She was in coma for two weeks, in hospital for eight weeks, only liquid food. It was the best that could have happened to my daughter Olive.
I had forgotten the sweet-natured, charming daughter that I knew as a child. Twenty years ago or more she was a pretty little thing, she met George, married him and turned sour.
She was nasty, bad-tempered, mean and unkind – never had a good word to say about anybody – she shouted at her husband, she shouted at her daughter, she was horrible.
It could not have been George's fault, he never said nasty words, he never said much, he never complained – Olive got worse.
So why did Olive become sweet-natured and charming after six weeks in hospital?
I visited Olive one day, her husband was there eating sweet corn sitting at her bedside. Olive was saying nice stuff to George who was munching.
I'm not keen on sweet corn, beetroot neither. A corn on the cob simmered for ten minutes without salt, with a little fork in each end and drenched in butter is OK once a year... But George had sweet corn with every meal, perhaps for breakfast too.
One evening at Olive's I remember George eating sweet corn out of a can with a teaspoon. His skin had a yellow tinge – rather emetic.
I woke up. “Where am I?” “You are in hospital. Don't worry, you'll be alright.” It was Olive's voice. “You were right about the sweet corn.”