Old Lovers Don't Die Read Online Free PDF

Rwanda.
    “That’s partly true, mum, which is something that I wanted to ask you about. It wasn’t clear when we came back from South Africa. I know looking through dad’s papers that he visited Rwanda and went down to a small town on the border of the Congo called Garanyi. I just thought it would be interesting to go back to a place where he had been which has not been tainted by all the issues of apartheid and corruption that we discovered in South Africa. And when I looked it up on the Internet, the hospital there has 300 beds and serves a catchment area of one million people on both sides of the border which would give me heaps of experience in medicine and surgery.”
    Renata listened, not turning to face Christian, part of her not really wanting to hear what he was saying, hoping that the chapter, which was Africa, had truly gone from their lives forever. In her heart of hearts, she understood that Christian was truly his father’s son, and that part of his father which she had loved, the desire to help the less fortunate, was present in Christian. That desire needed to be fulfilled. She put down the sheet of pasta and turned to face him.
    “I can understand your desire to go somewhere where your father has been. However, there are certain things that you should consider in making that decision. Your father was only there two weeks, I seem to recall, and it was on some kind of government business, therefore it might not have been medically related. He was never specific about why he was there, only suggesting that it had to do with his genetic research. Nevertheless, at the time, and with the information that we now have, it might have been related to trying to obtain some of the rare minerals from the eastern Congo, for the nuclear development programme in apartheid South Africa. Even if he did work at the hospital, which I cannot recall him talking about, I doubt that they would remember him. Going there with your limited experience in medicine and surgery may not be regarded as a useful experience with regards to a future specialty.”
    “I realise that my experience is not great, but I do have two years surgical experience now and my time in the Trauma unit, which will be helpful, and certainly I will learn a lot. Also it would just complete things in so far as I’m concerned, being in a place where my dad was, in trying to imagine that he was there helping people.”
    Christian looked at his mother and could see that she was not entirely convinced.
    “Christian, you can probably sense that I am not happy. There has been genocide there and there are still countless reports of rebels in that region. I think you would be better going to South Africa. However, I know that being the person that you are, trying to stop you would be counter-productive. My underlying concern as a mother will always be for your safety. There has been ongoing conflict on the border between Congo and Rwanda and I don’t want you caught up in anything.”
    “I do understand that, mum, and I have already been in contact with the Department of Foreign Affairs in Canberra. There are no travel advisory notices for that area; it is regarded as a safe region to travel to. Besides which, you know me after the South African adventures, I now have an intuition that hopefully allows me to avoid dangerous situations.”
    Christian finished the last sentence with a smile and winked at his mother hoping that his humour would break the impasse, as it normally did. Renata looked back at him understanding his strategy and holding his gaze to let him know that she understood he was using his youthful charm to try to win her over.
    They looked at each other for what seemed to Christian like an age. It was on occasions like this that he wished his father were still alive. His mother had tried to bridge the gap; but at times, he just longed for a true male perspective. In some strange way, he felt the last nine years of medicine in Adelaide was