Telephone

People can be extremely funny upon occasion. Last night, I went to bed with some reading to do, some for fun, some for the lesson I’ll be teaching the Laurel’s Sunday (which was very good). I read and was falling asleep so I put my book away and turned off the light. It wasn’t more than a few minutes before Paul came up to bed. In spite of the late hour and the fact that he said at two different times that it was late and he needed to get up to go to work in the morning, he kept talking. It was nearly two before conversation ceased.

It is nice in the house this morning but at 76°, too warm by far outside. The goat is milked. I know, the goat being milked has nothing to do with the temperature other than I could feel how warm it is when I went out.

Yesterday morning we went out in the garden for a while. I’m pretty sure it wasn’t a whole half an hour but my phone died before the timer went off so we just stayed out until I said it was good. We were going to go out again today but I’ve decided that until it rains, we’re done weeding. Some of them come out okay but some of them don’t and I want to get as many of the roots as possible.

After that, I showered and left to go to the chiropractor. Joanna had work at 11:00 and Laura left to go somewhere but said she’d be back. I don’t know where she went but I thought she’d be back before I was. After the chiropractor, I went to find a Farmer’s Market in Fitchburg but it was not there. I’m wondering if there are any left in Fitchburg. Anyway, my hips are good and he fixed the spot in the middle of my back that really complains when I sit on the chairs in the Relief Society chairs for too long and told me that I need to keep my pelvis tipped forward which means no slouching which means the benches and chairs at church are no good for me. It also means that I probably should not be using a laptop because I have to look down to see the screen and that helps contribute to the problem.

On the way to the chiropractor, I stopped at the bank. Grandma always sends checks for Christmas because the shipping is less than for packages and then I can choose what to get which makes sense in many ways because I have a better idea of what everyone wants/needs. Well, last year was no different. Grandma sent a check. I put it in a ‘safe place’—you know, the kind of place where you won’t lose it? Well, I promptly forgot where I had put it and couldn’t find it for weeks. The weeks turned into months. I looked everywhere I could think it might possibly be and it was nowhere. Well, Saturday I was looking for a pair of scissors in a drawer in the desk in the bedroom and guess what I happened upon! A letter from Grandma. I looked inside and, sure enough, there was the check. Only one problem—it was dated December 17, 2012. It is now July which means more than six months have elapsed since it was written so I was pretty sure the bank wouldn’t take it. Nevertheless, I decided to give it a try and took it to the bank. I was correct, they wouldn’t take it. However, it does make a pretty good story, don’t you think?

I came home and Laura still was not home. We had lunch and I called Linda Trivett to see if she would like to go to Goguen’s with us. She wasn’t feeling up to par so she declined but she thought Sarah might like to go if it was alright with us. That’s absolutely fine so we got ready to go and picked her up on the way.

As usual, I took lots of things to do while we were there because I really don’t like to go out and stay in the water; I’m more of a get wet and get out until I start to dry out and get hot again and then get wet and get out, etc. I do like to go out in a kayak, but you don’t generally get too wet doing that. I had my laptop and therefore anything I could do on it not requiring an internet connection, a book and my reading material for Sunday’s lesson. I also had my phone which was charged to about 54% by then.

Well, after my initial dunking, I decided to call Grandma. I wanted to tell her the story of the check even though I know she could just read it here and it had been a while since either of us called. So, I called. I have to say that I must have the best grandparents ever. I really feel that Grandma isn’t just my grandmother; she is my friend as well. In many ways, she’s like Diane in that I can tell her just about anything. I know she won’t judge me and I know that she will love me. No matter what. That is such an incredible gift and I am so grateful to have it.

