We awoke the next day to “a cool breeze and “severe-clear” weather! I purposely use an exclamation mark because in Winter Harbor, one usually arises from a comfortable nights sleep to “Pea-Soup” fog.
After going through the morning routine, we decided that not only was the crabapple tree the perfect spot to “Hang out” , it was good for Bob’s circulation etc.. , so after a hearty breakfast, I attached the leg braces and we headed down to the crabapple tree.
We followed the “steps” we had taken the previous day; I give Bob a wedgie as he grabs the tree branch and “Voila” Bob is “standing”!. He had his book, a beautiful day and the fishermen headed out of Henry’s cove for the morning “take”- a perfect start to a perfect day.
I went back into the house to clean up after breakfast and it started….The phone rang.
I answered with a cheery “Good Mornin’” and was answered back with a string of accusations.
It was my sister on the other end. I knew she had been up since the crack of dawn. It was her routine. She got up at 4:00 am to watch the boats leave the harbor and then got ready for work at the Sardine Factory. This day she interrupted her routine to blast me out!
“How could I treat the disabled like that, why do I stay with him, if I am just going to hang him from a tree. I have a good mind to report you to the authorities for abuse”….and on and on.
I couldn’t get a word in edgewise.
She slammed the phone down and just left me standing there with a dial tone wondering what hit me!
I no sooner hung up the phone and it rang again-this time a neighbor. Then another and another, the damn phone didn’t stop long enough for to check on Bob! Thank God there are only 399 people in Winter Harbor and half of them had already left to haul their traps, otherwise, I never would have gotten off the phone.
I finally gave up answering and went to the Crabapple tree. Bob was just hanging there, quietly reading his book, looking vey content. Frankly, I wanted to knock him over(just to prove the abuse charge) except Pricilla had already left for the post office so that would go un-noticed.
I explained what had gone on inside-he was no comfort-he just started laughing. I knew he had no idea of the “Pricilla Power “ in town.
I tried to explain that the Sheriff’s Office could be on us at any minute.”Nah” he says…….Then Francais showed up. And Bob almost fell out of the tree!
Francais Torrey WAS the Sherriff’s Department in Winter Harbor. Gratefully, he was also a friend.
He sauntered down the path to the tree with a very curious look on his face. When he got close enough to see the book, he just cracked up, “Pricilla is at it again”! “Got any coffee?”…..That’s where it ended, over coffee and molasses doughnuts- I just love small towns!
This incident led to the revelation that although Bob was standing up for a long period and aiding digestion, circulation, etc., he was not exercising his upper body as much as he had been doing. Thus the decision was made to not only mend fences and prove he was not abused, he would also meet the neighbors by pushing up and down Sergeant Street (it about 1 mile long) a couple of times in the evening before the nightly fog settled in.
This little adventure would allow me a bit of a respite. I figured about 30 minutes each round trip. AHHHHHHH one hour to do nothing!
I am not really one to “do nothing” so I found little things around the house to amuse me, like going through old photographs or the view-master pictures of the world as it was. Both of these activities kept all of us busy for hours when we were younger and still managed to hold my attention. I could literally get lost in them.( and often did).
I was going through the third box of photos when I looked out the front window to see ROBERT weaving and sort of wheeling down the driveway. It had been almost two hours since he left and I had taken no notice. (Fine primary care-giver I turned out to be).
I wet out to put up the stair tread and open the door for him. ”What on earth is wrong with you”.
“I met a neighbor a few houses down , we chatted ,he offered me a cold drink, so I was polite. It was a gin and tonic”.
“That isn’t enough to make you weave like that”
“No, but there are 5 or 6 more neighbors out there…they are all very polite”.
Needless to say, I had to guide him up the ramp. It was an early evening, but all was well in Winter Harbor and I was somehow comforted by the fact that the town had abused Bob way more than I ever could!