Thursday 7th October 2021

 

Woke around 0815. Got up and made tea. Did a bit of work at the computer, anticipating a call from Aki, but she sent text message to say she was at her mum's bedside and might be some time. I made a packed lunch and set off for west London again around 1100. Not too busy out there, but sat nav took me by a circuitous route, avoiding a couple of traffic blackspots. Stopped at Tesco on the A312, and picked up a coffee from the drive-in Starbucks round the corner. Also managed to get some more petrol...I'm good for 300 miles! Got a text message around 1330 from Aki saying her mum had gone. The photo to the left was taken yesterday. Very sad...it seems she had waited it out for as long as possible so that Aki could fly over to say her goodbyes. Aki was lucky enough to spend a good six or seven hours with her in her room this afternoon, but had nipped back to the flat in the evening to have some dinner when the call came from the Care Home. 

Nobaru met Aki at the Care Home, and Toshiko was washed and dressed before being put in a casket and driven to the flat Aki is staying in nearby. Aki said she had gone ahead of the casket to organise the bedroom to help accommodate her mum when a strong earthquake struck, sending alarm messages to her iphone to evacuate the building! She went downstairs to help walk her mum in to find it pouring with rain outside...Shakespeare couldn't make it up!!! Anyway, her mum is now at peace in the flat and Aki will spend a last night or two with her in Chiba before the cremation is organised. Aki sounded pretty good on the phone...very accepting of the turn of events, and let's face it, it was our hope that her mum would pass while Aki was nearby. I finished inspections at 1700 and headed back home through appalling traffic. I was forced to take a detour through Greenford, and didn't get in till gone 1830. Cooked some vegetables and warmed my fish pie in the microwave, and joined the Tower Theatre BHM gig zoom meeting with knife and fork in hand. David appeared briefly to say hello, but he was at the theatre, having forgotten that he was watching a production of Carmen tonight! Kess the keyboard player dialled in from his local barbershop, where he was sat in the barber's chair having a trim! So we didn't get much done...don't know where everyone else had got to! Learning there songs, I hope! Aki called as I was running my bath. She was up making a morning tea, and showed me Toshiko lying in state in a white casket in the bedroom, a small shrine positioned above her head with incense, a Buddhist bell, and some family photos. She looked very at peace. 

Wednesday 6th October 2021

Woke around 0730 and got up to do a bit of work before breakfast. Aki called...she'd seen her mum this morning, and she seemed better than yesterday, though sleepy. I walked round to the petrol station and found they had had an overnight delivery, so I walked on to Big Jo's and had a coffee and a croissant, before picking up the car and putting some petrol in. Sales are limited to a maximum spend of £35. Still, it got me out west to do inspections in Hayes and Uxbridge. Had my lunch in the car. Stopped at ASDA in Hayes to pick up some lunch items for tomorrow. Got home around 1900 after doing 70 miles...long day! Had picked up a chicken thai green curry in ASDA which needed half-an-hour in the oven, so didn't have time to cook and eat the fish pie I had planned. Cooked after dinner instead, having got Tony to message me his recipe. Caught up with Aki's blog entries...very sweet and moving photos of her mum holding Aki's hand. Sorry I can't be there to offer some support.

Tuesday 5th October 2021

Fitful night's sleep. Woken about 0300 by the sound of rain hammering the bedroom roof above my head...went on for about two hours...never heard anything like it! Got up at 0800. No sign of the flooding I expected when I opened the living-room shutters. Some flooding reported in west London, though. Aki called to say her mum showing signs of decline this morning. She was able to stay with her in her room for longer than usual, and keep an eye on her. I worked at the computer until lunch time. Popped out for some milk, and bought some takeaway lunch at Girasole. Wandered past the petrol station, which has been re-fuelled. Small queue developing in the street. Aki called during lunch. She's been trying to prepare some text and photos in memory of her mum if and when the time arrives. Got a bit tearful, but it's good that she's there to guide her mum through it, should it come to that. Did some guitar practise, then a bit more work at the computer screen. 

Headed off for Stoke Newington in the motor around 1715. Very slow getting through Finsbury Park for some reason. I've only got 50 miles worth of petrol left. Got to Stoke Newington in good time, and was lucky to find a parking space on Alkham Road. Picked up a bottle of water and some tissues at the corner shop. About 10 people turned up for the audition for The Court Must Have a Queen, including Martin South, who I had last seen giving his Hamlet at the old Tower Theatre forty years ago! He made an excellent Henry VIII, and Simona and I agreed on that, and a chap called Nick Hall to play Cromwell. It was great to be in a little rehearsal room with a bunch of actors mucking about. There was a rather strange chap called Stephan, dressed in black with a fifties beatnik style hat and glasses who wanted to have a go at Cromwell. He played him as if he were Peter Sellars in Dr. Strangelove...I nearly got a fit of the giggles. Drove home via Sainsburys at Manor House, someone having mentioned that they were opening for petrol at night rather than during the day to avoid clashing queues with the store. But they had run out of fuel...I tried the BP garage at the top of Hornsey Rise, but they were dry, as was the petrol station behind our flat, which had had some at lunchtime! Missed my chance...only got 40 miles worth left now! Spoke to Louise on the phone...she wanted to know how Aki was getting on, so I updated her. I asked how her flat purchase was going, and she said she had decided to pull out, as she felt on second viewing that the flat was way too small. But then her landlady rang, who has been renting her flat out to Lou while she and her fella sailed around Britain; they have decided to sell up, so Louise is going to buy the flat off her. All's well that ends well! Read some Rachel Cooke before bath and bed...

