A Migrain Attack in Todmorden

When I arrived at the farm, the farmer in charge, a 65-year-old man named Nick, welcomed me warmly. Since it was a holiday, he gave me a tour of the farm and showed me the caravan where I would be staying. The caravan was very cozy, with a bed, a counter for my belongings, a fireplace to keep me warm, and loads of books. Afterward, he took me to his house, where his wife was preparing a feast for Passover, a Jewish holiday. His wife, Helene, was not only a lovely person but also an extraordinary cook. The cake I had there was the best I had ever tasted.

On Monday, I started my work as a farmer. The task was quite simple: I had to pluck kale leaves. Since I had been traveling and hadn’t gotten much rest, I was also dehydrated because they only had sparkling water, which I didn’t like. As a result, I hadn’t drunk much water for a day and a half. I started to develop a migraine, and unfortunately, I hadn’t brought any medication with me. Within 10–20 minutes, my migraine worsened.

There was a girl named Lola working with me, and she was very kind and sweet. I told her I was having a migraine and that it might get worse. She informed Mike, the volunteer in charge, who then told Nick. Nick came to check on me and asked, “What do you want to do?” I told him I needed to see a doctor. He said he couldn’t take me because some reporters were arriving to film a documentary, but Lola could take me if I could arrange a cab.

I remembered I had the number of the Pakistani driver who had dropped me off earlier. He had told me to call him if I ever needed a ride. I called him and explained that I needed a ride to the hospital. Lola spoke to the driver on my behalf because I was in terrible pain and unable to explain properly. She explained the situation to him, and as soon as he heard that I had a migraine, he told her that he also suffers from migraines and had a medicine that would help. Without hesitation, he came to the farm, gave the medicine to Lola, and left.

Nick and Mike laughed, saying, “This kind of kindness only happens in Todmorden, where people are incredibly nice.” I took the medicine and rested. Lola checked on me after two hours to see how I was doing. 

In the evening, Nick came with two big bottles of regular water and some local treats, including biscuits and caramel cakes. They were delicious. He told me to rest and not to worry about anything. I apologized, saying I felt bad for not working on my first day. He reassured me not to worry, mentioning that my situation had been quite entertaining for them. He added that, normally, everything is quite boring for them.

Todmorden is so beautiful, and the people are incredibly kind. Every day felt like living in a magical land, and I felt so bad about leaving that I kept jokingly telling Nick to let me stay. He responded, “No, no, no, I can’t handle your chatter anymore—you talk too much!” We had a funny uncle-and-niece relationship, and I learned a lot from him.

Nick was such a humble man, yet incredibly hardworking and knowledgeable. He is a doctor and a scientist who worked at Cambridge University. He even met King Charles and had tea with him! People respected him greatly, but he remained super humble about his accomplishments.

He teased me a lot, and his wife once told me, “He only teases people he likes.” We’re Facebook friends now, and he’s always bantering with me, but whenever I achieve something, he never fails to show his appreciation. He truly enjoys seeing people do well. It was wonderful getting to know him and his wife, Helene, who is super sassy and cool.