Postcard of a Person

Sa Wa Dee Ka means hello in Thai. Last year I said, “Sa Wa Dee Ka”, to heartbreak. It happens to the best of us.

Oh, I’d had breakups before; nasty, tearful, uncomfortable affairs that you are able to walk away from and think, “Hmmm, now what did I learn?” In this case, I couldn’t walk for a long, long time. I crawled; hand over hand, through the splinters of that fractured, emotional mess until I was able to look back and realize just how far I had come.

I decided I needed a trip. Thailand. I spent hours on beautiful beaches, immersing myself in cool blue water, drinking cheap beers and stuffing myself with food that made my whole body sing. One thing you should know about me is that I am brave in so many ways and a coward in others. I am afraid of needles, to the point that it has become almost a hysteria inducing phobia.

We were on Phi Phi island, and we had decided to hire a long boat and see some of the touristy sights off the main island. Our first stop was Monkey Island. I hopped off the boat and started snapping pictures of the cute critters.

And then up strolled “The Demon.” 2.5 feet of barbaric yellow teeth and pure evil, he marched up to me, put his arms around my legs and sunk his teeth into my thigh. I screamed.

My Thai boat driver laughed at me and told me to just wash my leg with salt water. The man’s a local…what do I know?

It wasn't until later, walking around the shops that someone suggested I should probably see a doctor.

“You need Rabies and Tetanus injection NOW! Or you die!”

The doctor’s English wasn't great but he got the message across. I almost fainted right there, (needle phobia…remember?) I shook my head. No. I would not be getting an injection. No thanks.

I ran to our hotel and called my Dad.

After his unsatisfactory agreement with the medical professional, I tried my Mother (who did not answer), and finally my friend in Toronto who is a nurse. They all agreed I needed the injections.

My finger hesitated over his name on the contact list: the person who I was in Thailand to avoid. He would tell me what to do, this was the excuse I had been looking for to reach out to him.

But I didn't.

I remained strong.

“Sa Wa Dee Ka” means Hello in Thai but funnily enough, it also means Goodbye. I like to think that it is more of an acknowledgement of something or someone, a simultaneous greeting and send off.

I said Sa Wa Dee Ka to the future I thought I knew, and Sa Wa Dee Ka to the girl I thought I was.