Not for Ourselves
He wasn’t really a young man in 2008. But he had taken a trip to the mainland anyway. Samuel Forrester wasn’t prone to leave his garden and yard for more than a couple days. Especially at planting time, or when the new plants were getting started, or when the tomatoes needed staking. Come to think of it there wasn’t anytime for trips even up Island. He also wasn’t one to just drop everything, but his cousin asked for his help. He didn’t hesitate. Fred, his cousin, had a small fruit farm somewhere between Penticton and Kelowna in the Okanagan. Samuel had only been there once before. The young couple that helped Fred at the Farmer’s Market every fall had been in a serious car accident. They were recovering but still in hospital. Unable to get any immediate replacements, in desperation he called Samuel. “I’ll stay as long as you need me. Be there by Friday, Fred.” He had let James know he was going, found a young man to come out a couple of times a week to pick any tomatoes still to ripen and hoped there wouldn’t be a bad turn in the weather. He had only needed to be away for a few weeks, but he loved every minute of it. Had to call James every other day to check up on things. “Everything is fine, Samuel. The weather’s been good, Elizabeth’s had more tomatoes and apples than she can keep up with. Just stay where you are and enjoy your time with your cousin.”
~~~~~
“Samuel. Samuel? Did you hear me calling?” Dez had come out to the orchard and always stopped to talk with him before getting on with her own work. “Miss Dez. I sure didn’t. You caught me daydreaming. Did I ever tell you about the trip I took to the Okanagan?” Dez could hear a story coming, but she needed to speak first. “No, Samuel but I have a question for you.” Samuel pulled up the old chairs by the shed, took his pipe out and sat down. Miss Dez looked pretty serious. “All right, Miss Dez, ask away.”
Dez hesitated. “I don’t know why you would know anything about my sister, but I trust you. You’re the only one that is kind of like me. Well, different but more outside of things. My sister stays with me while her husband is working, but we hardly talk anymore. If we talk about anything, it’s just nothing. ‘How’s the coffee? What’s the weather?’ And she…….” Samuel held up his hand. “Did you ask why she’s gone quiet on you?” Dez sighed heavily. “Of course I did. There was one day that she almost started to ask me to help with some staff issues here, but then just changed the subject and hasn’t mentioned anything again. I’ll help her with anything.” Samuel knocked the cold tobacco from his pipe and stood. “I ‘fraid I’m not much help. I just see her and Dr. Jeremy once in a while out walking. Usually having a pretty good time. Nothing unusual except that one day.” Dez looked up at him. “What was unusual, Samuel?” He adjusted his battered old hat. “Oh, probably nothing. I can’t really see what’s goin' on. Too far. Drove up, sat in the car a long time before she got out. That was it. She’s usually out and in the big house real quick.”
“You’re right, Samuel. I need to talk to her again. It’s probably nothing. Now, do you have work to do or do you have time to tell me about your trip?” He pushed the hat back on his head, pulled out his pipe and fresh tobacco. “It was September, 2008. My cousin Fred called me, asked me to come help out. He still runs that same orchard. We took loads of apples, pears, peaches - even grapes - to the Market, set up tents and ……..” Two hours later, Dez looked at her watch. “I’m getting pretty hungry. Let’s go to the kitchen for some lunch Samuel.”
“Not for ourselves alone are we born.”
~ Marcus Tulles Cicero
