CHAPTER FORTY FOUR REMEMBRANCE

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CHAPTER FORTY FOUR

I hurriedly returned to the door after ringing off with Louisa. Time froze for a moment and there before me was Louisa's mother, Eleanor Glasson, wearing a blue dress with flowers on it and an orange scarf around her neck. As I thought at the wedding, she has not aged well. A bit of a disaster standing before me. My thoughts were a jumble. Why had she returned so soon after James's wedding? And why has she shown up with Louisa across the channel sleeping in hovels and eating decadent food. My greeting was forced.

"Eleanor. Sorry for leaving you on the porch. I had to finish a phone call."

"Hello Martin. Well, manners were never your long suit. All is forgiven. Here I am."

"I can see that, Eleanor. Buy why? You were just here for the wedding and you have returned. And where is your wheelchair?"

"Oh, Martin, you can't keep this old lady down. I can manage with a cane."

Suddenly, someone called from the drive. "Hey mate, what do I do with this luggage?"

Looking past Eleanor there were three large suitcases by the taxi. It was obvious this was not an overnight visit.

I assisted Eleanor to the living room, leaving the suitcases near the entry for now.

She was quite winded after just that short distance, reminding me that she had used a portable oxygen tank at the wedding.

"Where is your oxygen?"

"It ran out. I hope you can get me one in town. Those dam cigarettes have killed me, Martin, but I would give anything for one right now. I can't smoke and use the oxygen or I could go up in flames. It's miserable."

A lecture would be useless at this point. Usually able to quickly asses a situation, I found that my mind had short circuited. A myriad of questions flooded in. Does she plan to move in here? Had she returned here to die, having a serious health issue? How would she get on with Terry, her former husband? Former? Had they ever divorced? I had to finally ask myself, "What would Louisa do?" That allowed me to make some quick decisions.

"Eleanor, you need to rest. You may stay in Joan's room. I will drive to town and get you a filled oxygen tank."

"Hey, where is my Loulou? Will she return soon?"

"Louisa and Joan are on holiday in France. They should be home in a few days. I'm afraid we are stuck with each other, Eleanor."

"Well, Martin, I must thank you for not turning me out. Our history together isn't the best, is it?"

"Eleanor, you are Louisa's mother. This is where you will stay until she returns. Let's keep our battles to a minimum, shall we?"

"Not much fight left in this old girl, Martin. Show me where that bed is."

I went to the pharmacy and luckily found a portable oxygen tank. I purchased two and was just leaving the store when who should I run into but Terry Glasson.

"Hello Martin. When will Louisa return? Not soon enough for you, eh?"

"Terry. Good to see you about. Louisa and Joan should be home soon."

"You okay? Ya seem a bit tense. Who needs oxygen?"

"It's for a patient and Louisa should return in two or three days." Thinking, "No more questions, Terry." I got away quickly, fully aware he knew I was being cagey. A patient? He knows I don't have patients.

I stopped at the surgery on my return. I arranged with Valerie, the current receptionist for an appointment for Eleanor. I wanted her to have a full check-up, with lab and X-rays. I doubted she has had the care she needs in Spain, mainly through self neglect.

I returned to find Eleanor in the living room watching television. I decided to make some simple cheese omelettes with toast and tea for our supper. I had found some heirloom tomatoes in the market; perfect with the omelettes. Given the state of her health, I could only imagine the terrible diet on which she subsisted.

We ate in silence. Mostly in silence. Eleanor wanted to make small talk, but I don't talk while I eat. We were finishing with some pears I had sliced when she said, "Martin I want to move here and live close to my family. I love my grandchildren and my Loulou. And I won't leave you out. I have to say, you are better than I ever thought you to be 25 years ago. The thing is there really is not much holding me in Spain. I'm alone. There is no reason for me to stay there and there are many reasons to be here, most of them in this house. There you have it, if you will have me."

Have her. Surely she did not mean living in this house. I need Louisa here desperately.

"You have come and are here now. We will await Louisa to sort all of this. Tomorrow you are going to visit the doctor. You need to be checked."

"I don't need a doctor Martin. Nothing to be done for me."

"Eleanor you do not have a say in this. You are going to the surgery for a check-up and I'll brook no argument about it."

"Dam Martin, I don't like being told what to do. I do have a scar on my tummy that says I should listen to you, but I don't like it. Why do I think Louisa's going to be harder on me than you are?"

