SALVAGING

It was a Thursday. Tracy had been here cleaning the house. I had actually worked hard, putting away things, hanging up clothes, just being domestic. With the house clean and not having to cook supper, I decided I would read and take a nap on the couch. I gathered my book, reading glasses, diet cherry 7-UP, a few fun size Snickers, a toothpick, the inhaler and nose spray, Bucky pillow and the velour blanket. Just as I got myself wrapped in the blanket, my reading glasses on and my book open, the phone rang. It was Mama. She said she had an awful mess, the roof in the white building had leaked and it was bad. Oh no, I thought, here goes my nap. I reluctantly lifted myself off the couch, folded the blanket and put on my shoes.
I drove the car into Mama's back yard, close to the building. Mama was already pulling things out and giving them a sling. I looked in the building and she was right, it was bad. I started filling trash bags and moving things around but it was about too much for me to handle. Mama had called John, her neighbor across the street. I have never been so glad to see anybody. He dug into the mess and soon had a path and was making some order of it all. We were able to salvage the most important things, except one. But that's too sad for me to think about now.
Meanwhile, Mama is in the yard trying to move things around, but they are moving her instead. She kept toppling over and we would have to help her up. Then I heard her calling me. I went to the back of the house and she had fallen in the well. It's a good thing we had been filling in the well for the last several years. She had fallen backwards, she was nearly folded in half, her head and feet sticking out of the well. She was laughing so I knew she wasn't hurt. Or at least I didn't think she was hurt. While I was trying to get her out of the well, I got so tickled at her that I couldn't pull her out. Finally, John had to come help. He didn't know what to think of either one of us. Falling was funny until she tripped on a cord, hitting her head on a metal table, and hurting her foot and arm. A big blue knot popped out on her forehead. She assured us she was fine but that was the end of her trying to help. She was also getting cold so I sent her in the house. Every few minutes she would come to the back door and tell us how sorry she was that she wasn't helping, we would be dead (we weren't), my back would hurt (it did), we would get dirty (we did), did we want anything to drink (we didn't), were the trash bags too heavy (they were), would I have asthma (probably), was I still coughing (yes, I was), how much longer (much too long), what would we do with the trash (who knows), were we hungry (no), were we ruining our clothes (no doubt, we were), did we like her (not a bit).
As night came on, I put much of the salvaged things in Mama's car. The car was already about full but I found room to stuff more in every nook and cranny. The car serves as a nice storage building. The keys have been lost for years.
Some salvaged things went to St. Vincent de Paul and to the Mountain Mission building. I brought papers and books to my hosue to dry. I managed to save all the papers that were important.
I'm going to repair my grandfather's desk. It is wet but not totally ruined. The Furniture Medic will probably have to be called in for consultation.
There is a lot more work to be done but today I'd rather read. I'll think about the building tomorrow.