I would like to have my hair set, and although I know we don't really
need them, David, my darling, we should keep in touch with people, like
once a month, don't you think? Has it been that long? David asked
innocently, although each day had been carefully weighed and tallied,
the actuality savoured and the memory stored for the lean times ahead.
David left Debra at the beauty salon, and as he went out he could hear
her pleading with the girl not to put it up into those tight little
curls and plaster it with lacquer and even in the anxiety of the moment,
David grinned for he had always thought of the hairstyle she was
describing as Modem Cape Dutch or Randburg Renaissance.
The postbox was crammed full and David sorted quickly through the junk
mail and picked out the letters from Debra's American agent, and two
envelopes with Israeli stamps. Of these one was addressed in a doctor's
prescription scrawl, and David was surprised that it had found its
destination. The writing on the second envelope was unmistakable, it
marched in martial ranks, each letter in step with the next, and the
high strokes were like the weapons of a company of pike men, spiky and
abrupt.
David found a bench in the park under the purple jacaranda trees, and he
opened Edelman's letter first.
It was in Hebrew, which made deciphering even more difficult.
Dear David, Your letter came as a surprise, and I have since studied the
X-ray plates once more. They seem unequivocal, and upon an
interpretation of them I would not hesitate to confirm my original
prognosis Despite himself, David felt the small stirrings of relief.
However, if I have learned anything in twenty-five years of practice, it
is humility. I can only accept that your observations of
light-sensitivity are correct.
Having done so, then I must also accept that there is at least partial
function of the optic nerves. This presupposes that the nerve was not
completely divided, and it seems reasonable to believe now that it was
only partially severed, and that now, possibly due to the head blows
that Debra received, it has regained some function.
The crucial question is just how great that recovery is, and again I
must warn you that it may be as minimal as it is at the present time,
when it amounts to nothing more than light sensitivity without any
increase to the amount of vision. It may, however, be greater, and it
is within the realms of possibility that with treatment some portion of
sight may be regained.
I do not expect, however, that this will ever amount to more than a
vague definition of light or shape, and a decision would have to be made
as to whether any possible benefit might not be outweighed by the
undesirability of surgery within such a vulnerable area.
I would, of course, be all too willing to examine Debra myself. However,
it will probably be incan venient for you to journey to Jerusalem, and I
have therefore taken the liberty of writing to a colleague of mine in
Cape Town who is one of the leading world authorities on optical trauma.
He is Dr. Ruben Friedman and I enclose a copy of my letter to him.
You will see that I have also despatched to him Debra's original X-ray
plates and a clinical history of her case.