Anyway, I told her about the check and we talked about other things. Summer isn’t her favorite season either and July and August are no easier for her than they are for me. Grandma told me yesterday that she has only two regrets when it comes to her relationship with Papa. One of them is very personal and as she said I’m the only person she has ever told and most likely the only person she will ever tell, I do not feel that it is my right to divulge it. The other happened as Papa passed through the veil. She said that she’d been there holding his hand earlier but when the time came for him to actually pass, she was standing at the foot of the bed. She regrets that she was not sitting by him holding his hand. It is interesting she feels that way. I can relate. I wish I could have been there as well but I am glad that Grandma, Debby and David were. And I am firmly convinced that Daniel was there as well, waiting to welcome Papa to the other side. I wish that I could have been more fully present when Daniel died. I miss them both so very much.

We also talked a bit about Papa’s early life. I knew that he’d moved a lot as a child. You can’t attend 14 schools for grammar school and 4 for high school without moving a lot. I didn’t realize that his mother had pawned him off prior to her marrying Albert Lamberger which would have been very close to the time he would have started school. He lived with various relatives and even in an orphanage. It is no wonder he really didn’t talk about his childhood much. It is something of a miracle that he turned into the wonderful man that he did.

My goal was to leave Goguen’s between 3:00 and 4:00. We left right at 4:00. We dropped Sarah off and came home. Amena and I showered and then we had supper. I let the boys watch a movie while I worked on things I wanted to work on. Laura and Joanna were still at work. At 7:30 I heard a car pull up. Amena was in the kitchen and I said, “Who is that? Did Paul just home?” He had. It was amazingly early for him to be home, which is the result of not going anywhere on the way home from work.

Yesterday morning, Paul had to pick Elizabeth up on his way to work. He said he kept track of time and distance. If he goes straight to work, it is 32 miles. If he picks Elizabeth up, it is 48 miles. If he goes straight to work, he can make it in as little as half an hour although that is greatly dependent upon current traffic conditions. Picking Elizabeth up it took an hour and ten minutes. Needless to say, even driving the Jetta, the extra distance and time will add up. Last night he said that he needs to tell her today that she needs to find another way to get to work or at least to Gardner or another job because he just can’t pick her up every day. Even only picking her up, that’s an extra 16 miles every day. That’s an extra gallon of fuel every slightly less than 2 ½ days which is a little more than an extra two gallons each week. At current prices, that’s more than $7.00. I know this almost sounds trivial, but it does add up.

Last night, other than the terrible dreams I have right around the time I ovulate (being the most fertile time for a female, you might guess what they’re about), I had dreams about the story I’m writing. I thought that was interesting. A woman had just given birth and it remained to be seen if she would be deemed worthy to raise the child herself or if it would have to be removed from her to be raised by the state. When I woke up, I thought that Feardorcha should be conscripting young men for military service. Brendan should have something to do with it and while Hywel and Cailin are travelling after they are married, they should see what is happening or at least hear of it.

Well, it is high time to be on to other things. Have a splendiferous day!

In the morning before dawn, Hywel woke to a loud pounding on the front door. He groaned and rolled over, hoping he’d simply dreamt the noise but when it came again, he threw the covers back and slid out of bed. He ran his hands through his hair and scrubbed at his face, willing himself to wake completely as he padded down the stairs to see who had disturbed his slumber. The pounding came again as he reached the door.

“Alright, alright,” he grumbled, opening the door. “Who are you and what do you want?”

It was Dáire.

“You don’t know how sorry I am to wake you, my friend, but Eirian told me to fetch you right quick. It’s Dame Garten—it’s before her time to deliver and her pains have begun.”

“Oi!” Hywel was immediately awake. “Go. Tell them I am on my way.” He slammed the door shut as he turned and ran up the stairs, taking them two at a time. He quickly pulled on trousers and a shirt, socks and shoes, and flew back down the stairs. He grabbed a couple of apples from a bowl on the table before checking his pack to be sure he had everything he thought he might need and then he was out the door. He put one of the apples in his bag and held one in his teeth and then slipped the strap of the bag over his head, nestling the pack on his back as he ran to the barn, hastily bridled his horse, and mounted. Soon they were galloping toward Morven. The Garten family lived a few miles on the other side of the hamlet and it would take a few minutes to get there. Hywel finished his apple and tossed it along the road, knowing that it would be gone as soon the many chickens of Morven found it.

