GET WELL SOON.

           A visit to Mona Vale Hospital  (Mid  1966)

When I learnt of the State Government's intention to demolish the long standing but essential Mona Vale Hospital, despite an enquiry still taking place, I happened to recall my one and only visit, that took place over half a century ago, mid way through 1966. My God, doesn't time fly.


Sunday morning arrived and after a long sleep in I fell out of bed and made myself some brunch. There wasn't much happening in Marrickville that day as the Newtown Jets were not playing down the road at Henson Park. Boy, was I bored to death. Nothing on Television worthwhile watching, so late as it was, I decided to drive up north to the surf club at Avalon hoping some of my fellow troublemakers would be there.
Arriving at around 1:30pm I soon discovered the place was empty and about as exciting as Adelaide on any given Sunday.

Standing on the club's back landing watching the traffic passing by on Barrenjoey Road, I was joined by one of the surf club's juniors who seemed to appear out of nowhere. He asked me if I had heard what had happened to a dear friend and acquaintance of mine, namely the extremely pretty Denise. 

I had known Denise for the last 7 years and even though we had never dated, I regarded her as one of the local female specials whose friendship I valued very dearly, to say the least. There had been more than one occasion when she attempted to become a matchmaker by lining me up with various highly attractive young ladies. She obviously was under the impression I needed help when it came to the opposite sex. In fact she was responsible for me enjoying the company of two of my earlier girlfriends. Three years earlier she took charge of a female team who were my linesmen when I was the beltman during a mass rescue at Avalon. That same day after the rescues were completed Denise and the five other girls were examined and received their Resuscitation Certificates and were commended by the SLSA for the part they played during said same rescue. 

When I answered the young fellow in the negative he began to inform me that Denise was in Mona Vale Hospital and after several major operations it looked as though she may never walk again. It appeared there had been an horrific car accident and Denise's legs were crushed by the cars engine requiring her to be cut out of the severely damaged vehicle. He went into quite a bit of detail about what had occurred, but I won't relate that as even now I still get upset thinking about it. 
Shortly afterwards he said farewell and left.

Whilst he was still in sight, a female voice called my name and I was gobsmacked to see a former girlfriend of mine named Michelle, whom I hasten to add had been introduced to me by the severely injured Denise, approaching. She was dressed to kill as if she was off to church. She asked me if I could give her a lift to the Mona Vale Hospital as she had just missed the bus and it would be at least another 30 minutes before the next one was due.
I asked her was she going to visit Denise perchance and she answered yes and asked me if I had heard what had happened. I told her I had only just heard from one of the club juniors.  She joined me on the landing and began relating what she knew about the cause of the accident and its consequences. Her story and version were identical to what I had been told only a few minutes earlier.

I spruced myself up and the two of us headed for the Hospital in the mighty red Morris.

After arriving we enquired as to where Denise's room was and after locating it we discovered she was not there. One of the patients told us he had seen her about 30 minutes earlier hobbling up the street on crutches, wearing only a nightie and  heading for the beach and ocean. As there was only one way in and out of the place Michelle and I decided to wait for her to return via the main foyer.

Beach at Mona Vale

After several coffees and many reminiscences of fun and games long since passed, our missing surfer girl still had not made an appearance, so Michelle was all in favour of returning to Avalon and popping in for a visit some other day. We left the foyer and began walking across the carpark towards our parked vehicle. 
Next to the carpark was a vacant block of land with tall grasses growing everywhere and much to our shock and surprise who should suddenly arise from the middle of this wilderness, non other than the missing Denise clad in a short pink nightie, in bare feet and carrying a pair of wooden crutches. 

She was having difficulties balancing after standing and Michelle and I trudged through the long grass to assist her. It appears she decided to take a short cut across the field but kept losing her balance because of the undulating ground and thought it best to lie down and have a short nap. While Michelle and I were in the Hospital gasbagging and quaffing down cappuccinos and wondering where she was, Denise was snoring her head off in the field.

I very quickly realised it would be way too difficult for her to walk to the bitumen clad carpark so I told her to lean forward and despite her protests, I threw her over my shoulder and after she confirmed that she was comfortable, we headed for the Hospital.

Reaching the carpark she told me to put her down but I kept on walking towards the main entry with her protesting all the way and Michelle following carrying the crutches. When she thumped me, I smacked her on the seat of her pinkish knickers and entered the Hospital with her still calling down hellfire and damnation on me as we marched through the foyer, then reached the lifts where several folk were waiting for a lift to arrive.

Entering the lift someone politely asked me, "What floor mate?" 
I told him, "Two please."
"I hope you gentlemen realise this man is abducting me against my will so he can have his way with me," said the upside down Denise just as we reached Level 2 and was given another smack on the bum for her comment. One of the passengers was heard to say, as we left the lift, "Good luck mate." Several of the nurses seemed to be more than amused seeing the three of us making our way down the corridor with my pinkish bundle of fluff still thumping me and casting doubts as to my parentage.

Arriving at her room I carefully lowered her into her bed and Michelle and I stayed with her for at least another hour or so rabbiting on about those good old days of misbehaving. At one stage Denise thanked Michelle and I for the visit and made it known she was more than delighted to see the both of us. When she asked were we back together again, we both answered simultaneously when I said simply, "No" and Michelle with a horrified look on her face exclaimed, "No way."
When it came time to go the two girls hugged and kissed and I was told by Denise, "When I get better I'm going over to the surf club and if I find you asleep on the front deck I'm going to drop kick you off it Pogo."

I replied, "Knowing you're fully recovered will please me no end and I'll look forward to you doing just that, just make sure you get well soon" and then I kissed her on the cheek.

She stared at me for a few seconds then said, "Come here Boofhead" and I was given a very passionate tonguey which caused me to wheeze and gurgle.

"Whoa! What's for lunch?"

"Mind your manners Pogo," exclaimed Denise with a cheeky self satisfied look on her face, "it's rude to talk with your mouth full."

Michelle and I then left and after dropping her off at Avalon it turned out to be the last time the two of us ever saw each other.

As for Denise, what a brave and wonderful young lady she turned out to be. She eventually recovered from her injuries and after 53 years I can still taste that never to be forgotten  farewell kiss.

I'm still waiting for the drop kick however.