Earlier today as I came home, another finally Friday, but another disappointment of a week, another week where what it is that I do is just considered by some, nothing more, just considered, I relaxed on the top top climb of the driveway’s tall tall hill at last.
The idiots were out today, Fridays bring out the best I guess and it was all I could do just to get to that hill’s climb around them. “just sing along Steve, just keep singing along, tap tap your steering wheel while moving forward, you have BB’s Alan Parsons CD’s for just this reason, just keep singin’ tap tappin’ along … you’ll make that hard right always wondering of just what gear to be in as you climb the hill eventually”.
Penny will surely poke his head out of the third bay garage cat door talking excitedly on his way over of stories of cat, Cujo will elbow in and suck the joy out of Penny’s hello to find his own joy instead via ear rubs, the dogs will do what the dogs do, a welcome din, you will check the hard food and water of the front porch cats and that one Calico who minds you at a staring almost close enough to not quite pet distance with a Penny underfoot now blab blab blabbin’ away, Cujo having gotten his moment and you will be home, a just being considered behind you, at least for a couple of days.
From behind their fence as you approach Chrissy will dance and spin like some Russian circus dog, Georgia will shaky butt defer, Louie will be annoying in his barky need of play way, Polly will work her way into the mix with a light lick of the nose and Pea will be nowhere to found, surely napping on the comfiest of dog chewed pet beds in the mudroom but with a tail that says “not quite asleep here ya know, I got a belly welcome for a pet or two if you’re so inclined”. Well so inclined I am Mr Pea. You will then turn the corner to head up the stairs to your little Bella, Mimi the Quirky, Cricket the Blind and a weekend of humans you’ll do your best to make sure are nowhere to be found. You’ll also have some words in comfortable lamp light and cat laps awaitin’ some creatin’ at the PC.
That relax.
And you’ll meet Jackie for the first time, the woman who rides the mower for Celie up and down this hill, as she parks her truck just beyond BB and just ahead of the cows. She’ll make her way over with a purpose after you’ve pulled up, a spent cigarette in her fingers, though one that will still call for an attempt, a forgotten then remembered but fruitless one. She is intent on meeting you, it seems, beyond the always quick waves in her mowings and she’ll be intent on telling you how she knows Bren. Brenda of Bren and Bob. My dear downstairs neighbors from the apartment before this one. Out of the blue connections.
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I couldn’t breathe.
I white knuckled my way home, suddenly, from Mom’s little place in her village of nice folks after a comfy Thanksgiving dinner with her and my brother 5 years ago realizing that I only needed two things. Get home and get home, the second get home being all about me not being on the road. I was seeing double, breath wasn’t coming and I needed to just get home to my little Bella and Grayson. Bren just happened to be poking her head out of her Bren and Bob apartment as I managed two lines in the parking lot, tried to manage two lines in the parking lot I should say, with a wide eyed hunch over a steering wheel’s death grip stare at the simplest most difficult lines ever. Bob, of Bren and Bob threw me in his car and drove.
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So now there was a Jackie who rides mowers up and down a hill with spent cigarettes between her fingers who knows a Bren who lives with a Bob who had a car and knew a spot with waiting rooms and anxious faces and doctors and nurses and nine days of a hospital bed to help me breathe again and discover things I didn’t know but am so grateful that I do now.
The world smalls.
“C’mon Penny, let’s check on the porch gang (with sideways steps of feet that pause in their ups) and then a check on your pals in that third bay … Dude! Watch the underfoot will ya?!”
“Meow … what?”
I was home, another finally Friday. Just consider me? Fine. I just made a hard right up a tall tall hill wondering of what gear to be in as I always do, just this time at a week’s end and was met with a reminder, and the always other welcome and comforting ones.
I breathe a little easier at some week’s ends, considering.
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