Inga and Max

Here come Inga and Max.
They are both from Switzerland
and have experienced their fair share of adversity.



Max is Inga's 2nd husband.
Her first husband was a 'brute',
'he was terrible', she told me with her lovely Swiss accent.
Max has Alzheimer's, he is frail with skin like paper.
Inga pushes Max in the wheelchair down to the shops everyday.
She will do anything for him, her strength never ceases to astound me.

"No,'" she said when we first encountered each other,
'"I like to, Max looked after me when we met,
he was a chef and always cooked for me, he was wonderful.
You know my first husband was a brute, we met, I was young,'"
and with a glint in her eye she softened her voice and followed with,
' we were lovers, but he didn't respect me,
we were not friends...but Max,
no its not like that with Max."



"Max is my friend, we are very good friends, we tell each other
everything and we laugh. and importantly, we are also lovers,"
she giggled,
"I would do anything for him, I don't mind and we only have each other.
One day you will have a great love like my Max, I know you will,
I can tell you understand what I am telling you.'
I held my heart when she first uttered those words.



Today Inga spotted one of Jacq's Little Bag lady' bags hanging in the window.
"Oh, its beautiful, Oh, it would be perfect for the back of the wheelchair,
how much is it?"
We told her and she giggled,
" Oh $45, exactly how much I had in my little coin purse,
I lost it at the market, I was so upset,
my sister gave it to me from Switzerland,
its not the money, I said to Max, lets not worry we are not broke."

As she left I pulled at the bag hanging in the window,
I looked at Tony who was still laughing after
he and Inga had shared funny clumsy stories.
Tony told Inga about the time he fell into a grease trap
when he was a chef.
She laughed while saying ' I shouldn't laugh '
then told him about the time
she fell into the compost and two farmers had to pull her out,
they had quite a struggle getting her free,
but if she were to die, then she'd be broken down quickly!

"Let's give her the bag." I said to Tone.
" O.K," he said " for christmas."
But too late, back in came Inga to the store with a giant smile,
"Max is buying it for me, for christmas!" She said.
" Oh I am so happy its just perfect look at how it fits perfectly on the wheel chair!"




A man is lucky if he is a woman's first love.
A woman is lucky if she is his last.