Meaning to Life | Exotic Caribbean

Posts Tagged ‘stroke’

Thursday, July 29, 2004
A good and trusted friend of Playa Vista came to us with a very discomforting personal story recently. For a living he teaches in an inner city New York high school, by all accounts not the easiest job in the world, and clearly a man deserving of his summer vacation in the warmth free from all the stress and strain of responsibility that he usually bears. Well… he is such a good and trustable friend that another New Yorker, but Boca Chica resident, asked if he would look after his dog for a couple of weeks while he sorted a few personal matters out in the Big Apple. No problem said the trusted friend in a telephone conversation before he arrived. The day after his arrival and his supposed holiday began he was thus in charge of a young and extremely healthy male dog in his hotel. Unfortunately, not long passed before said dog got entangled in a very serious encounter with two other long-term resident dogs ostensibly due to his desire to satisfy a natural instinct with the female and the other male being somewhat reluctant to allow this kind of hanky panky in his territory. Anyway… the virile dog was held fore and aft by the two other dogs and our valiant teacher friend called for water – thinking that a nice big bucket of the cold type might quell their dispute. Unfortunately the hotel maid came running with merely a cup, but full nonetheless, that had zero effect on the snarling dogs even when she offered to refill it. By this time the dogs were getting into a serious frenzy and our vacationing teacher now had to prove his valor and came rushing with a large broom. He succeeded by finally separating all the dogs after a considerable struggle only to find that his charge was quite badly mauled down one leg. With blood dripping from the wound he then arranged and paid for a vet to visit and apply the necessary treatment including administering antibiotics.
This in itself was a very sensitive point because our teacher knew only too well the sad story of what happened to wounded lover boy’s doggie predecessor to whom the owner was very attached. On one ordinary Boca Chica day a vet visited and injected the dog merely as a precaution against an illness picked up by one of the other resident dogs… and within 48 hours the poor dog very sadly died of a seizure.
Nevertheless… under the supervision of our good teacher the battered dog spent a couple of days recovering under the bed, but having got through several responsibility hurdles our teacher friend was now very apprehensive about letting the dog out of his sight let alone out of the his hotel room. Meanwhile he had to feed, walk and clean the dog as usual. Our baby-sitting teacher was really on the job and was last explaining his concern to us that he still hadn’t had the owner confirm his return as planned after 2 weeks which would leave our teacher a full week to finally get down to some more traditional Boca Chica relaxation after his hard day’s night working like a dog!

Meanwhile seven years later:
The dog did indeed fully recover and our teacher not only enjoyed the rest of his vacation but has continued to visit Boca Chica over the years but I believe he never offered to look alter anybody’s pet again!

Wednesday, April 21, 2004
The fragility of the body is unfortunately a fact we all have to live with and an unavoidable part of life… even here in paradise. Clearly the warm air and hot sunshine are helpful to most forms of good living and we savor that greatly as we bask in sunshine close to 365 days a year. However, two stalwart residents of Boca Chica and regularly convivial visitors at our bar are this week battling against nature’s harsh hand. ‘Ronnie’ and ‘Captain Frank’ are the two Boca Chica veterans who many of you will know if you have ever visited the bar in the late afternoon to early evening. ‘Ronnie’ is winging his way back to the US of A for a triple by-pass operation and is optimistic that in 4 weeks or so he will be skipping around Boca Chica again. Meanwhile ‘Captain Frank’, known as such because as he lives on a boat in Andres-Boca Chica harbor, has suffered a hospitalizing stroke. Good friends are trying their best to accommodate him and make way for his return to US territory in San Juan where he would be able to get the very best treatment in the veteran’s hospital.
We naturally wish them both a very speedy recovery!

Meanwhile seven years later:
Ronnie actually needed a quintuple by-pass operation and has continued to frequent the bars of Boca Chica in his own convivial way ever since. Unfortunately Captain Frank did not recover and died soon after his initial stroke. The ashes of his cremation were carried through Playa Vista and sprinkled in traditional naval fashion in the waters of Boca Chica bay one bright sunny afternoon attended respectfully by friends and family!