Home Sweet Home

I arrived back at Heathrow as always delighted to be home, until I got to customs and saw the glum look on the welcome committees herding round the exit. It dawns on you at such times what you have come back to: cold/rain/snow (circle one), and reality comes crashing down.

After negotiating my way around the illegal taxi drivers touting for business, I headed straight for the valet parking pick-up point. My car arrived within minutes but had gained an 18 inch crack on its windscreen. Even then, visibility was remarkably better than the rental “Boatman” had procured for me in Accra.

Frosty Reception

Nut Job

You know how sometimes you get “that” feeling, or that little voice in your head that tells you NO? For goodness sakes, listen to it. “Boatman” was a nightmare. I don’t know what he was expecting, but since he never got it he turned into the loathsome person I knew he could be. He started raking up old news, whining about the deposit he lost on the engagement ring and trying to squeeze £100 out of me. Can you imagine? To think that I nearly married that Muppet. I shudder at the thought and say a prayer to the good Lord for delivering me from such evil!!!!

I was running late to the airport, though since I was on Africa time I could hardly call it late! Anyway, he was eager to get a reaction from me ahead of my departure and instructed the driver to abandon me and my oversized suitcases at the side of the road, all because I was 20 minutes late. Who could be so cruel? Now, as far as he was concerned, I was left destitute by the roadside, still recovering from malaria, and about to miss my flight. Unbeknownst to him, however, his kindhearted driver made sure I got to the airport in good time whilst we bitched about his boss!

I had a feeling our rekindled friendship would be more trouble than it was worth. I have since trashed his number...

So, not quite feeling 100% and still concerned about malaria, I hot-footed my way to the Hospital of Tropical Diseases near Tottenham Court Road. After 6 hours I got the all clear. It would have been done sooner, but they needed a few samples and I am no good at “preforming on demand!”   We got  eventually got what we needed, though, and I could put my mind at ease.

By this point I was totally exhausted and realised I had done very little training in the 5 days I was away, and that made me feel even worse.  It was snowing, cold and wet, but armed with a cuppa (cup of tea) and a Hobnob (cookie) I was at peace, and realised there still is no place like home.