes sparkled with amusement, her elfin face lit up when she smiled she was darn pretty, “guess l do rattle on a bit, now you pop in there, give a shout when you’re ready an decent, an l promise less chat, more tlc, and my very best behaviour…OK?…friends?”

“Friends,” l agreed,

Closing the door behind me, l found myself in a small, cluttered bedroom, pressing my back against the white, wood paneled door, l wondered if l too could make the same promise.