Page 112 - She's One Crazy Lady!

Sharnee“
Thursday 28th June 2001: “D-Day!”
n’s excitement was infectious, and her constant grin
Here we go again! This time my stomach felt knotted, and I felt unsettled. I was beginning to have doubts and had a niggling feeling that it may, perhaps, not be the news I wanted. It was a very pleasant June morning; the children, and staff, were excited as we made sure they all looked spick and span in their uniforms and that we all had our Union Jack flags to hand. I felt very excited for Sharneen, one of our learning support assistants, who we asked at the last minute to come along with us. Sharneen was from South Africa and was over the moon, saying how she couldn’t wait to tell her folks back home – words reiterated by Des, who wanted his Mum to know, in Australia, he was seeing Her Majesty – the Queen. Sharneen’s excitement was infectious, and her constant grin comforted me and made me forget what was to follow. There was more joy in the evening when the television cameras had picked up
a conversation she and Des were having with Her Majesty and their photograph, prominently featured in the local Evening Telegraph the next day. I was happy because I was physically so close to the Queen and was able to take some superb shots – it was an unforgettable and a very happy morning! Little did we know then that just a year or so after this, Sharneen, too, was diagnosed with breast cancer and very sadly died.
I purposely didn’t linger at school and made a quick get-away to get home and washed before being picked up by our Senior Education Officer, who insisted on taking me. This was all getting a bit ‘real’ and, despite making small talk with waiting patients and the clinic running late, I was very apprehensive, and the butterflies and dry mouth were present again.
“Glennis, if you’d like to come in?”
Words I’d heard before. The blue cape was presented to me, and I was told that Mr Stewart would be in shortly to examine me. Once again, I could feel that trickle of sweat down my spine.
Examination over.
“Please sit there so that we can
comforted m”
e.
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