It’s Only a Beginning
Dez had been getting steadily more restless. Walking the track everyday was necessary, but boring. Sometimes she’d have Brewster with her, sometimes her sister would walk with her, but most of the time she was on her own. The days that she had a companion, it did break the monotony of just going around in circles. She missed her own bed, her own walls, her own stuff. Even if it was a rented apartment. She had lost interest in her painting - still grateful that her sister had made a special trip to get it for her. Matt had been too busy to meet with her about her tiny house idea. Each time she rounded the far end of the track she had to pass the tangled old hedge where she first had the questionably brilliant idea. Her eyes and her heart tried to see that first vision. There were days when she couldn't see it at all and wondered how she could even have thought it was a good idea.
“Miss Dez! How're you feelin’ today? I’m startin’ work on that old garage today. Want to join me? You must be gettin’ awful bored, not being able to get out as often ‘cept to walk this track.” Samuel had appeared as if out of nowhere, wheelbarrow filled with tools, garbage bags and a big push broom across it. “Samuel! You startled me. Too involved with giving Brewster her loves and ear scratches.” Dez had been able to get down to Brewster’s level and had been granted a good face wash. “Brewster! No! That’s just gross and I’ll have to go all the way back to the house to wash my face properly.” Laughing at her predicament, she stood up. Dez loved dogs, but did not love the face wash. They’d have to work on that.
“Thanks, Samuel, but I’m not dressed for garage renovations. But if you’re working on it tomorrow, I could come out all ready and have my walk too.” The clouds had parted and the winter rain had stopped. Gulls floated on high currents in the blue skies. It was almost shirt sleeve weather. For December on the Island, this kind of weather was not always usual, but was always welcomed. A reprieve from the Island’s winter darkness and rain. “Didn’t you just say you had to go the to the house to wash your face. You could get work clothes on and come on back. But if you’d rather count on the clouds to stay away…..” Samuel’s words drifted behind him. He had picked up the wheelbarrow handles and headed down the path at the end of the hedge. Dez called after him. “What will you be doing? My balance is real good now, but I won’t be doing any heavy lifting yet.” She hoped that he had heard her. Calling over his shoulder he said “Just tidying up inside before I start the heavy work. James said there used to be some boxes of Christmas things stored there. You come on if you want to…….and ask Elizabeth for a couple of sandwiches and a thermos of tea.” He disappeared behind the hedge with his load. Dez heard him struggling with one of the doors. She called out “I’ll be right back and bring you some lunch.”
~~~~~
Now that she had a purpose, it really didn’t take her long to get to the house. Cook had the lunch all ready to go. Even enough for her, as well as some fresh baking. “How did you know, Cook?!” Cook laughed. “I could see you and that old man talking, then you came up here right away. I just looked at the time and he wasn’t giving you the weather report. I’ve packed it all in your backpack. Be easier for you to carry it out there.” Work clothes on, Dez had Cook help her adjust the backpack. Settling it on her shoulders, she thanked Cook and set out. Once at the garage, she called to Samuel. “We’re back. Brewster followed me up to the house and waited outside for me. He found a patch of sun and got comfortable. Here’s our lunch. Cook had it all ready for me before I even got to the house. The two of you must have telepathy!” Dez and Samuel laughed in unison. “I don’t know about telepathy, but she’s gone and done that before.”
Dez surveyed the garage. Cobwebs and dirt. That’s all that seemed to be there. “No lights in here yet and the back windows are so dirty that light doesn’t much get in.” Samuel was sweeping up the middle of the floor. “Just need to clear some space so we can get to the boxes over there in the corner. Then there’s that old work bench and all the drawers and boxes.” Dez squinted in the corners he had indicated and walked over to the work bench. It wasn’t until her eyes had adjusted to the light that she noticed them. “This old building is structurally safe, Samuel?” Once she got inside, she felt a little uncertain about their safety. “It’s good, Miss Dez. Wouldn’t have let either of us in here if I wasn’t sure of it. Here, clear off a space on that workbench. We’ll have to eat standin’ up so might just as well keep workin’ at the same time.” Dez was trying to clean off the windows, just small squares of brittle glass. “Look in the wheel barrow. There’s some wet and dry rags in there, some window cleaner too.”
The two worked in silence for the afternoon, not noticing the time until darkness hampered their work. Besides the windows and the floor, the boxes in the corner had been dusted off, Dez separating them out on the floor. She’d go through them tomorrow. Some of them were quite heavy, some light. Some rattled and some seemed packed with books. The work bench would have to wait till the next day too. She suddenly was aware of the good exhaustion she felt. “You ready to call it quits for today, Miss? I sure am and this old dog is fussin’ at me for her supper. We’ll walk you back up to the house.”
“The beginning is always today.”
~ Mary Shelley
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