Perspectives: Part One

While watching a hockey game one evening, I received a Facebook message from my cousin Glenn who lives in China and teaches English at a private University in Shanghai and also has a family there. Since there is a 12 hour time difference, messages are not always received or returned as promptly as one may like.

However, he sent me 2 stories about my parents. My cousin Glenn is the oldest son of my Father's oldest sister. Howie is my Father's youngest brother.Grandma was having her last child when my Aunt was having Glenn. They are weeks apart in age. So, reading these stories opened my eyes to my parents in such a way that really made me feel a tad guilty about my feelings for them. More so with my Mother as the dementia has set in and changed her memory to almost non-existent. So here is a story about my Mother before I knew her as such! Incidentally, Glenn has 8 other siblings!!

 

This happened the year they married or maybe the year before I cannot say but I know it was  summer holidays for me in Quinton

Typical beyond beautiful, a really nice day, blue skies day, cloudless but not those famous scorching prairie Julys.

Granny Kauth gave Howie and me maybe two week heads up ~warning that your mom was coming so this built some kind of heavy suspense for two budding teenage boys

The day is a complete memory and I cannot say why but I do remember that day vividly!

I also remember when your dad left Quinton to join the DND but...

That is another story but a complete memory too plus I almost died

I digress ...sorry

The day she arrived was a pictoral memory... like a painting

Really beautiful something like minimal painting by Mondrian

 or Impessionist Manet.

The light was so like her reddish or yellowish hair her blue dress with maybe red lipstick really beautiful lady!

 

Howie and I budding little nerds who were starting to find girls kind of interesting then..aged 12`13`14 really cannot pin down exactly

You could probably tell me since you were born following year

Well anyway...

Howie was a local kid and not as desirable nor exotic as I was to the local girls.

Especially "Cocker" Degelman's daughter cannot remember her name... (Shelly) yes that's it!

We had shared some letters after Bob Van Vliet goaded me to dance with her at a party at his house

Then she invited me to her birthday party later that year.

Howie teased me so much I never went.

So this Bob Van Vliet was the kid most likely to succeed

Very popular with the girls great hockey player and sports man

(He fell afoul of the Canadian police the RCMP and is or was in prison for a long stretch) diverge..

 

His uncle a famous U of S professor of agriculture and the other uncle a famous Canadian diplomat.

The diplomats daughter Julie Van Vliet was my first real "love"

But I diverge from your mom again...sorry

 

The day you mom came to meet granny and grandpa was the..

Same day as the primary colours red blue and yellow

The main memory of that July in Quinton Saskatchewan is yellow

Mainly the sun the heat and your moms attitude was very sunny in her friendly way

She was shy like you.. I think... and needed to be kind to us so really trying to be kind to Howie and me.

That day Bob Van Vliet was doing chores for Otto his dad at the "general" store

The store and the house were adjoining so they lived in the store essentially

I m sure it was Saturday and Bob was doing a garbage run.

Bob's mom Kate a fire brand who smoked like a chimney and had orange stains under her nose like

Adolf Hitler's moustache... cannot ever forget that... lol.

His dad Otto was so sainted because his wife Kate was domineering! That is an understatement too!

 

Anyway Bob was too busy to join us but I noticed he was trashing these tubed girdles

Never seen anything like since nor before but hey... this is something that I can use..

 

The girdles were packaged in tubes like Pringle potato chips and since I am a scrounger

I took one or two tubed girdles.

 

Awkward is an understatement but it was awkward meeting for all of us

Our granny was herself and held it all together being so nice and loving

But I digress again....

Herein lies the story...

We met uncle Ernie and your mom along the road since they had been dropped off on the highway

since they had taken the Greyhound bus to Quinton

Nothing glamorous at all, maybe dusty I really can't say.

Howie and I were not so keen on meeting this lady but your dad yes of course

Your mom tried so hard to show kindness to us but we were just nerds

We had no social skills and rural Saskatchewan we had never seen such a beautiful lady!

I am sure we were speechless.

You mom tried so hard to find some nice things to say or ask but really... Karen we were completely in awe!

Howie said nothing absolutely nada!

I think I was in shock or something and acted in some kind of reflex reaction

But your mom was so nice to us and so beautiful words cannot describe that moment

I blurted out some fat remark handed her the girdle Howie and I headed for the hills

I don't think we wanted to come home for supper hoping your mom and dad would go back to Ontario

or

Quebec wherever...just go away...

Remember we were just 12 or 13 and our metabolism was equal to the times

We had to come home for supper no matter what...

So after cooler heads prevailed Howie convinced me that we should go home for supper.

 

So embarrassing cannot describe my feelings and your mom was like princess Diana so kind and nice to Howie and me

I could have died and she even thanked me for being so kind to give her a present

The tension I felt that supper is still in my heart.

 

PLUS

Your moms beauty kind personality and shy human contact is clear as day still over~ X~ amount of years since you were born.

 

I think or I know that is why I really feel a lot closer to you than you may realize~ all because of how nice your mom is!

 

That frikin' day I was so rude to such a beautiful lady like your mom

Before this happened was another time I vividly remember

This day was the PARTY.....

Yes,the party!! That is a story for another time indeed.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Q