Bashful hellos and goodbyes during Anne’s struggle with brain cancer: Snatching victory from the jaws of defeat
In Anne Tyler’s iconic novel The Accidental Tourist, the character Muriel Pritchett describes herself as “bashful” when she first makes love with the lead character, Macon Leary.
Bashful. A quaint, moving, and beautiful word.
My Anne, who has memorized so much of Anne Tyler’s work, has become bashful.
During her 12-week battle with glioblastoma, terminal brain cancer, Anne has lost her hair, her mobility, and her power to speak.
Her physical decline has made her bashful.
But the onslaught of the disease and its ongoing insidious effects have also yielded new olfactory, tactile, and gustatory gifts.
Anne had always shunned spicy foods, including during our trip to Thailand.
She now orders every sort of fiery comestible.
And she has lost all power to speak or opine, instead smiling serenely, at peace during political discussions, never again to shudder or jump when a name is mentioned that rhymes with lump.
A few words will still emerge at the strangest of times.
We live in a canine-dominated building. Hot-weather, wet-weather, the dog-days-of-summer weather leave olfactory traces in hallways and elevators.
“Essence of dawg,” Anne will repeat, imitating our son imitating the figure whose name rhymes with lump and who has spoken of “dawgs.”
But most of all, Anne is bashful. She holds me for hours in a timid embrace and lets herself be stroked like a kitten.
My Kit.
She repeats, “ I love you all the time and I’ll love you forever.” And then is speechless once more.
She is bashful.
Bashful during our long goodbye.
Your friend,
Robert
https://robertmcbrydeauthor.com/
