The Power of Love
Lyne Grimes Translated by Dee Dee
Love is patient and kind; love is not jealous or boastful; it is not arrogant or rude. Love does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrong, but rejoices at the right. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never ends;------Corinthians 13
Lyne and Erik’s story deeply touches us, gives us hope, makes us believe that true love really exists. To-day is St. Valentine’s Day, while we are sitting under the candle light, listening to the romantic music, let us pray: love is more than beautiful roses.------Dee Dee
Lyne & Erik met in December 2001 - Life was pretty happy for Lyne who had just returned from a wonderful overseas trip to Italy, Greece and a cruise to the Greek Islands. Her work was busy and she had been practising her ballroom dancing, which she began when she took lessons in 1999. She arranged with a girlfriend to go to Diamond Ballroom where she loved to dance.
Life was also pretty good for Erik who was busy in his job. He also liked ballroom dancing and on that night he had been to a singles function nearby with a male friend and felt like having a dance afterwards. There were two dances in the area and he chose Diamond Ballroom.
When Erik arrived at Diamond Ballroom he asked Lyne to dance. She immediately felt comfortable dancing with the stranger. They spent the rest of the evening dancing together. Erik asked Lyne whether she had a regular dancing partner and suggested that if she did not that they could meet again to go dancing together. He then gave Lyne his card with his contact details. Erik says that he knew by the twinkle in her eyes the first time they met, that he and Lyne were meant to be together.
As Christmas was approaching, Lyne had made many previous social commitments but was very touched by her meeting with Erik and wanted to make contact with him as soon a possible. She decided about 10 days after their initial meeting to email him asking to him to contact her on her mobile (this she thought would indicate whether the his perceived interest was genuine). He phoned the very next day much to Lyne’s surprise. Arrangements were then made to meet at an Indian Restaurant. Over dinner of course they talked and talked and got to know each other - much better than one can on the dance floor! Then Christmas came and Erik went to visit his family interstate.
Just after Christmas Lyne was surprised to receive a call from Erik asking her to come dancing that night. She was very happy to hear his voice so soon after their dinner together. Then came the New Year’s Eve dance with friends and other dances, dinners, outings etc. Lyne waited every day for a chance to see Erik or to hear his voice and they became inseparable.
Each time they met, Erik brought flowers and they talked all night getting know each other better. Lyne thought she was on cloud nine and could not believe how wonderful her life had become because her relationship with Erik was so fulfilling, exciting and stress free. There was nothing she thought then that Erik would not do for her and how right she was!
They discussed the reasons why how suddenly their lives had changed by meeting each other and how quickly their feelings for each other had developed. Erik believed that this meeting had somehow been destined to happen and that the reasons would become clearer in the future.
In February 2002 about 7 weeks after they met, Lyne & Erik went to Marysville for a “Jazz” festival when Lyne began to feel very lethargic and unwell. Lyne’s health deteriorated quickly and she became gravely ill. She was hospitalized and placed on life support for some time. She was diagnosed as suffering from Guillain-Barre syndrome (thought to be caused as a result of a previous virus). This condition left Lyne totally paralyzed from the neck down. She could not speak or walk and was completely dependant upon others to survive. She was, however, cognizant throughout this nasty period. Lyne was hospitalized for nearly 7 months during which time she underwent specialized rehabilitation.
Lyne told Erik to make another life for himself as she felt she could not contribute anything to their new relationship. Erik however had other ideas. He refused to believe that his Lyne would not recover sufficiently to resume their relationship and steadfastly stood by her and visited her every day she spent in hospital. He gave up his work to be near her and, after consultation with Lyne’s family and medical advisors, Erik moved house to look after her when she was able to come home on weekend leave and ultimately discharged from hospital. He made sure that all alterations were made to the house so that Lyne could come home - initially in a wheelchair, and he cooked, cleaned and entertained visitors when they arrived.
Call it fate or destiny or just plain good luck (for Lyne) or bad luck (for Erik) the reasons for their meeting is now clear.
Lyne has made an almost miraculous recovery, far better than her medical advisors, family & friends had expected. This, she maintains, was only possible through the amazing support she received from Erik and her family and friends.
Had it not been for Lyne’s determination to make a life with Erik and to walk and dance again and the huge sacrifices and commitments given by Erik, this story could have been written as a horror story and not a love story as it is.
Lyne has now almost fully recovered and is back enjoying ballroom dancing once again with Erik and their friends.
一生一世的廝守
圖文 Lyne Grimes 譯編 田田
問世間情是何物,直教人生死相許?!
