Henry

by Cilika Kunovic

  “Well, Mr. Dobbs has suffered head injuries as well as internal injuries: two cracked ribs, a punctured lung, and a broken leg as a result of being hit by a car. The police are doing their best to investigate the circumstances of the accident. We are hopeful that Mr. Dobbs will recover from his injuries, but at this point, it would be quite premature to make a complete prognosis. He seems to be stable. We are keeping a close eye on him. I could tell you more in a few days.”

  They all thanked Dr. Moss for his co-operation. Now it was time to return home, but first a decision had to be made as to what to do about Serge. Sasha was beside herself, and even Susanne wanted to know all about Henry. They all had suggestions regarding Serge, but Dominic simply walked over to Henry’s house, unlocked it, and took Serge for a walk; then he packed up everything that Serge would need and took him home with him. No one had any objection.

  “Oh, Serge, you will be fine with us. We will take good care of you; won’t we, Dominic?” Sasha said.

  “Yes, we will. Don’t worry, Sasha, he knows that we will. He is a very smart dog, as you well know.”

  There was only one problem: Susanne was still in the hospital. Things seemed to be going from bad to worse. One wondered: what next? Hopefully, this would be a good lesson for Susanne and make her more appreciative of her children and realize that she is not alone in her troubles.

  While Henry was hanging by a thread, Susanne was doing well, considering her injuries. She came home at the end of the second week and was not overly impressed with having Henry’s dog in the house. However, she did not complain too much. She realized that they all needed a friend, and Serge was surely a friend to all. When the children were small, she used to wish they could have a pet, but they were unable to afford one. They say everything happens for a reason.

  Barb and the children managed quite well in keeping things rolling well at both houses, but Sam soon found it difficult to understand why his wife was spending more time helping others instead of paying more attention to him. Poor Sam. People surely are different from one another.

  As expected, Susanne soon found herself wanting attention because everybody was concerned with Henry’s condition. She did go to see Henry at the hospital before she went home, since she was there. Luckily, Henry was doing better every day. The kids kept on coming to visit him, and he was responding to them. Dominic was the one who got the most out of him. He kept at it and kept Henry in a positive spirit as much as he could, trying to tease him about being lazy and just trying to get out of doing some work around the house.

  Sam had been away a few days, but as soon as he got back, the first thing he asked was: “How is Henry doing?”

  “Don’t you want to know how I am doing?” Barb teased. “Just kidding. He is better, but Dr. Moss told Dominic that Henry had suffered a head injury, a punctured lung, two cracked ribs, and a broken leg.”

  “Are they saying any more about what had happened — why or how he was hit? And what about the driver who hit him?” Sam was beginning to suspect trouble regarding this accident.

  “Are you thinking what I’m thinking? I don’t quite understand what the mystery is. I have been keeping a close eye on the news, but nothing has been said about the accident, which is exactly what makes me feel uneasy about the whole thing. What do you think?”

  “My brother John has been saying the same things.”

  “Are you implying that it was a hit-and-run case?”

  “It was a hit-and-run, only the police don’t seem to have any leads on it. They are very closed-mouthed about it. Apparently, the police are keeping a close eye on his room at the hospital. I heard all this from John, who heard it from a nurse he is dating.”

  Luckily, Henry was improving. It was a very slow process, but one couldn’t expect anything more under the circumstances. The man was in good health otherwise, so he had a good chance to recover.

  Things were settling into a routine at the Lambert household. The kids were as close to Serge as they could ever be. Of course, Susanne complained that she was being treated as second class because the kids paid too much attention to the dog. They visited Henry regularly and kept telling him all about his best buddy. That most certainly helped him heal faster. The Lamberts and the Prestons pulled together in order to accommodate Henry’s needs. It makes you think, how life really is precious when something like this happens.

  The winter was at its peak, and the Prestons were busy with Trevor and his hockey activities. The boy had more energy than his parents could reasonably keep up with. Luckily, that same boy was also quite happy watching TV when his father was away. He missed him and dreamed about growing up and doing the same work. All he wanted for Christmas was a replica of his father’s truck — which Sam was able to acquire in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, on one of his trips. The others would be satisfied with less. The main thing on their minds was Henry, who probably didn’t even want to hear about Christmas. He was more concerned about getting better than celebrating. Trevor was a happy boy and had good friends at school, as well as on his hockey team. He was co-operative but still independent enough to not let anybody push him around. He had enough self-confidence to relax about sports and that helped him do well.

  Once word had spread about Henry’s unfortunate accident, the local folks wanted to visit him as soon as he was allowed to have regular visitors. He appreciated it.

  Another month passed, and Henry was finally showing some positive improvements. He managed to communicate with the staff and especially with Dominic. Dr. Moss was very pleased with his progress. But a few weeks down the road, Henry had a relapse. The nurse had no explanation as to what could have caused it. At this point, there were no more guards at the door, and anybody could have come in and done mischief. Henry had no idea, either, as to what might have happened.

  Slowly, but carefully, Henry asked Dominic regarding the accident.

