Martina's Intervention

The subplot in which a Slovakian doctor rescues Harold from collapse, treats his feet, and gives him the tools to continue.

increasingBearing stren­gth in each eventdecreasing

Collapse On The Taunton Road

Collapse On The Taunton Road The Leg Gives Way Harold's right calf explodes with pain and he lurches to the ground outside Taunton. A woman spots his fall from her bathroom window and helps him across the road, shouting for a doctor. The House Of A Stranger She leads him to an easy chair and loosens his tie. A dog barks behind a closed door. Harold is afraid she will send him home and afraid to stay. The Beginning Of Acceptance He tells her about Queenie and his promise. She listens without smiling, and then tells him plainly that he is fucked. It is the first honest assessment he has had in days.

The Slovakian Doctor

The Slovakian Doctor A Woman Named Martina Harold learns his rescuer is Martina, a doctor from Slovakia who works as a cleaner in England. She says the house is a shithole and curses freely. Her partner left a year ago. Accent And Anger Her language is blunt, but her care is precise. She offers Harold a room for the night, and he is too exhausted to refuse. The room is purple and white, with sequined cushions. No Judgement Martina does not laugh at Harold's pilgrimage. She has her own loss, and she recognizes his. In her house he is not a fool; he is a man who made a promise.

Washing Harold's Feet

Washing Harold's Feet The Bowl And The Towel Martina arrives with a washing-up bowl, towels and a first-aid box. Harold protests that she cannot wash his feet, but she says she only needs to look. The Ruined Feet His feet are grey, blistered, bleeding and smelly. She drains the larger blisters with a needle, leaving the skin intact. Then she dresses his leg and gives him clean bandages. A Shared Responsibility Martina tells Harold they need to get him right if he is going to make it to Berwick. It is the first time anyone has spoken of the walk as a shared mission. He could weep with gratitude.

Mended Shoes And A Rucksack

Mended Shoes And A Rucksack The Resoled Yachting Shoes When Harold wakes late, Martina has resoled and polished his yachting shoes, with fresh laces. She has also washed and dried his clothes. Gifts From A Lost Partner She gives him two pairs of walking socks, a roll of blue duct tape, an empty rucksack, and a brass compass left by her partner. She kisses him on the cheek and tells him he owes her nothing. Walking On Harold leaves with the compass warm in his hand. Behind him Martina watches from her bathroom window. He does not look back because it is hard to understand a little and then walk away.

The Partner Who Never Returned

The Partner Who Never Returned The Confession At Dinner Over an evening meal, Harold asks about Martina's partner. She tells him a woman arrived with two suitcases and a baby, and her partner left with them. He has not returned for a year. Waiting Without Faith Martina says she wakes every day thinking he will come back, and every day he does not. Harold tells her she has faith, but she shakes her head: she is waiting for something that will never happen. The Lesson In Kindness Martina's waiting teaches Harold the difference between hope and delusion. He leaves with her gifts and her story, carrying them both north like another kind of compass.

Day fourteen, near Taunton

Evening of the collapse, Taunton

Later the same evening

Second morning at Martina's house

Dinner before Harold leaves