This post is dedicated to Bosco, my favourite chatterbox.

You know how I’ve been going on lately about wanting light & fluffy distraction, how I’m not up for having visitors (except Pipocas), and even how I often won’t answer my phone these days? Well, there is another exception to all that and that’s my friend and student Bosco, the 30-year-old son of another student Paloma, who is a good friend of Dr A (aka guspemar).

It all started while I was still in hospital . . .

It was the third day after the operation. They had finally taken the dreaded tube out of my throat and had also removed the catheter, so I was now forced to very painfully haul myself up out of bed to pee. After one arduous trip to the bathroom in the afternoon I opened the door to begin the slow shuffle back to my bed – one hand holding onto my sore belly, the other trying to manoeuvre the IV stand, my hospital gown all bunched up and my sweaty hair plastered to my head – and eep! there was a shiny & happy Bosco standing next to my bed, smiling and saying “surprise!”

My entire being went “oh noooo” with embarrassment, but I managed a smile and told Bosco that he would have to avert his eyes while I heaved my bulk back into bed and got the sheets arranged. After which I was exhausted and steeled myself for yet another visit from a well-meaning friend that was going to be very tiring for me. Instead, it ended up being a lovely hour of pleasant and much-needed distraction. After a few tedious minutes of the usual talking about me and how I was feeling I’d had enough and said to Bosco – “and what about you?” – which had the same effect as a starting pistol. Bosco was suddenly off and running.

Not only does the guy talk a mile a minute, he is just camp enough to add a certain flair and humour to his stories, and he has a ready smile and laugh that are quite infectious. So I laid back on my pillow with a smile on my face listening to The Life of Bosco and was transported from my hospital bed to much happier places. Though I did have to warn him from time to time about making me laugh because it made my belly hurt. Before he left he apologised for catching me off guard with his visit and then – dammit! – he made me laugh out loud by saying that I sure knew how to make an entrance. Ouch!

It later turned out that Bosco also had the same effect by telephone. I’m ashamed to say that I was avoiding answering my phone. Not because I didn’t want to talk to my friends but because I didn’t want to talk about ME and keep reliving all that shit. But I knew that with Bosco all I had to do was ask him “what’s new?” and I would immediately be whisked off to Boscoland for awhile and would be left smiling.

He was also my first return student this week, as I attempt to make up the classes I missed in May. Our first class on Monday evening zipped by so fast with both of us chattering away that I totally forgot about grammar and stuff, so I promised him we’d get back to the books next class.

Thanks for all the smiles, Bosco. 🙂