  “Is it true that it was a hit-and-run?” He seemed taken by it, and it disturbed him. Dominic was disturbed as well. How did Henry know about that?

  “Henry, are you suspicious about it? Is there anything you want talk about?” Dominic asked. “Is that why there was a security guard at your door for a while?” But Henry had no idea that there was anything like that going on outside his room.

  “No, no. I just happened to overhear something, and it was obvious that the doctors were keeping something from me. Yet, nobody talked to me about it.” Henry felt betrayed, as he had a long time ago when his only brother was killed in a car accident. “You know, Dominic, life is very precious. I have been very lucky most of my life. My father was a naval officer and whenever he came home, my heart wanted to jump right out of my chest with pride. He was a very good-looking officer and he wore his rank proudly.”

  “Is that why you joined the navy?”

  “Yes, Dominic! I could hardly wait to reach the right age to join the navy. Were it not for Lily, I would have ended up in an entirely different retirement. I would most likely be living on a boat, because there I sleep the best. Water has always helped me relax and puts me into a better frame of mind. I wish I had a son like you; perhaps, he would have wanted to continue the family tradition . . .” He paused and took a long breath. “Lily and I were not blessed with any children, but I must admit Serge has been a big addition to our family. He is everything a man would want in a dog — he is fun, obedient, loyal, loves nature, and he is overall reliable.” Then he chuckled at the way Dominic was taking it all in.

  “Oh, look who is here!” Dominic said as his sister came into the room.

  “Hallo, Henry; how are you doing?” She came closer to the bed and gave him a hug. “Did I interrupt anything? You both look as if you were in a serious conversation. I thought you were to relax and not to plan the world’s affairs.” She was always joking with Henry. “So, are you running around yet?” Then she gave him another hug. Henry was delighted, as well as a bit shy about all the attention he was getting.

  “Henry will tell you how
he is, if he ever gets a chance,” Dominic cut in.

  “I am just enjoying all the attention that I am getting. I was about to adopt your brother, but now I might consider adding you into the deal,” he laughed.

  The following week, Dr. Moss sat down to have a chat with Henry about going home if he thought that he could handle being at home on his own, with a nurse coming to see him every morning and get him going. He was by now able to get around in a wheelchair. He was still unable to walk with crutches because he lacked strength in the upper body. Having had his lungs damaged, as well as broken ribs, he was unable to lift himself up, but he had learned how to slide into the wheelchair and get around the hospital for a change of scenery. Being a former naval officer, he had that self-pride that helped him get well enough to go home — providing somebody would keep an eye on him regularly.

  “Mr. Dobbs, I know that you —”

  Henry stopped him. “For the last time, Dr. Moss, could you call me Henry? I much prefer to be called that, as opposed to ‘Mr. Dobbs.’”

  “All right, Henry; we are going to throw you out of here, since you wish to go so badly. I have my sources who tell me you wish to go home. You are not to even try to lift yourself onto crutches just yet; but if you think you can handle it, we will let you go home . . . Think about it, and when I come back from checking on all my other patients, you can tell me what you have decided.” He left.

  “Henry, are you all right?” Barb said as soon as she and Sam walked in. “You look as if you had just seen a ghost.” She was puzzled but she also thought: Maybe Henry has seen a good ghost. He was in a world of his own. Sam noticed it as well.

  “I have! I saw my brother, who died of injuries from an accident like mine years ago. I feel lucky to have survived my injuries but sad at the same time that he was not so lucky. I just had a vision of him, as you walked in. You need not worry about having interrupted anything. I know that my brother has always been with me, even when I was in the navy.” Then he looked up at Sam and offered his hand in greeting.

  “You never told us about your brother. Do you have any other relatives whom we should have informed of your accident?” Sam asked. His mind was now racing as to why Henry had never mentioned his brother before. “Henry, I wish you were more open with us.” But as soon as he said it, he felt sorry and began to apologize. “Oh, Henry —”

  “No, no, this is my fault. I have had a problem talking about my brother. Someday I will tell you all about it, but right now I have to stay calm and strong in order to overcome this. My beloved Lily’s memory is helping me, for she stood by me as well as you have.” He felt apologetic.

  “Henry, is there anything we can do to make you happy? We are all aware that you are stuck here and unable to go places on your own, except maybe visit some good-looking nurses down at their station,” Barb interrupted with a bit of humour.

  “Not to worry; I will be going home any day now, Dr. Moss says, as long as I have some help at home. I can be with my buddy, who will keep me company.” He assured them that he would hire a person to stay with him for as long as he needed help.

  “That’s great news. Have you told Dominic yet? He will be happy to bring your buddy back home to you. And everybody will be happy to help you look after Serge, as you well know.” Barb was being chatty. “Do you have anybody in particular in mind?”

  “There are agencies that provide people who are trained to do just that,” Henry replied.

  Barb and Sam were pleasantly relieved that Henry was so flexible and aware about everything. They were proud of the kind old man, who was by now their beloved friend. Barb could not wait to tell Nicole about Henry and the latest developments.

  “Yes, Mom, I just spoke with Dominic and he is beside himself about Henry going home. This whole thing has been extremely hard on him. Henry is more of a father to him than his own father has ever been. I know that you are aware of it; am I right?”

