Hemispheres. Inside a Stroke: Inside a Stroke [1 ed.] 9781920397951, 9781920397241

"Home is as old as one's skin but as elusive as an object seen through the wrong end of a telescope." It

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Hemispheres. Inside a Stroke: Inside a Stroke [1 ed.]
 9781920397951, 9781920397241

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Copyright © 2011. Modajaji Books. All rights reserved. Hemispheres. Inside a Stroke : Inside a Stroke, Modajaji Books, 2011. ProQuest Ebook Central,

Copyright © 2011. Modajaji Books. All rights reserved.

hemispheres inside a stroke

Hemispheres. Inside a Stroke : Inside a Stroke, Modajaji Books, 2011. ProQuest Ebook Central,

Copyright © 2011. Modajaji Books. All rights reserved. Hemispheres. Inside a Stroke : Inside a Stroke, Modajaji Books, 2011. ProQuest Ebook Central,

karen lazar

Copyright © 2011. Modajaji Books. All rights reserved.

hemispheres inside a stroke

Hemispheres. Inside a Stroke : Inside a Stroke, Modajaji Books, 2011. ProQuest Ebook Central,

Publication © Modjaji Books 2011 Text © Karen Lazar 2011 First published in 2011 by Modjaji Books PTY Ltd P O Box 385, Athlone, 7760, South Africa [email protected] http://modjaji.book.co.za www.modjajibooks.co.za ISBN 978-1-920397-24-1

Copyright © 2011. Modajaji Books. All rights reserved.

Book and cover design by Natascha Mostert Edited by Nella Freund Printed and bound by Mega Digital, Cape Town Set in Garamond

Hemispheres. Inside a Stroke : Inside a Stroke, Modajaji Books, 2011. ProQuest Ebook Central,

Copyright © 2011. Modajaji Books. All rights reserved.

For Claire, Raphael and Julia

Hemispheres. Inside a Stroke : Inside a Stroke, Modajaji Books, 2011. ProQuest Ebook Central,

Copyright © 2011. Modajaji Books. All rights reserved. Hemispheres. Inside a Stroke : Inside a Stroke, Modajaji Books, 2011. ProQuest Ebook Central,

Contents The Journey of the Writing The Beginning

Cluster One: Acute Metamorphosis The Corridor The Recovery Room Morphine Denzil Mind-Matter Cross Words Yellow Jersey

Cluster Two: Rehabilitation Airwaves Wanda Keeping Occupied Fractions Doctors Night-thing Pig Noluthando Picnic

Copyright © 2011. Modajaji Books. All rights reserved.

Cluster Three: Adaptation Buoyant Homecoming Hemispheres Intersection Slapstick Rest Room Sardine Run Trip to the Tate Sink Or Swim Waterworld The Hope School Encounter Luleka Interface

Hemispheres. Inside a Stroke : Inside a Stroke, Modajaji Books, 2011. ProQuest Ebook Central,

9 11

19 21 22 24 26 28 30

35 38 41 43 44 47 49 52 54

59 60 62 64 65 66 68 70 71 75 77 79 80 82

Copyright © 2011. Modajaji Books. All rights reserved. Hemispheres. Inside a Stroke : Inside a Stroke, Modajaji Books, 2011. ProQuest Ebook Central,

Copyright © 2011. Modajaji Books. All rights reserved.

The Journey of the Writing THIS BOOK TRACKS WKHWKUHHSKDVHVRI DMRXUQH\VRIDUÀUVWO\ ¶$FXWH 0HWDPRUSKRVLV· WKHQ ¶5HKDELOLWDWLRQ· DQG WKHQ ¶$GDSWDWLRQ·(DFKRI WKHVHSKDVHVFRQWDLQVHOHPHQWVRI  WKHRWKHUVDQGQRQHLV\HWFRPSOHWH 7KHJHQUHRI WKLVVWRU\HPHUJHGLQWXLWLYHO\RI LWVRZQ DFFRUG 0\ VWURNH LQLWLDOO\ EURXJKW ZLWK LW PDQ\ VSDWLDO SHUFHSWXDODQGVXEMHFWLYHFKDQJHVZKLFKZRUNHGDJDLQVW P\DSSUHKHQGLQJWKHFRQGLWLRQZLWKDVLQJOHGHJUHH YLHZ5DWKHU,FRXOGRQO\JUDVSWKHVWURNHLQIDFHWVDQG FXPXODWLYHO\RYHUWLPH0\SHUFHSWLRQVZURWHWKHPVHOYHV as short prose fragments rather than as a continuous narratiYe :hiOst most of the shifts in perception anG spatiaO ÀeOG haYe correcteG themseOYes oYer the GecaGe since the stroNe , haYe stiOO sought to capture from the insiGe a faceteG representation that honours an e[perience Eigger than the sum of its parts 6ome of the pieces are Yignettes of the memoraEOe peopOe , haYe met aOong the Za\ 0an\ of them Zith feZer resources than me haYe taught me a grace courage humour anG stoicism , neYer imagineG possiEOe in the face of such chaOOenges 7his YoOume is for \ou

hemispheres

Hemispheres. Inside a Stroke : Inside a Stroke, Modajaji Books, 2011. ProQuest Ebook Central,

9

Copyright © 2011. Modajaji Books. All rights reserved. Hemispheres. Inside a Stroke : Inside a Stroke, Modajaji Books, 2011. ProQuest Ebook Central,

Copyright © 2011. Modajaji Books. All rights reserved.

The Beginning I WAKE UP on an orGinar\ morning in earO\ )eEruar\ feeOing ZeOO ,t·s cOear anG sunn\ $fter tZent\ \ears of teaching (ngOish at uniYersit\ ,·Ye moYeG to a neZ MoE corporate Eut eGucationaO ,·Ye Eeen there ÀYe Ga\s , haYe an important strategic pOanning meeting toGa\ Zith senior memEers of the team 6ince ,·m the neZ girO ,·m nerYous Eut e[citeG , Gress e[tra carefuOO\ , put e\eOiner on in m\ mirror cOosing one e\e to Go the other as usuaO %ut a strange thing happens $ murN\ gre\EOacN Zash coYers oYer the mirror anG for a moment , can·t see m\seOf , tr\ again Eut it·s stiOO there , aEanGon the maNeup anG GriYe m\seOf to the ofÀce aZare that m\ Oeft e\e is Going aOO the ZorN 'uring the meeting certain peopOe Gisappear GepenGing on the angOe of m\ heaG OiNe characters Geparting stage right , start to feeO frighteneG Eut , reason that ma\Ee m\ gOasses neeG upGating or that ,·m a Eit stresseG $t Ounchtime , phone m\ ophthaOmoOogist of man\ \ears 6he teOOs me to come in for a checN immeGiateO\ 6he runs through the usuaO tests conYersing normaOO\ 7here·s a photo of her tZin girOs anG her Eo\ on the GesN , feeO reassureG E\ them

hemispheres 11

Hemispheres. Inside a Stroke : Inside a Stroke, Modajaji Books, 2011. ProQuest Ebook Central,

Copyright © 2011. Modajaji Books. All rights reserved.

7hen she Goes a Oight checN Zith a tin\ Eright torch 6he ]ooms in 6he shines the torch GirectO\ into m\ right e\e ,·m OooNing at her ÀneEoneG face EOue e\es anG a tenGriO of russet hair +er face tightens unmistaNeaEO\ into a OooN of aOarm ´, neeG to senG \ou for some more tests