It was late-afternoon and I sat in the living room reading a novel for book club. I was still mulling over what to fix for supper. Nothing that crossed my mind appealed to me. Maybe I’d just heat up one of the Schwan prepared meals that were stashed in the freezer.
I heard an additional voice talking to Ken in the family room and went to greet our son. Kurt asked his dad if he would go with him to Elgin to retrieve his son’s truck. Our grandson had left it parked in his sister’s driveway while he caught a flight at O’Hare Airport. Jacob was worried about a predicted hail storm damaging his prized possession. My husband agreed. Kurt turned to me and said, “If you want to ride along, I’ll buy supper.” I couldn’t turn down an offer like that. An hour-and-a-half later, the three of us were dining in a busy Elgin restaurant.
Afterward, I chose to ride back to Durand with our son. He kept glancing in the rearview mirror to be sure the headlights of the other pick-up were following the streets’ twists and turns before we entered I-90. The intimacy of a vehicle sets the stage for conversation; the time passed quickly.
An hour-and-a-half later, Kurt could make a call to assure Jacob that his beloved truck was safely in its garage stall.
It reminded me of days gone by. I’d be grumping around during the late morning, still wearing my nightclothes and not sure if I felt sick or well. A call from a girlfriend suggesting, “Let’s do lunch,” was all I needed to feel fine. I hurried through a shower and dressed for an outing.
Sadly, one of the draw-backs of living to an old age is that many of my playmates have passed away.
Do you like surprises to break up your routine?