Shadows in a sunny life

I attended a birthday party last weekend for the husband of one of my darling wife's friends, on a nearby island in a swanky neighborhood. It was a nice gathering, especially because he was unaware that they were having a party. We were among the first to show up. He opened the door, looked at us strangely, and invited us in, since we'd brought wine.

By the time the third couple showed up, he began to figure it out. ;-) By the time the eighth couple showed up, he knew a birthday cake was coming. It was a potluck, so everyone brought food. It was an odd mishmash, but everyone had plenty to eat. We, of course, brought potato salad, bought at the store at the last minute, and delivered in our own Tupperware so as to avoid looking completely tacky. Hey, we're busy folks. Why make what you can buy cheaper and in less time? ;-)

Anyway, one of the guests was a delightful lady named Tuli. She was one of the birthday boy's neighbors. She was in her early thirties, slim, olive skin, a thick head of tight black curly hair, an infectious smile, and a charming accent. I had her pegged as Greek until she said she was from Colombia. So much for my ear for accents.

She was a pleasant, charming person to talk to, full of energy and enthusiasm. She is married to a wealthy lawyer who spends most of his time commuting to his office in Chicago. She is a master gardener, and has a wide variety of interests.

Later, I got more of the story from our friends.

Tuli has breast cancer. Because of the chemotherapy, she has no hair; her black curls are a wig.

Her husband is a hateful man who brought her home from Colombia as a trophy wife. He doesn't like her, doesn't do anything with her, and rarely comes home. That's why she was alone at the party.

She lives alone, a beautiful woman in a lovely home in a wealthy neighborhood, kept in style. But she is lonely, and suffering from a deadly disease.

It was sad to learn that such shadows exist in an otherwise sunny life.