Chapter 15 - Covid #2
Russell called Robby as soon as he got off the phone with his mother-in-law, Robby’s mother, Mary.
Marie had prepared her parents from the first. He asked Robby to please stay for the time being.
The boys liked him so much. He’d be a bright spot they needed right now.
He also said that though making out a list for staples was a good idea, including ice cream — don’t forget ice cream — there would be plenty of meals coming in.
The grandmothers would see to that. He’d asked both sets of grandparents to help set up childcare, so he could keep working.
There was a big extended family with many grandchildren from Fond du Lac to Grand Portage, where Russell had grown up.
It shouldn’t be a problem. If he got through to anyone at the hospital, he’d call Robby.
He’d be 6:30 getting home tonight, because he had to go by a construction site he was supposed to have checked this morning.
A thought struck Robby out of nowhere. What if he were on the road and something like this happened?
He’d be the last to know. That’s what would happen.
Marie. He hadn’t been home two months, and, already, that scenario was unthinkable.
His life was changing in significant ways, quickly.
Events and emotions were entering the void like a river filling with spring rains flowing downhill toward a trickling, winter waterfall.
Russell called again. His voice was shaky, and Robby sat down in the closest chair. “I talked to her for just a minute. She sounds bad. She can hardly breathe Robby.” His voice broke. “She said she loves us all. God, Robby, it’s all happening so fast. And I can’t be with her. This is torture.”
Robby fought back thoughts of a world without Marie. He had to think of what she’d want him to do. “Russell, would you feel better if you were at the hospital?”
“I wish, but the hospital’s locked down.
There’s a table with a security guard outside the front door.
He won’t let you in, and if you’re there for a medical reason, he sends you to the ER entrance.
I already checked. And my boys need me.” Robby noticed Russell’s voice was stronger when they didn’t talk about Marie.
“Are you sure you’re able to work? I can come get you.”
“Thanks, but I need to work, for lots of reasons. And I really appreciate you being at the house for the boys. It’s a big help.”
“No problem. Glad there’s something I can do. You can call me anytime during the day, for any reason, and I’ll come get you any time from any place.”
“Thanks, Robby. I’m gonna get busy, but I’ll let you know if I get news. See you around 6:30.”
“Be careful, Russell. ‘Last thing the boys need is for something to happen to you.”
Robby turned the ringer all the way up, put the phone on vibrate, and put it in his pocket.
In a few minutes, it vibrated. It was his mom, texting that suppers were covered for the foreseeable future and would arrive around 6 p.m., starting today.
God bless friends and big families. Which made him think of Grace.
He wished she were here now. He’d email her an update at lunchtime, which made him think .
. . what was he going to feed the boys for lunch?
What did he eat at that age? Oh God. He was still eating PB&J, on a regular basis.
What did that mean? And canned chili. Maybe Marie was right about his needing to grow up.
Was there enough bread? How did women do this?
It was never ending. And he needed to get in the studio.
His phone pinged. An email. From his manager. The promoter had called. The Chicago date was canceled. Statewide Covid guidelines. Minneapolis wasn’t possible either. They had their hands full in the aftermath of the George Floyd murder. Call him when he could.
He let out a long breath. What a roller coaster ride.
Life on the road was simple compared to this.
Other people figured things out and made the decisions.
He just followed a schedule. Hectic, yes.
Exhausting, yes. But his biggest problems were now embarrassing.
Transportation and meals were provided. Living arrangements taken care of.
All you had to do was show up straight enough to perform what you loved in front of screaming fans.
The show’s cancellation did make things here easier.
Nothing he could do about any of it, except help Russell.
But, again, he wished Grace were here. He changed his mind and wrote her a long email now, catching her up on Marie, the Chicago cancellation, and ending with telling her he found himself often wishing she were here. There was no reason not to.
***********
Grace spent the day on this week’s blogpost. It was hard to be restrained after reading in multiple newspapers that the billionaire who runs Antofagasta owns the DC home the President’s daughter and her husband rent, a luxury property he bought just after the election.