"You don't have to like it. You just have to do it. As long as you are near, Louisa and I will be concerned about your welfare."

Eleanor was good at saying one thing and doing another. I was tempted to search her luggage for cigarettes and herbal concoctions, but knew I'd not do that. I would have to keep a close watch on her however, which I in no way wanted to do.

Eleanor told me many years ago that she didn't like me. I had told her the feeling was mutual. We tried to avoid each other since being together inevitably led to an argument. Over time we actually gained an arms-length respect. She knew I would take care of Louisa and I came to see she cared for her daughter. I don't think the wound of her mother's forsaking her has ever completely healed, but Louisa is one to take life as it is.

What affected me most was my children's attachment to their Granny Eleanor, as they called her. Her visits were occasional and never predictable, but she did come and eventually we, with some reluctance, allowed James and Joan to visit her in Spain. I was fearful of catastrophes sure to occur and horrible mannerisms with which they would become infected. Eleanor had said, "Look they have a stable routine at home. Allow their crazy grandmother to have them a few weeks in the summer. I can straighten them out." Louisa told me, "Martin, there is a certain wisdom in what she says. She really loves James and Joan." As it is, Eleanor and my children are very close.

I arose and cleared the table. It wouldn't take long to wash the dishes and I detest arriving to prepare breakfast with dishes in the sink. My back was turned and I thought Eleanor might leave, but instead she asked a strange question.

"Martin, you do know I am your mother-in-law?"

Turning, I assented and with a bit of abruptness said, "Of course I do. Why are you stating the obvious?"

"Well, Martin some people call their mother-in-law "Mum." I wouldn't mind, you know. You've never done that."

Why did she bring this up? When she said it I experienced a wave of pain and near nausea that I had not felt in many years. I would not get into this. I would not. I simply said, "Eleanor, the word "mum" carries many bad memories for me. I prefer to call you by your name. Full stop."

My mother had been dead for many years. The horrible truth is that she had been dead to me even when she was living. Terry and Eleanor were flawed and made many mistakes, but they did care for their daughter. It was absurd thinking but Eleanor thought she was doing her husband and daughter a favor by leaving, thinking herself a "crap mum" to use her words. The closest I ever came to knowing motherly love was Auntie Joan. But now I had to confess that in some unexplainable way, even Eleanor had exhibited at times a mother's attention toward me.

Softening my comment I added, "I mean no disrespect. You have to trust me that I have good reasons for simply and always calling you Eleanor."

"I did not intend to resurrect the past for you. I''m tired so I think I will go to bed. It's been a long day."

"Yes, that would be good, Take a glass of water with you. I notice you are not drinking enough water."

"I might as well sleep in the loo."

"Then drink a little now, but tomorrow drink several glasses. Good night."

I retired to my study thinking I might read a bit, but Eleanor's mother-in-law comment had thrown me a curveball. I simply sat thinking for awhile and finally realized Louisa must be wondering what was going on since it was now over five hours since I announced her mother's arrival. I dialed her mobile.

"Martin. I've been waiting for your call. What's going on with Mum coming back to Portwenn so soon after she was with us for the wedding?"

"It seems she has left Spain and intends to move here to live. She has brought three large cases. Said there's nothing holding her in Spain and she wants to be with family."

"I read in a poem once that when you go back home, they have to take you in."*

"What are you saying?"

"Oh, it just one of those things I read that stayed with me. She didn't seem well at the wedding. How do you think she's doing?"

"I plan to take her to the surgery tomorrow for a full evaluation. She's a bit weak and requires oxygen most of the time. She still has all of her wits about her. Which brings me to say that I can manage a day or so, but I desperately want you here. How soon can you and Joan return?"

"We plan to leave here tomorrow and travel to Bayeux where we can see the tapestry and the British War Cemetery. I'm losing track of days. Is today Tuesday? Yes, okay, we could take the ferry from Cherbourg to Portsmouth on Thursday and be home by that evening. What do you think?"

"Good. Don't take the night ferry. You need to be rested and I do not want you driving in the dark. Thursday will be good. Actually your mother is quite calm compared to other times, but I don't want to press our luck. I'll do my best not to prompt any fireworks."

"You're the dearest man, Martin. Thank you for taking care of Mum."

"Louisa, she is your mother, and as I think on it, she's the only mother we have."

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*Robert Frost in The Death of The Hired Man