Today was Valentine’s Day – when Anne was in the third grade, and Peter and Allison were in the States in school, Linda Armstrong (am thinking about the Armstrongs since Chuck died last month) was working in the commissary in Dhahran. On Valentine’s Day Linda called Henry at the office, informing him she had saved some fresh flowers for him to buy and to give to me! and Anne. (this was before we had the Flower Shop at the hospital, and flowers were a rare commodity. We were just a year into living in Dhahran and very seldom saw a fresh flower in Abqaiq or Ras Tanura – other than periwinkles and oleanders in the yard). Henery was pretty well forced into bringing home flowers, since it was a done deal, and we were so thrilled to receive flowers, one would have thought he had thought of it himself!
Well, here we are tonight. I was folding wash and going from room to room, with all lights on. Henry would ALWAYS turn the light off when leaving a room – a penny saved is a penny earned. Even those last few days when we still could get him to the bathroom, he was so weak and unsteady, he always turned of the light in the bathroom before we got him back into the wheelchair.
Since he has been gone I’ve left on lights, some all night long.
Tonight, feeling guilty, am going about the house turning them off.
There have been several comments lately about the magnitude of The Gathering and The Celebration. Wasn’t it wonderful, so many friends coming. Henry would have managed as he always did, hiding out in his old black recliner. For those years in Ras Tanura especially, there on the beach, we had continual weekend guests. It was wonderful, our lives filled with friends and food. They spent the time on the beach, or in the kitchen! Henry spent the time in the big bedroom facing the atrium. Behind those opaque draperies he read, or worked on a rug, and listened to the sounds of the weekend. Those who wanted to talk to him would have to come find him.
He would often say:
“I don’t care who comes.
I don’t care how much it costs to feed them.
But please, don’t make me talk to them.”
Ah yes, the dear man.
Much love to all-thank you for the comments on the website
Bonnie and the Cook Family