In addition, the environmental review process for renewal of mining leases had been cut short at both the federal and state levels since this President took office.
A scary time for environmentalists and residents of the Ely area with the many negative environmental consequences of copper-nickel mining, including contaminating drinking water in perpetuity.
To top it off, she’d read accounts that Antofagasta had a miserable safety record, as did the copper mining industry in general, worldwide.
Grace struggled against her emotions taking over.
She would send the draft to Erika when she went up to the lodge at 4 p.m. She was waiting as long as possible in case Robby emailed about Marie.
This was a time when it was not good to be so isolated.
She could call him from the lodge landline, but she hesitated to do that.
She would wait and see what developed. For sure if he couldn’t come up this weekend she would call.
She was pondering all that when she heard Billy come onto the porch, then knock. “Come on in, Billy. What’s up?”
“Hi. I have a couple firewood things Jim thought would come in handy after spending time down here. Boy, that was a great night! I really don’t think it could’ve been any better.”
“It was pretty perfect, wasn’t it? So fun.”
“Is Robby coming back this weekend?”
“I hope so. Do you have time for coffee?” Grace asked, standing up and stretching.
She was glad to see Billy. Was this what it was like to have a younger brother?
A guy who has no agenda? Isn’t hitting on you?
She’d been an only child at a downtown all-girls school far away from her home in the suburbs, spending afternoons on campus with clubs and sports.
She was shy anyway . . . hadn’t made friends in her neighborhood and hadn’t interacted with boys growing up, outside of dating.
College was a shock — full-on pursuit, often unpleasant, sometimes scary.
Thinking back to all that, she suddenly wondered if that had been part of the appeal of a steady boyfriend — safety .
. . and being able to relax and, yes, focus, on other interests.
No wonder women in previous generations married younger.
Marriage may have meant freedom, oddly. What a maddening reality.
Billy’s response brought her back to now.
“Sure. I hope you two aren’t cooling it, again? You seem to be getting along fine.”
“No. Nothing like that.” She walked over to the coffee. “I’m going to make a fresh pot. Won’t take long. Okay?”
“That’s fine. I’ll get those things out of the truck.
” Grace heard him put something inside the screened porch door.
Then she saw him go past the windows on the back side of the cabin with what looked like a huge metal ring, at least what she could see of it looked like that.
He was outside a long time, near the woodpile — she heard him messing with the tarp, and when he came back in, he was carrying a large, old, brass cauldron by its curved handle, and a flexible log carrier.
“That will definitely come in handy,” Grace said, looking at the log carrier, “and maybe save some sweaters. They catch on the wood when it’s in my arms. What’s that other thing?”
Billy walked over to the woodstove and put the brass cauldron on the floor next to it, the carrier in it. “I don’t know what it was for originally, but now it’s for you to keep firewood in. Jim said it would be better than putting it on the floor or the rug. He and Nan found it in a garage sale.”
“It looks like a witch’s cauldron. I like it. And what was that thing you went around the side with?”
“Oh, that’s one of those firewood stackers.
You couldn’t see them, but it’s got feet on it — keeps your woodpile off the ground.
I stacked your wood in it, so you can see how it’s done, and secured the tarp.
I’ll come back with a section of one of the big trees that fell during the storm.
They make great platforms for splitting wood. ”
“Wow. I’ll have to have y’all down here more often, so I can get these perks. They never occur to me. I’m just so happy to work in this setting. It’s perfect.” She handed Billy a mug to fill, got the molasses cookies, and sat down with her coffee.
“I been thinkin’ about something you said .
. . You told me you’d had a bad experience ‘getting lost in a relationship’,” Billy said, sitting down.
“I’ve been wondering. What does that mean?
You don’t have to answer if it’s too personal.
” He pulled a cookie out of the package and dunked it halfway, then looked at Grace.
“It’s a long story, even a short version. You sure you have time?”
“I can always stop you. Go ahead.”