Monday 4th October 2021

Woke around 0730. Aki called as I was eating breakfast. She'd visited her mum this morning, and they had managed to share an ice cream. Care Home Manager seems to have confirmed that Aki can visit on a daily basis, which is good. I ventured out onto the streets to see if any petrol had turned up at the garage round the corner. I was expecting to see Army Cadets in their fatigues, making Lower Holloway look like Camp Bastion. But the chap behind the counter reckoned they wouldn't get replenished until Wednesday. So worked from home today, which was alright by me...meant I could practice some guitar at lunchtime. Worked until 1700. Warmed up some home grown tomato sauce for supper, which I had with pasta and parmesan, and shredded cabbage. Kessle, our keyboard player rang to introduce himself. Was a bit shocked to discover that he lives in Slough!!! Left a message with Simona to warn her, as he may want travel expenses! I would if I were him! She sent over the script for The Court Must Have A Queen in advance of the auditions tomorrow night, so I read through it. Nice piece...not too long, and crisply written. Aki called just before bedtime. The temperatures are rising again, so she's looking forward to a walk in the forest park this morning.

Sunday 3rd October 2021

Got up around 0800. Worked on the guitar part to Dream A Little Dream. Aki called. She had been in to see her mum, who was not communicative today. It's all a bit swings and roundabouts, which makes things difficult. Aki is going to have a word with the Care Home Manager to see about coming in every day. Cooked egg rougaille for brunch. It was OK, but not convinced it was worth the faff. Walked up to Katherine's at No.127 for folk and fiddle rehearsals with George on flute, and Ben on fiddle. Katherine on cello as usual, and me thrashing out guitar chords to keep them vaguely in time. Nice to see everybody. Katherine and George have announced they are getting spliced in May, and are looking for a reception venue. I walked back past the petrol station on Hornsey Road to see what the situation was, only to find they were closed, having completely run out of petrol. Not looking good for work tomorrow! Got another singer on board for BHM gig, who wants to do Tracey Chapman's "Talkin' 'bout a Revolution", and Rihanna's "Umbrella" which are easy enough on guitar. 

Saturday 2nd October 2021

Woke around 0800. Got up to make tea and practise my bass part. Knocked on the door next door and yelled "Taxi for Hughes!" through the letterbox. Mr & Mrs Hughes eventually appeared hauling luggage...I explained that my hernia was playing up, so they'd have to lift it into the boot of the Landrover themselves. Yonkers the big black lab go in the back, and after a quick lesson in how to start the vehicle without keys, we set off for Euston station. It was a bit like driving the Starship Enterprise rather than a motor vehicle. Nice drive, though. Feels as expensive as it probably is. A lot of roads blocked off round Euston because of the HS2 works, but I eventually got to the station drop off point, and then drove back via Waitrose. Aki called. Said she'd watched a gentle Argentinian film drama called The Last Suit last night. She'd been for another walk to the forest park this morning, and looks quite healthy over the mobile phone screen. Made some lunch. Mum called, having accidentally sat on her iPad and caused the thing to go off! They have been keeping their heads down; the weather trapping them indoors for the present. Started raining heavily here this afternoon. Cooked up a rice pudding, and made a raspberry spoom...sent the recipe to dad. Jas can't now do the gig on 17th, so all my hard work on Dream A Little Dream these past two days has gone for nothing. Her dad doesn't want to partake if his daughter ain't...so we are back at square one. There's one chap who's up for singing Michael Kiwanuka's Cold Little Heart...now trying to find a bassist to take that on, as I'll have to play the guitar part. Cold Little Heart very easy...spent an hour or so working it up on the electric guitar; had to vacuum the guitar case, which has collected about 5 years worth of dust sitting under the bed!

Friday 1st October 2021

Woken around 0730 by strange metallic sounds out in the back yard. Opened the blind to discover it was raining heavily, and the wind was blowing rain coming off the church roof onto the aluminium step ladder propped against the outside wall. It was playing it like a musical instrument. Did a bit of work on the bass part again this morning...it's become almost addictive! I can't stop repeating it. Julie rang with some urgent inspection work...all within the M25, which was a relief. Aki called. She's still working through the family documentation. Did my physio exercises after lunch. Talked briefly to Colin on the phone...he's coming up to London on occassion over the next two or three weeks, and suggested a meet one evening. He had a traumatic incident driving the car back down the A45 after visiting family up Nuneaton way last week. A large dog suddenly ran across three lanes of fast moving traffic, and he couldn't help but hit it. The dog's hindquarters were badly smashed up. People stopped to help, and they got the hound to a local vet, but it had to be put down. Colin was understandably pretty shook up. Walked to Waitrose and picked up some milk, and some odds and ends. Hernia discomfort is affecting my ability to enjoy a walk...found myself yelping out in pain every now and then as I went. Don't know why it's taken such a turn for the worse. Made a mushroom and anchovy pasta sauce for dinner. Watched the final episode of Mare of Easttown. Got a bit silly toward the end.