Charles Dickens starts off A Tale of Two Cities, by saying it was the best of times, it was the worst of times.

The Tremeloes, after very many La La La La’s tell us that even the bad times are good.

And I agree, we are currently experiencing the best of times, and the worst of times, but despite it all, even the bad times are good.

Over the years, Colin and I have experienced many moments. There was that one camping holiday, where Colin forgot to pack his book, and so with nothing to read, we shared a book. Seriously. I would read both side of the page, tear it off (it was a soft cover book), and pass it to Colin to read. Colin would then after reading meticulously place the pages on a pile, back in the correct order. Why he did this, I do not know. It was not as if we could pass the book on to the next person to read. To make matters worse, this book, or pile of loose pages if you prefer, then found a safe haven in the storeroom below the stairs for quite a few years, before mice got into it, and we had to then ditch it. Yes, we have shared many, many moments.

But to get back to the camping holiday, it was on this trip that Colin produced from his crate, a very nice gas lamp. The sort of lamp where two people can cozy up to a shared book. Come Christmas morning, and all the gifts came out, I waited a little too long, before eventually asking Colin about there maybe being a gift for me? Oh, he said, this lamp. I got US this lamp for Christmas. Never mind. Life goes on, and so in May Colin celebrated his birthday. I handed him a wrapped parcel, which when opened turned out to be the camping lamp. There you go, I said. You can have my half for your birthday, now it is all your lamp. Let that be a lesson to him.

We also share a few other things. Such as our two sons, our three-legged cat, a very nice piece of mountain in Betty’s Bay and piles of bricks and stone. We share some wonderful friends. We share a sense of humour. We share opinions on world matters.  We share a love of old buildings. We like to visit dorpies. Right now, being a one car family, we share a car. (Remarkable how I get the share when the petrol tank is empty?) in fact, we share so much, that right now we share a tube of Corenza C’s and another of ACC 200. We share a nasal spray. We share a box of tissues. All of this means, that at a time when we should be enjoying the best of times, we are experiencing the worst of times. It is a long time since I have had flu this bad. An acquaintance, who visited us on the farm a week ago, who at the time was amazed at the beauty that surrounds us pointed out by saying: I guess that beautiful farm is not helping either right now. All that pollen is surely making your flu worse. Indeed. Right now, we are having the worst of time.

At what point does one take flu to a doctor? My philosophy has always been: if you doctor it, it takes two weeks. If you sit it out, it takes 14 days. Our sons one day said that as children they never got sick, because I did not allow them to. You have a tummy ache? Go to school. You will soon feel better. Same goes for a headache, off to school with you. The only time they ever missed school, was when they played music exams. You could miss school for those. What I can tell you is this. I wish I had taken this flu to the doctor. It is a long time since I have been this sick. And this at a time when I should be enjoying the best of times.

I love visits from our sons. This past weekend, Older Son called. We are in the area, fancy doing something? Oh, you’d rather not? You have the flu? OK. Maybe next time. A concert with six cellos on Sunday? OK, Still have flu. Maybe next time. Yes, sure, we can pop around and leave you a tube of Corenza C’s at the door.

But, before we turned into two piles of misery, things were good. With Younger Son having moved down here with his other half, we had the opportunity to be tourists with them for a day. We went into Hermanus, to the new Harbour, and as luck would have it, we spotted two whale cows, each with a calf. I classify whales with rhino, elephants, chameleons, and tortoises. No matter how many times I see them, the moment is always surreal and so precious. After a long look at the whales, we moved on to Fick’s pool for an El Fresco lunch. This time, as before, the little street urchins were there, in the pool. This time however, they had a chap with them, and he was giving them swimming lessons. I know there are people out there who dislike Ficks Pool for this very reason (one told me so in the week. Oh, no. We never go there, she said), but as our son pointed out, it is exactly that spirit of Ubuntu and Community outreach that makes going there so special. It was a beautiful sunny day, and we enjoyed every moment, of course, not realizing that flu was waiting for us just around the corner.

I am six days into my 14 days. Colin had a head start. He is on day nine.

The Tremeloes went on to sing: When the day seems to drag along, and all that I do is working out wrong, ….then all I’ve gotta do, is run to you. I will not be running. At the best maybe a nudge in the ribs, to remind Coin that it is his turn to fetch water for the Corenza C’s. And while you are there, we need the other box of tissues.