at regular intervals thereafter more invitations for various functions followed and marias responses became more creative , out of bed but still in hospital , out of hospital but in a wheelchair , out of a wheelchair and out of country ( i was choosing lady ss colour scheme - much more important ) , but recently the requests had started to become more persistent , and marias excuses more desperate , it was starting to become obvious that pressure was being applied for me to attend something anything , and recently the voice at the end of the telephone had been changed to a much more officious one .