Chapter Eighteen
Chapter Eighteen
Mrs Cameron sat with a steaming hot coffee in front of her. She usually drank tea in the afternoon, but the boy had gone to all that trouble. He’d made a full pot earlier in the day and she had to admit it was a good cup of coffee. Henry set down a plate of buttered toast in front of her, along with a knife and a jar of her homemade Saskatoon berry jam.
“What’s your game, mister?” she said with a sly grin.
“No game,” he said, plopping a second plate of toast down in front of his seat at the table. “I just thought, since I’m getting older, I should start pulling my weight around here.”
He dropped back into his chair grunting like an old man.
“Don’t grow up too fast. I kinda like having a boy around,” she said, reaching over and patting the back of his hand.
The phone rang. Henry jumped off his seat and quickly picked up the receiver. “Good afternoon. Hoodoo House. Henry Quill speaking… Sure,” he said, holding out the receiver to Mrs Cameron. “It’s for you.”
She looked at him quizzically and made her way to the phone. “Hello. Carol Cameron speaking.”
“Mrs Cameron? Abigail Sweet from Red Deer Retirement Mansion here. Sorry to disrupt your day.”
“What’s she done now?” Mrs Cameron asked.
“The question really should be what has she not been doing?” Abigail replied.
Abigail Sweet never answered a question directly. She was like a bird that circled its prey before landing on it, talons at the ready. Mrs Cameron had had many dust-ups with this woman.
“Florence had a bit of a bad spell this morning. She nearly bit one of her caregivers—”
Do not kick her out. Dear God, do not let them kick her out…
“Then she became her old sweet self again. It’s like someone flicked a switch! She pulled out the photo of the two of you and walked around the place showing it to everyone. I wish I had a sister who cared for me as much as Florence does for you. You are so lucky.”
Get to the point, woman!
“Then, just after lunch…she’s gone completely catatonic.”
“Have you adjusted her medication? You know she doesn’t react well if you do that,” Mrs Cameron scolded.
“Nothing has been changed.”
“Well, I guess you’ll just have to keep your eye on her and see if her condition improves.”
“Mrs Cameron, Red Deer Retirement Mansion is not set up to handle residents in your sister’s present condition.”
I’m surprised you wouldn’t prefer all of them catatonic, rather than biting.
“If she doesn’t improve, I’m afraid we’ll have to transfer her to the Red Deer Regional Hospital, and she’ll lose her spot here.”
“Oh God, please don’t do that,” Mrs Cameron begged. “You know how long it took to get her in there!”
“I know your concerns and I’m fully behind you on that. I was thinking that if you could come in for a visit, maybe talk about old times, it could snap her out of it. Would you be able to do that?”
The wheels of Mrs Cameron’s mind began to turn. Henry gave her a glance then whispered, “Is everything okay?”
She nodded then motioned for her coffee, which he ran to her. She took a swig.
“Mrs Cameron. Are you still there?”
“Yes, I’m still here,” she said, trying not to sound annoyed. “I’m just figuring out what to do with my ward, here. He’s thirteen and not used to being on his own.”
“I can go with you!” Henry cried. She could hear the hope in his voice. He rarely got the opportunity to leave the property, but she would not expose him to Red Deer Retirement Mansion. Not Henry.
“I, um, guess I could leave him by himself for a while,” Mrs Cameron said. “That’s legal, isn’t it? To leave a thirteen-year-old on his own? I mean I’ll only be gone for the afternoon and into the early evening.”
“I believe that’s up to you to decide.”
“I’ll be okay by myself. I’ll be fine. Honestly!” Henry said, dancing around.
“Well,” Carol continued, “I’ll have to prepare his dinner and arrange for a driver…I could be there around four. Yes. Five at the latest.”
“That would be wonderful. I’ll let Florence know. That might help to shake her out of her state.”
“Well, in the meantime, keep an eye on her. I don’t want her running away like the last time,” Mrs Cameron snapped.
Miss Sweet hung up.
What a mess.
Mrs Cameron would have to press her best dress and do up her hair, although a hat covered many sins. Then there was Henry.
“When do you have to leave?” he said in excitement.
“Don’t be so quick to kick me out of the door. Some day when I’m gone, you’ll miss me all the time.”
“Don’t say that. Never say that,” Henry said, running up to her and giving her a hug. She wasn’t normally the hugging kind, but for Henry, she’d always make an exception.
“Don’t worry. I’m not done teaching you everything you need to know just yet. Be a good boy and call Lem Franklin. Tell him I need a ride to Red Deer.”
“Mr Franklin’s a bit sweet on you, isn’t he?”
“Now, what are you insinuating? That I would take advantage of Mr Franklin just because he may or may not harbour feelings for me?”
Henry grinned. “Nope. Just calling ‘em as I sees ‘em.”
“And I’ll be home later this evening, so you can occupy yourself with a bit of homework and maybe one of your puzzles.”
“I’ll be fine, Gramma Carol. I’m practically a grown man. I can take care of myself.”
Henry ran over to the phone and arranged for her ride as she fussed in the kitchen, preparing a cold dinner and hoping that Henry would stay out of mischief while she was away.
It’s only a few hours. What could possibly go wrong?