WINDING DOWN SUMMER... into Autumn (Part 121h)

WINDING DOWN SUMMER... into Autumn (Part 121h)

Elle packed Celia’s things in a small carry bag and I was off. The weekend was surely not going well. It only took about 20 minutes to get to the hospital and it took almost as long for Celia to be contacted. It was obvious that she was under duress. She looked wan and tired. After thanking me she she asked if Sophie was a bother. I don’t think she believed me that she was doing well. I told her that she and my girls were playing well and that she’d not had any “spells” (what Celia called Sophie’s tantrums) that I was aware of. The only thing was her early morning demand for food which, after thinking about it, I actually thought was funny. We didn’t talk for long. Out in the parking lot I looked across the creek where the hospital was located and could see the marina where my brother worked. I knew it was only a 5 minute drive so, with my morning already messed up, decided to see how things were going for him now that the Summer crowd was gone.

When I walked in the showroom, a large pre-fab metal building, he was posting something on a bulletin board. When he saw me he called me over. As I approached him he pointed to a flyer with the picture of a sailboat on it. I took a look and thought it looked somewhat familiar. By then my brother was smiling, not something that came easily to him. He told me it belonged to Elle’s college roommate’s husband. Now it was my turn to smile. I didn’t like him at all and when he bought the boat for the purpose of chartering it out to make money, I thought it was a crazy idea and told him so. The last time I’d stopped by to see my brother he told me the charter idea, at least for a boat that small (22 feet), hadn’t worked. Now the boat was for sale... at basically the same price he’d paid for it. I remember shaking my head when my brother told me. It just solidified the idea that the guy lived in a fantasy world.

When I pulled into my driveway I saw an unfamiliar car parked in front of the garage. Most of the morning was gone and now we had visitors. I don’t know what the look on my face showed when I saw it was Nancy and her idiot husband. I don’t know what I said but it wasn’t complimentary. It didn’t bother Mike (the husband) because it probably didn’t even register in his ego centric mind. It just boggled mine that Nancy, an intelligent and very nice girl, had been taken in by him and, more importantly why she stayed with him. Long story short as to why they were at our house... he’d come out to sign papers so that the marina could act as his agent for the sale of the sailboat. The reason... they were leaving for North Carolina on Monday to raise Christmas trees.

I could write a short story called “Mike’s Follies“ about the guy. Thankfully, they didn’t stay long.  When they left Elle was upset for two reasons; Nancy not being able to stay longer and, in the big picture, moving so far away. By then Sophie was starting to wear out her welcome and had become more demanding. Elle had kept her in the ”package“ and had been successful in keeping her dry through lunch. I went out to mow the lawn and was just about finished when Elle came running out of the house. Celia had called to say her husband had died but that was all she knew. We’d been invited to a party at Ginger’s house and Elle and I were both looking forward to it. Now, with Sophie, we didn’t know what to do. It was just another thing to add to the mix of disruptions.

Disappointed, Elle contacted Ginger and told her that we’d host the next party, in October. We were waiting for a call from Celia as I fully expected to have to go get her at the hospital. It was almost dark when I saw lights in the driveway. It was Celia and one of her husband’s cousins. She’d been able to reach some of his relatives and this man had come to the hospital. I’d fully expected Sophie to jump with joy with her mother back but she barely acknowledged her presence. Celia told us that the arrangements for her husband were all but finalized... no viewing and a simple church service on the following Tuesday. Selfishly, it wasn’t good news as it meant I’d have to take a half day off. The only good thing was that Sophie would be going home.

Things were still running smoothly at work which was a good way to be going into the next "busy period". Vacations were over and we were at full staff for the first time since the middle of July. The only ”news“ was that Cassie, who’d announced she was engaged earlier in the Summer, had set a date for the wedding. Even though I’d had some initial difficulty winning her over she’d become very cooperative. After telling the staff about her wedding she came to talk with me to tell me she’d be leaving in mid March. Her fiance had a job nearer the city and they’d be living close to where he worked. I really appreciated knowing that so that a replacement could be trained and in place when she left. The only other thing ”pending“ was Laura and her search for a new place to stay during the week. I didn’t want to be a PITA (pain in the ass), constantly asking Trish for updates, so just waited.

I could get about two weeks from a tank of gas and when I needed some I’d stop at James’ service station on my way to work. It was about the end of the month when I was surprised to have Darren, one of my old pit crew members, wait on me. He'd been one of the mechanics at the garage until he and his friend Donnie decided to start their own repair business. I asked why he was back and he shrugged his shoulders saying that they couldn’t make enough for two families to survive. Eddie, James other mechanic, had quit to join the Navy and James asked Darren if he’d come back. I hadn’t seen him since my last race so it was nice to see him again. While we were talking I noticed that James wasn’t in the office and asked about him. Darren gave me a ”look“ and said something along the lines of ”Haven’t you heard?“. I hadn’t so Darren told me.

Peggy, James' daughter, had run off and gotten married. That news was definitely a shock to me... and I wasn’t even a family member. Elle and I were at her graduation party when she shocked everybody there with the announcement of her engagement to a boy who was in the Coast Guard and stationed at Cape Hatteras. After that I knew there was ”friction“ between Peggy and James (and probably her mother as well) but the last I knew she was still living at home and working part time at a children’s day care. From what Darren said the boyfriend came home one weekend and took Peggy back with him. He said her parents were out of their minds with worry for almost a week before Peggy contacted them. They drove to North Carolina to try and talk her into returning. Once there they found that the kids had stopped in Maryland and gotten married. By the time Darren got all that out I was late for work. However, I did ask just how James and his wife were doing and I remember Darren shaking his head and saying that it wasn’t good.

To be continued...