Many years ago, at school in South Africa, in either 1981 or 1982, we were told a story, a fable, a tale. There were many 'stories' in fact but a few in particular stayed in my mind to this day.
This is my basic memory of that story. I even remember what a hot day it was when the Nun, Sister Caroline, told us.
We had our blazer jackets on and were told not to take them off. I could feel the sweat on he back of my neck and even my knees. I was also told off on this day for my hair touching my dress collar?! However that is another story!
So here goes...this is my adaptation of the story...I think my sister may remember this one but she might remember it differently as we tend to do that!....
Life through a window
Two girls were in a hospital ward. One in the bed by the window & the other on the other side of the room against the ugly wall.
They became friends, spoke about getting better and running and playing outside in the sun together, they laughed they cried, they shared food, shared jokes but MOST importantly they shared 'life through a window'...
Oh yes! This was the thing they shared the most. Wall girl would ask Window girl all about what it looked like outside the window...
Window girl loved this. She lay in her bed looking out of the window smiling and telling Wall girl all about it. Wall girl would get excited & beg her to tell her more about the flowers and the colours & the beautiful life outside the hospital window. Window girl always entertained her with this.
They shared the dream of healthily running about smelling the flowers, painting pictures of them, all the beautiful colours & scents.
Wall girl told Window girl that this dream kept her strong to fight to get better. The friendship & dream were strong and real...Window girl gently said..."Just remember the beautiful life through the window"....
That night there was lots of noise & rushing about, nurses in and out and then silence..... a strange silence. Wall girl was told to sleep.
She woke up to find the bed by the window was empty. Empty! Window girl had gone, her dear friend & narrator of 'life through a window' was gone.
The nurses came to comfort Wall girl. There was one thing on her mind.. She asked the nurse if the could move her bed by the window. She wanted to see out of the window. The nurses tried to assure her that it was no better than the place she was in by the wall. Wall girl insisted.
The bed was moved, Wall girl pulled the blind back, blinking with excitement and also at the sunlight that poured in....she blinked again to re focus, she couldn't wait to see the beautiful flowers she had heard so much about.
She blinked again, staring out of the window, almost n disbelief. There was a wall, an ugly concrete WALL with rubbish all around, not beautiful at all...
"Wh..where are...wh...where are all the beautiful flowers Window girl told me about?".. she quietly asked the nurse....
"Flowers? There never were any flowers dear Wall girl, you had a friend, a friend who could see beauty in life even when it wasn't there.... so she could improve your days and make you happy.."
Wall girl was stunned for a moment. Then she smiled, lay back in her bed looking out of the window...
There was noise and people running about again, this time wheeling a bed into that place by the wall, the ugly concrete wall she remembered so well.The new Wall girl smiled, said hello and asked with great excitement & hope.. "ooohhh is it beautiful outside that window? I bet it's beautiful".....
Wall girl, now New Window girl looked outside at the ugly concrete wall, .. she smiled and turned to the new face of hope.. "ooh yes YES...it's beeeeeautiful, the flowers are so beautiful, we will pick flowers together one day"......
'Life through a window' make of it what you want........
