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“Chelsea called.” Sam
informed his wife, Dee.
“Oh? I'll bet it is to
tell us she can't come out. I'd better return her call.”
Dee could see Chelsea in
her mind as she answered her phone. Her friend was a divorcee of probably,
more than 25 years. She had raised her two daughters alone and contributed
many hours to raising her three granddaughters as well. The
granddaughters were now almost all young women. She had always kept a
job, except for the short time the grand children were very young. There
was very little support from any direction for the woman except from her
mother and that family.
The job she had for a
number of years was unbelievable as to its duties. Dee could only shake
her head at times and say, “I would have lasted three days on your job.”
Nothing seemed to bother Chelsea as she dutifully went through every
imaginable situation in dealing with the tenants of the apartment complex,
she managed.
“Hey!” Chelsea knew it was
Dee returning her call.
“You can't come out?” Dee
knew the message.
“Oh no. I'm sorry. I just
can't leave here on a holiday. The pool is open, you know.”
“Oh yes.” Dee knew the
worry to go along with that since her friend had been through that every
summer.
“Children aren't supposed
to be in here without supervision. The minutes I leave all the rules go
out the pool gate. Just don't think I better take the chance. This pool
will be overflowing. And, speak of overflowing, the maintenance men left
the water running into it last night and it is all the way to the top. I
need to go see if I can find one of them to turn the water off.”
There were no complaints
other than on this small matter. The deep ingrained history of the
woman's make-up gave her the will to keep a tight reign even on weekends.
Dee knew of all the situations to come up on the sizeable apartment
complex. And, even though, Chelsea screened her tenants completely there
was just no way to stop the many involvements to arise with this many
people living so close in proximity. Really, as many as in a small town.
“Sometimes, they are like
children.” This was Chelsea's only comment.
Dee wanted her and her
family to feel welcome. “Well, you know. Kerry's family is coming over.
They always bring all the food and cook it too. Sam has both grills
working. In addition I used your smoker to cook a brisket I had. There
will be plenty food. People of that family are wonderful guests. They
absolutely treat me like royalty. I never have to do any cleaning up or
anything. It is wonderful. It is the whole family. We always have fun.
Bringing the children right with them is their custom and I love it.
Everyone always has a great time.”
“Oh, I know. I'd better
stay here though. You understand.”
“For certain, I, of all
people do understand.”
The evening with the very
happy large family was like a wonderful promise of something yet unseen.
The children were beautiful and wide eyed as they enjoyed being treated
like special guests. Dee had managed to purchase a new table for the
kitchen area which was set just for them. She followed her own upbringing
as to letting the children have their own arrangements. Someone asked her
if this was not excluding them from the big table. “Not at all,” was her
ready comment as she remembered the great meals she had shared with
cousins, brothers, and sisters. They, rather than feeling left out, felt
so grown-up in that they had their own table. Their behavior was always
impeccable because it was a new status they were given to have the
privilege of managing their own life, just for this short time at the
dinner table.
This family had recently
just endured a terrible car wreck which could have killed them all had not
their own driver swerved his car toward rough road sides avoiding a
total head on collision as the drunk driver careened around a curve. He
was actually racing from another collision.
Dee felt her heart touched
as the youngest of the sisters gave her account of the awful wreck. She
was partially conscious crying for her two-year-old. The ambulance men
were desperately looking for a child not knowing the girl did not have the
baby with her. By some wondrous turn of events she had left the little one
with her sister and didn't have it with her. The mothers' instinct and
that part of her brain was just crying out in fear for her baby.
For the healing time they
had together during this short evening Dee was thankful. “Maybe, in some
small way this pleasant association will help this little family to move
on past the terrors of that gruesome car wreck.” Dee and Sam were in
agreement on this. |
