diagnosis

2010 October i think, i had been painting the sitting room. i got a phone call that day that my son had had a fight with another kid and this was quite stressful. I saw my sister the day before. we had bumped into one another in Greenwich. twice over the last few days. in the library. i saw her looking far off and distant. i drew closer but she still did not see me. until we were nearly touching and then she saw me. she seemed so dreamy and far away.we talked and then we went to the charity shop together. she helped me look for things that would be good for my pregnancy. she said she wanted to find a pretty shift dress. she said she had a feeling she would not be wearing a pretty dress for some time. i didn't really understand this. but she sounded sure. she had been having back pain. she had dismantled her bed thinking it was the bed's fault. i offered to have Dylan that night. she was grateful and agreed. that night she was called to hospital following the results of a blood test. the following day she was diagnosed with acute myoloid leukaemia. i was in catford in the car driving when i got the call from another sister. it seemed like i already knew.  the shock started. some little time later i was in the queen Elizabeth hospital haphazardly surrounding the bed upon which lay my sister, all laughs and disbelief and lithe petite body; slim and well so far as i could see, in jeans and sweater my sister relinquished to this cruel disease not yet showing  the ravish it would bear upon her. not yet revealiong the horror of what was to come. so brave she was she had us virtually laughing so light she treated things; light hearted and generous with her loving humour. god bless my big little sister. xxxxxxxxRIP