October 8, 1998
Dear Everyone:
Well, last week’s vacation didn’t work out quite
the way we had expected it to.
For those of you who may not have heard, our brother, “Byron”,
passed away unexpectedly the day before Mother was scheduled to fly down
and spend a week with us in California.
It was a sudden blow to all of us.
“Byron” had been in and out of the hospital a number of times
over the past year, but it always seemed to be for something different
each time. And all of our
attention tended to be focused on Dad’s health rather than on “Byron’s”.
I don’t think any of us realized just how ill
“Byron” was, “Byron” himself included.
His oldest son, ”Fremont”, had left him lying on the living room
sofa, watching one of the sports channels on TV.
When “Fremont” came back later to check on him, the TV was still
on, but “Byron” wasn’t there anymore.
In all fairness, I don’t think he could have picked a better way
to go. One minute, he’s
watching the sports channel; the next minute, someone’s handing him a
harp. Let’s just hope that
there’s plenty of golfing and fishing where he is now.
Needless to say, this changed all travel plans.
Instead of meeting Mother at the airport, “Jeannie” and I flew up
to Oregon that Friday
afternoon. We got a rental
car that turned out to be very handy over the next few days.
“Frankie” got in a bit after midnight.
The next day, “Alice”, “Richard” and “Marshall” were all
scheduled to arrive in the early afternoon.
Since we were sketchy about flights, times and even airlines, we
parked ourselves at the entrance for
baggage claim,
figuring that, sooner or later, everyone would have to come looking for
bags. “Richard” and “Alice”
actually found each other before they found us.
“Byron’s” first ex-wife, “Diana”, took care of
nearly all of the arrangements.
Services were scheduled for the following Tuesday.
In the meantime, “Frankie” and “Richard” decided that the best
course of action for everyone was to paint the living room.
I was never really clear on how we got from “death in the family”
to “Hey! Let’s paint the
living room!” But it gave
everyone something to do besides sitting around.
And God knows, it was sorely needed.
So we spent a couple of days taping and draping and
putting on a primer coat and doing a really first rate job on both the
walls and the ceiling. I
never did actually get my hands on a paintbrush, but I was unsurpassed
at going back to the building supply store for more drop clothes (I said
that rental car came in handy).
On Tuesday morning, there was a brief, but very
nice service at the national cemetery.
Then we went over to “Diana’s” place for some lunch.
“Byron’s” second ex-wife, “Janice”, came as did a number of his
friends. We sat around
telling stories about “Byron’s” world-class
snore and the fact
that he was so hairy that, in a single shower, he could turn a bar of
soap into a Chia Pet.
Then it was time to go home because we had decided
to continue from the living room and paint the dining room and kitchen,
as well. “Alice” and
“Richard” left on Wednesday.
The rest of us stayed until Friday and Mother came back to California
with “Jeannie” and me.
We had gotten
bereavement
fares from the airline, which meant that we had to produce a copy of
the obituary when we
checked in for the return flight.
The airlines have to require this; otherwise they’d be inundated
with calls of “Granny’s dead.
I gotta get to
Las Vegas right away.”
When the ticket agent realized that Mother was traveling back with us,
she waived the change fee and additional cost on Mother’s ticket, which
was very nice of the airline.
Mother stayed with “Jeannie” the night of the
Antioch
High School Reunion (the original reason for the original trip).
Other than that, she’s been staying with me.
This Friday, she and “Jeannie” will travel to
Fresno to
visit “Marshall” and take a day trip to
Yosemite.
Then Mother flies home next Monday.
It’s been a somber time, but things will begin to
brighten up soon. I checked
my records and “Jeannie” and I didn’t go to a single movie together last
month. That’s got to be some
kind of a record. We really
must do something about it.
Love, as always,
Pete
| Previous | Next |