13) Battling cancer

This goes back to at least 6 years when I had a short assignment for the Singapore embassy; an advisory cell for students on their eligibility for a study visa in that country. Ms. Althea Fitzsimons was the executive secretary to the Director and soon enough we became good friends.

Althea, a 24 year petite Anglo Indian was an exceptional secretary; as is so common to that community. Her cascading, bob cut hair, a musk perfume, and a short gown exposing her shapely legs to her advantage. Combine this with a restrained mouth that reflected before replying in an ultra soft whisper and you know that you are in the presence of a femme fatale that could grace any royal court.

She was engaged to a guy in Australia and hence quickly became everyone’s sister!!!
But one wag in the office said,” I will break that engagement”, to merriment around.

I would pick on her “Fitzsimons” surname; for it sounded like a fighter aircraft.
Soon many started to address her as F-16 or F-17. In addition I would taunt her on her heightened feminity.

Althea would prone to say,” Anand, I wasn’t always like this. You would be surprised that even in college I was a tomboy. Yeah, then quite suddenly I became completely feminine” as I began to quiz her on her grooming.

I was wont to give her a ride in my bike and one day, the skies opened to real cats and dogs. As we sat in the office for the showers to abate she showed a passport size photograph of herself. In the snap she looked almost angelic with a long mane of hair and face with baby fat cheeks.

She said,” Anand, I used to have a long hair but lost them during the cancer treatment”.

I almost jumped off the chair,” Come again, I did not hear you right”.

Althea continued,” When I was 16, I fell ill and rapidly losing weight, feeling exhausted most of the time. There is a small lump in the right thigh and the tests revealed that it was malignant. The cancer had advanced to the lymph nodes and we wasted no time in treatment.

I was on laser treatment in addition to chemotherapy. I was a touch-and-go case for the hospital and the entire staff of nurses, wards boys, resident doctors and chief doctor cheered and willed me to cross the line. Moreover, those days I really looked like an angel too and they would tweak my cheeks in fondness.

I remember the day when the WBC count fell to less than 100, I cried the whole day. The nurses cheered me up saying that I should not waste my “little packet of energy” on tears and instead stay positive to fight the disease. They were really considerate beyond belief.

Slowly, I made it losing just my hair and one academic year at school. The entire hospital cheered when I was discharged. Dr. Maitreyan was the one who worked the miracle and I am still grateful to him.

Even now I go to Tata Memorial Hospital on a monthly basis to cheer other patients. I am some sort of a counselor and many come to me with their fears. I guess my words carry more weight for I have gone through the pain and suffering”.

I was astounded as how this frail, beatific girl endured such pain?
Soon after she married her Aussie boyfriend and the entire office – right from the peons to the directors gave her a memorable farewell.

I was discussing about Althea to a common friend and his words still ring out in the mind: with such an attitude and perseverance, Althea will be a winner anywhere.