A forgotten friend

To my relief, when my dad answered the phone a few days ago he sounded like his old self. Strong, determined, alert, almost impatient to continue with his ceaseless activities. My parents live in my native La Paz, Bolivia. The city sits at 12,000 feet above sea level surrounded by the high, snowcapped Andes mountains. The air is much thinner at this altitude, so the body absorbs less oxygen,…