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Sent: Thursday, 14 September 2000 5:40 PM
Dear Harald.

I hesitated answering your letter. Unfortunately Hedwig and I are still not the best. I think it will still take a while. Helga was sick with it for weeks. But don’t worry, we won’t let it get us down. And today is bad weather. Hedwig is busy with her trip preparations. She now has her passport, insurance etc together.

We have had a very difficult time behind us. Hedwig’s pneumonia took its toll on me. I think we have suddenly become old. And then my flu as well. I was convinced I was immune. I had thought that these injections against pneumonia and flu we have been having each year were really working well. And then that night doctor/locum who didn’t send Hedwig to Hospital! And I never opened my mouth! Susie had to come and order the ambulance. I really think Hedwig would not have survived it.

And then this disappointment with my doctor, who I have always had a lot of respect for. I begged him to send someone around. This @#@#@#  didn’t find it necessary. I should stay in bed and take panadol. In the afternoon I called him again. I was worried about my lungs. I had pain and wheezing. The cough was very painful, especially where my hernia is. But even then he said that I should continue to take panadol because there was nothing available that could help with this flu epidemic. And all that without any checkup. The same night Peter took me to the emergency clinic in the same hospital Hedwig was in. They discovered I had an infection in the lungs, where I was experiencing the stitches, but not a dangerous one. Which was all I wanted to know! They prescribed Antibiotics. And it has taken the entire 10 days to get over this flu. And the cough still hasn’t gone. But I am quite depressed. Tomorrow we will be going back to our heart specialist. He too has done his dash. Hedwig’s treatment in the hospital was fantastic. But this idiot (another one I had great respect for) couldn’t avoid telling Hedwig that if she lost 20 kilos she would feel better. With that he has branded himself in my view as the most stupid idiot there is. And what am I to do now? They are both good doctors. But how can one still trust them? This will take me a long time to find a solution to. As I said, today is bad weather. Tomorrow we will laugh again. We have already known for a long time that doctors are only human. But there are some amongst human beings, even if in the minority, who have at least some intelligence. Why aren’t they to be found under the species of doctor?

Hedwig laughs about your worry that the bit of food she prepared for you knocked her out. Don’t worry, it’s nothing unusual with the large club we have here, and they are often here. It is nice that you enjoyed it!

Dear Harald, the next letter will be happier. Not that we don’t have any fun here. For instance, Peter, who has rented a house in the bush, also has an apartment in the city, right near his workplace, near the casino. Well..considering he officially lives in the country (150 km away) he qualifies for paid hotel accommodation, when he works in the city. So occasionally he takes a room at a hotel. And on Sunday he announced, now that we are better, he would return to his country house. Hedwig said, laughingly,“ I give him two days, then he is back“. Robert in the meantime left his keys with us so that Peter can check out his apartment from time to time, whilst he is in Sydney. On Tuesday, Peter was back, took Robert’s key and moved into Roberts apartment. So all in all, including the hotel, he now has 5 homes where he camps. If that’s not funny then what is!

Kind greetings. I have sort of lost the plot with my book at the moment. Well...it will come back to me.

Tschüss. Peter.