He slackened his pace slightly as the horse galloped through the sleepy hamlet, smiling a bit at the garlands of flowers already decorating the pavilion in the village common. Today was the day he and Cailin would be wed. Unless, of course, there were serious complications with Dame Garten or her babe. Hwyel almost wished that she were one of the other women he knew who were with child. One of them had called for him exactly twenty-seven times in the last three weeks of her pregnancy. Finally, he’d told her not send anyone again until her water broke or Eirian thought he was needed. Dame Garten, he knew, would only send for him if her need were real and the fact that she’d asked for Eirian first told him that it was most likely serious. And she was indeed early. He did a quick mental count. She was a full two months early.

Approaching the gate to their farm, Hywel slowed the horse to a canter and then a fast trot and then stopped at the door. He slid from the horse, leaving the reigns hanging, knowing the horse would be there when he was done. Sliding his back in front of him, he removed the second apple and gave it to the horse before knocking at the door.

It opened as he reached for the handle. It was Cailin. “You’re here!” she said.

“Why are you here?” he asked.

“Eirian had me come to stay with the children.”

“Ah,” Hywel nodded. “Good thinking.” He knew that one day Cailin would be his partner attending births but this was no time to begin her learning of such things. He allowed her to kiss him and gave her a quick hug before making his way to the bedroom where he found Eirian holding Dame Garten’s hand and smoothing her hair back from her face. Her husband was in the room as well and Hywel thought he might have to send him out if things proved to be as bad as they might.

Eirian turned and smiled at Hywel. “She’s resting now. The pains have subsided somewhat but do still come.”

Hywel nodded and moved to the other side of the bed. “Have you checked her?”

“Yes. No progression.”

“No? Well, that is good.” He turned toward the husband. “Celyn, have you any wine?”

The man started a bit. “What? Oh, aye.”

“Would you fetch me a skin?”

“Aye. Right away.” He left the room.

Now Hywel turned his attention to the woman on the bed. “Eilwen,” he said, taking her hand. “Tell me how you feel?”

She turned her head toward him and smiled wanly. “Tired, my lord. So very tired.”

“Your pains, when did they begin?”

She sighed. “Last night the baby was active. They started once I retired.”

“How bad have they been?”

“Bad enough. Some of them felt verily like the babe was about to be born.”

“But your waters have not broken.”

“No.”

“I see. I have sent your husband for some wine. As soon as he returns, I want you to have some. I want you to sip it throughout the day and I want you to remain abed. I do not believe this babe is yet ready to be born.”

“No, my lord.”

“Your sister lives just down the road, does she not?”

“Yes.”

“Good. I will send Eirian to her. She is a good woman and will be able to care for your household. You must not get up. Do you understand?”

“Yes, my lord.”

“Good. I will remain with you until your sister arrives. Eirian is going now.” He glanced meaningfully at his friend.

She smiled, disengaging her hand. “Eilwen, you are in good hands. Rest.”

Eilwen nodded and closed her eyes. Eirian left the room and Hywel could hear the murmuring sounds of her speaking to Cailin as she left. He leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees, still holding the pregnant woman’s hand.

Soon her husband entered the room with a full wineskin and mug. He quickly poured some and sat on the edge of the bed. “Here, my love, have some.” He held the cup to her lips and she swallowed.

“Celyn, have you chores that need to be done?”

“The boys are taking care of them.”

“Good. Have you the time to sit with your wife?”

“Aye.”

“Good. Eilwen, I know I said I would stay but if you have no objections, I will take my leave now. You truly are in good hands and you know I am never far away.” She nodded and smiled. “Your sister should be here soon as well, so I will take Cailin with me. As long as you rest, I believe you will be fine.”

“Thank, you my lord.”

Hywel inclined his head and ducked out of the room. Cailin was relaxed on a low chair with her legs curled up and her eyes were closed. Smiling inwardly, Hywel crept toward her. He bent over, running his hand down her arm and took her hand, lifting it to his mouth. She opened her eyes and smiled up at him. “Dance with me?”