b'144 ianneParkerDWeWalkedEachOtherBackHomenowMyfriendDiannelivesinthesameneighborhood.Closebyme.Justblocksaway.Amongthelargetreesfiledalongwalkablestreets.AndcompaniondrainagesumpswiththesoundofmatingbullfrogsintheSpring.Igotoherhouseorshetomine.Orbetweenusmeetjustbelowthehills.Wewalktogetherandobservemanythings,Withquietandmutualappreciation.Fewwordsneedpassbetweenus.Andthenwewalkeachotherbackhome.Manytimes,morethanonceWechallengeourselveswithinournarrowradiusofblockstodothehills.Onsteepinclinedstreetsengineeredoverhugepilesof22,000-yearsoldrubble.Moundswhimsicallyleftbehindbyaglacieredgestoppedmid-wayonourotherwiseveryflatsealevelLongIsland.LikeDianneandIdo.stopmidway,tolookmorecloselyatwhatsfamiliar.Whatsbeneathusonthispairofside-by-sideerratichillsisfeltinthewarmstrainofourlegsaswedescenddownoneandsteadybackupfrontfootingtheother.Aswewalkcompanionlytogethereachgiftedmoment,myfriendcarrieshersecretwell,frommeandherself.ItarisesinbriefnewsthatjustyesterdayshesbeentooneofherfrequentvisitstoherhematologistImtheonewhonoticesheraperceptiblechangeintoneasherwordsdisturbtheairbetweenuswithherunspokenconcern-anddismissalofanysignificanceofasignificantchange.Morethanusualredbloodcellsdrainedthistime.Andanenlargedspleen."shereports.Previousnewsofherchronicconditionusuallydeliveredonourwalkswithnonchalantneutrality.Asthoughreportingonwhatsheateforbreakfast.Usually,acrumpetinbedwithheriPadmorningnewsaccompaniedbyhotteadeliverdbyherhusbandeachday.Herrarebloodcancer-polycythemiaveraundermanagementfordecadespastisnowfloodinghersystemwithtoomanyimmaturebloodcells.'