Men's 4 for Bridge

Lovely afternoon for me - but how one becomes aware of mortality! I'm invited to stand in for one of the regulars, all good players, through a Monday afternoon. Fred has to walk on crutches as he's had a series of operations on his legs, and has just emerged from a session of radiotherapy for various melanomas. Cron is cripped, in a wheelchair all day, widowed a long time, with skin that the sun has treated mercilessly over the years. And Doug, able to leave his Mona for an afternoon, who's now paralysed after being given the wrong dose of a drug for her heart condition. But for the most part they present an extraordinary cheerfulness.

A good occasion - and I win 23 rand for the amazing skill (and better cards) I enjoy.