  “Yes, Nicole, we are all aware of it, including Susanne. She is a bit jealous and plenty worried; Larry hasn’t been in touch, even to nag about seeing the children. He appears to be absent, and Susanne is worried.” Barb noticed how much influence that man still had on her but she didn’t say much to her daughter about it. What is she withholding from the world? There must be some reason . . .

  Dominic also wondered how come their father hadn’t appeared to be around lately. He was tense about that. He remembered his mother telling him how his father had vanished for some six months or so, when he was little. Where does he go? Those were his thoughts now. However, he had to concentrate on the present.

  CHAPTER SIX

  Across the road from the Prestons’ was a pharmacy. It was not a modern building. It was in one of the old strip malls, with a lot of small stores still very much in use. The pharmacy, being one of the businesses that Barb worked for, helped her get other clients. She managed to acquire several other accounts right there in the mall, and it helped. She didn’t have to go far if she needed to have meetings with them, since some problems could always occur that could not be handled over the phone. Personal touch was and still is the best. The rest of the work could be handled as well on paper.

  Business was good, so Barb decided that she no longer needed to do her home daycare, which often prevented her from getting other important things looked after. Fortunately, she had never done it full time so it was not that hard to let it go.

  The phone rang, and it was Sam, all frustrated. He had been in the moving business for over ten years and it had never quite taken off. His prices were fair, in order to get more calls, but the guys that worked for him were not always reliable; “lazy” was the word he used when talking about them.

  “Barb, can you get a hold of your brother, John, and ask him to give me a hand?”

  “What do you mean can I get a hold of him?” She was annoyed that Sam was always calling on her regarding his business problems — something she never did to him, no matter how badly she needed help at times. Besides, he would simply say: “I can’t help you, I’m too busy.”

  “He is not answering my calls, and I really need him. Two of my guys didn’t show up today, so one of my trucks is missing both a driver and an assistant. I need him to bring somebody with him so that they can take the second call for today. Barb, please!” John had recently lost his job and was on unemployment. His buddy Derek had lost his job at the same time. John knew why Sam was calling him — moving is hard work.

  “Sam, I can only try, but no promises. So don’t you get nasty with me if the answer is no!”

  “All right, but try anyway.”

  Barb tried; John said to tell Sam that he could expect both of them under one condition: if he never called them again. Sam’s answer was: ha, ha!

  I don’t believe these guys, Barb thought. You can never trust them to do anything for you at home, but they surely call you when they need you. And that was not the only thing disrupting her day. The children came home from school and helped themselves to some snacks, while Barb finished her routine office work for the day, which should have been done already, had there not been so many interruptions. Then she proceeded to make dinner.

  The children were trained to have their homework done before dinner in case there were more interruptions after dinner. Olivia usually went to see her friends, Nicole usually had her swimming lessons early in the morning, but there were times when the practice was switched to the evening instead. Trevor was by now quite active in hockey, and that was about the only thing that brought him and his father together for some father-and-son bonding. During his tournaments, the whole family often attended, especially if they took place locally. For out-of-town tournaments, it was mostly just the boys, although sometimes Barb joined them. Those were good times. Those occasions also gave the parents extra opportunities to talk. Sam was known to work long hours and he tended to be too tired for any reasonable discussions. Plus, men are known to prefer TV and sleep after a hard day’s work.

  The men
finished the moving job quite early and ended up at the Prestons’ place for a beer. John suggested that he and Sam should form a business together: MOVING AND RENTALS, to which Sam replied, “How can you be thinking about a moving company partnership when you told me not to call you ever again to help?”

  “I never said that I would be moving anyone. I could handle the rental part, and you could handle the moving end of it. What do you say?”

  “How about we invest in some new trucks and take them on the road for some large firms instead of moving, which is a killer for the back. After all, we are not as young as we used to be. Think about it, John.”

  Just then, Barb walked in. “What is this I hear about a business proposition?” she asked.

  “We are just talking, or you could say, thinking out loud,” Sam was quick to say, so that his wife would not get upset. After all, she had enough to worry about, without her brother and her husband getting into some sort of trouble. It wouldn’t be the first time.

  The next morning, John called, all enthusiastic. “Hey, Sam; I am ready to talk seriously about a possible partnership between us. What do you think Barb would say about it? After all, she is my sister and I would never want to cause trouble between the two of you.” John was as worried as he was excited.

  “I have not had a chance to talk to her about it. You will have to give me more time so that I don’t blow my chances foolishly. Talking about something like this with Barb will take a bit of diplomacy.” Sam was serious and at the same time hopeful. He was pretty sure that he could persuade his wife to back him up on this. After all, she has always had a good business sense. In the meantime, he could already visualize the whole thing. He could recall times when he had seen transport trucks on the highway, wishing he was the one behind the wheel. He had never told anyone about it.

  The next morning, after the children left for school, Sam joined his wife in her little office and broached the subject very carefully. “Barb, what would you say if I told you that I am tired of moving and would like to switch to trucking?”