Rhino’s Ramblings - The Red Onion

By Robert Thomas Opinion/Commentary

This past weekend I was awakened by a pair of Moose Jaw Police Service (MJPS) officers beating loudly on my front door.

“Sorry guys” I said as I looked out the bedroom window realizing I’d slept in and the police had been summoned.

“Don’t be sorry we’re just happy to see you alive,” the one officer said.

To understand the story you need to put things into context. I suffer from stage four heart disease and the heat is just bailing me.

My friend Lorna was suppose to pick me up at 10 am to go and visit a friend, Janis, who was sick with cancer in the Galloway Health Centre in Oxbow.

Janis had phoned me on the Monday prior to come for a visit. I thought it was loneliness but also at the same time you had the feeling it would be a final visit.

Lorna had beat on my back door, beat on my front door, tried to phone me six times, the MJPS had called but this Lazarus was not waking up. It’s heart disease - the fatigue and medications are enough at times Jesus couldn’t wake me up on his best day.

I told Lorna sorry it wasn’t too bad it was just 11 am it’s almost noon she replied.

“Shit” I said as I jumped into my jeans and headed out the door forgetting a large red onion I had bought for the occasion.

I know there are those who are going to say “why a red onion?”

Well probably about two years prior I had borrowed a red onion to make chilli and kept forgetting to return it.

There was no way in Hell I was going to allow someone die with me owing them something. Well due to my forgetfulness Hell had arrived.

I’ll be honest there is nothing Janis could do with the red onion. The point was making amends before it was too late.

The trip from Moose Jaw to Oxbow is a long one.

Lorna said she was happy to have me along for the ride as it was boring and we had a good time debating. For me I felt we were actually arguing. Hmmmmm….

All from the comfort of an air conditioned vehicle cold enough to hang and age beef in.

When we arrived in Oxbow we drove up what seemed like an endless sea of purple petunias. Perhaps not endless but much more than Moose Jaw has.

I was a bit shocked at Janis when I first saw her. Cancer had eaten into her and dozens of pounds were gone.

Her arms had IV ports to send fluids and nutrients into her body and her colour was a bit off.

Janis was heavily sleeping and for ten minutes it looked like she wasn’t going to wake up. Then I sneezed and it made her stir.

It was a slow awakening as you come out from under the influence of medication. It’s a struggle to reach the surface and take a gasp of reality. An awakening that doesn’t come all at once but a procession of alertness.

Once you’re awake you’re fine before that you slip into a netherworld.

Janis would talk to us about the things that mattered in her life.

She would talk about her daughter Amy at length and how she could draw anything. Janis told us about Amy’s art as proudly as Picasso’s mom would have.

Janis talked about her childhood and the good things that were part of another time.

We’d go outside into the health centre’s superb garden. The only complaints being the heat and the noise of the air conditioners running at full tilt so close by.

She didn’t say too much in the garden other than she preferred to listen.

Once back in the room Janis told us about her guest book. If you visited her you were expected to write down your thoughts.

Lorna would loudly say exactly what she wrote. Embarrassingly Lorna recanted my not waking up as the reason for our being late but we had a good visit.

I would write an apology for not returning the red onion I borrowed and asked Janis not to haunt me in the afterlife about it.

It was sort of a funny entry while at the same time I put in some insurance for the hereafter.

Janis would hug me and say those three words to me we all strive to hear in life “I love you” as we left.

I wish there was a happy ending and somehow miraculously Janis’ cancer went away but it didn’t.

After we left I’m told Janis was never cognizant again.

Sadly Janis quietly passed away this past Monday evening.