1961

February 2003

I could see that Maggie was tired as we traveled back, so I encouraged her to sleep, by resting her head on my lap. The train journey was not particularly smooth though, and my efforts failed.

When we got back to Hong Kong, we walked toward the bus stop, we were going back to Maggie’s house for supper, as she needed to pack a few clothes for our tour, which was to start the following morning.

After supper, Maggie complained about not feeling well, a slight cold it seemed, but after some discussion with her mother, Maggie said ‘my mother asked if you will take me to the hospital’
‘Well of course I will, but why do you need to go to hospital?’
‘My mother is worried, because we are going to China tomorrow. You know, she doesn’t want me to be ill when we are traveling, and China is so backward country, she thinks better get some medicine today’
‘Ok babe’

I held her in the taxi, she seemed weary but nothing else, she certainly didn’t have a temperature.

Fortunately, the hospital wasn’t busy, so she saw a doctor quite quickly, he said he would need a urine sample and asked her about her periods. My memory was better than hers. Then Maggie was given a sample bottle, and we were asked to wait in reception until they had the results.

Maggie handed me her examination card, and headed for the ladies room, and of course I read it whilst she was gone. It didn’t say much, just her Chinese name, address and identity number. But then I noticed her date of birth.

I looked away………… it must be wrong, I thought……... then I looked again. Without doubt it said that her year of birth was 1961, and to confirm this, the next box stated her age as 42.

Wow. Older than me, and much older than she’d claimed to be. 1961. I couldn’t believe it.

I wasn’t angry, if anything I was rather pleased, as I too had been less than truthful about my age.