愛是恒久忍耐,又有恩慈; 愛是不嫉妒;愛是不自誇;不張狂;不作害羞的事;不求自己的益處;不輕易發怒;不計較人的惡;不喜歡不義;只喜歡真理;凡事包容;凡事相信;凡事盼望;凡事忍耐。愛是永不止息-----哥林多前書第十三章
一舞邂逅
2001年,生活對Lyne Grimes女士來說是美好的,她剛從意大利、希臘、愛琴海附近的小島旅遊回來,旅程十分愉快。工作忙碌,工餘跳舞,她自1999年開始學跳社交舞。同年對Erik Schaperkotter先生來說亦是美好的,工作繁忙,工餘亦喜歡跳舞。2001年12月8日,Lyne 安排了與一位女友去她心愛的《鑽石舞廳》跳舞。同日Erik 與一位男友參加完一個《單身人士派對》,心中很想跳舞,該處有兩個舞廳,Erik選了《鑽石》。甫進舞廳,Erik 一見Lyne 便上前邀舞, Lyne 欣然相隨,優美的音樂中,Lyne 感到與這個陌生者共舞非常舒適自在。Erik問Lyne 可有固定舞伴,若沒有他們日後可相約再舞。Erik把自己的卞片給了Lyne,整個晚上他倆一舞再舞。當Erik凝視著Lyne碧綠眸子中熠熠閃爍的光輝,心中經已確知:他與Lyne宿命注定終身廝守。
相知相融
聖誕將臨,Lyne有很多活動要參加,但她非常懷念與Erik的相遇,希望能盡快與他相見。因而,在他們首次相遇的第十天,她e-mail給Erik,心想如此則可顯示他早先對她的好感是否真誠。出于意料之外,第二天Lyne便接到Erik的電話,他們約在一間印度餐廳見面。當晚他們由淺談進而深談,繼而無所不談,真有惺惺相惜知己之感。聖誕節Erik去了第二個州探望家人,假期後Erik第一時間打電話給Lyne,請她當晚去跳舞,Lyne這麼快便接到Erik的邀請,高興極了。除夕夜他們與朋友一起跳舞,此後,跳舞、晚飯、一連串的約會……每次約會Erik都捧著一大束嬌艷的鮮花,Lyne感覺有若身處九層雲霄之上,幾乎不能置信自己的生活是如此美妙,他們的關係是如此充足、興奮、毫無壓力。Lyne每天都盼望能見到Erik,聽到他的聲音,他們已是難捨難分,誰也離不開誰了。Lyne心想在這世上,沒有甚麼是Erik不會為她做的。日後証明她的想法是多麼正確。Erik堅信他們的相識是一種特定的緣分,他們的相知必具特殊的意義。日後証明他的堅信也是多麼正確。
不離不棄
2002年2月,Lyne和Erik首次相遇後七個星期,他倆去Marysville參加一個爵士音樂節,Lyne開始覺得非常不舒服,整個人無精打彩委靡不振。之後她的健康迅速惡化,病得異常嚴重,送入醫院,需要倚靠維生器械幫助呼吸。她被診斷為患上Guillain-Barre Syndrome 綜合病徵(譯者按:一種罕見的病,由于濾過性病毒侵蝕神經系統,導至全身癱瘓,目前尚無針對此病的特效葯。)Lyne自頸部以下全部癱瘓,不能言語,不能行動,必須依賴他人,才能生存,她意識到這是她最惡劣的階段。Lyne躺在醫院整整七個月,其間她需要接受特殊冶療。其間,她三次要求Erik離去,去追尋他的新生,因為,她已無能為力,對他倆的交往,再也不能有所貢獻了。然而,Erik有他的想法,他拒絕相信他的Lyne不能完全康復,重新開始他倆美好的生活,他堅定不移地守在她身邊。他辭去工作,每天去醫院,留在醫院四、五個小時照顧她。當她送去深切治療病房後,他更逗留至七個小時之久,深切治療病房只准家人探訪,故而旁人都以為Erik是Lyne的丈夫。在經過與Lyne的家人和醫療顧問協商後,Erik搬去Lyne的家,準備Lyne周末回家渡假時能照顧她。為方便Lyne上落輪椅,他改動家中任何他能改動的設施,例如:他將睡床床腳提高,使Lyne容易從輪椅移往床上。
共締新生
終于,lyne坐著輪椅出院了。Erik為她煮食、清潔、推著輪椅步行公園、教導她運動手指練習拿刀叉、幫助她上廁所、帶她上她喜歡的越南館子,因為Lyne不能舉手,Erik便餵她吃飯,惹得其他食客瞪目結舌,合不上嘴。忍耐她的脾氣,由于服食類固純藥物,Lyne不能控制自己的情緒,當累次三番不能舉步、無法拿起刀叉,她就會失控,向Erik亂拋東西。甚至于,當朋友紛紛上門探訪,Erik還會作出種種有趣動作來娛樂大家,使賓主皆歡,如沐春風。
是命運?是Lyne好運,抑或Erik惡運?他倆相遇的因緣,現在是非常清澈了。若非Lyne堅定不移追隨Erik的決心,若非她堅強地從輪椅上站起來,勇敢地再次踏足舞池；若非Erik巨大無私的犧牲,若非他尊貴可敬的承諾,今天我們讀到的愛情故事,將呈現另一番面貌了。我曾經請問Erik,是甚麼令他肯如此犧牲,他回答他並不以為這是犧牲；他認定Lyne是他此生最後的一個歸宿。我依然不明是甚麼令他如此,他說是他的教養、生長環境、宗教信仰、國家教育令他如此。,Lyne經已幾乎完全康復,她的康復幾乎被視作一個神跡,出乎人人-----家人、朋友、醫生的意科之外。現在她和Erik,和朋友們,翩翩起舞在Ritz、在Hungarian Club、在Monash Garden……….
Lyne 和Erik的故事,使我們深深感動,賜我們濃濃希望,教我們牢牢相信:真愛是存在的。今天是《情人節》,讓我們在溫馨的燭光下,幽美的樂聲中,靜靜思想,愛,不僅僅是浪漫的玫瑰花。
7-2-2006