“Fine, then tell her about the birds as well, will you?”
“Oh, yes! There are so many birds at the lighthouse I couldn’t even count all of them. Olivia tried to help me, but no one can. Dad told me that a man lives there and he works there. Mr. Dobbs is going to try and take us there some other time if we come back again. Can we, Mommy?”
Now Henry spoke: “May I make a suggestion, please? First of all, would you please call me Henry? It makes me feel really old when people call me Mr. Dobbs. You are sort of my family and I would like to be Henry to all of you.”
“How would you like to be called ‘Commander Dobbs’?” Sam suggested.
“Oh, no thank you. I would like to be just Henry, if you don’t mind.”
“Then, Henry it will be,” Barb said. “So, Henry, how would you like to say grace, since you are the oldest member of this sort-of-your-family? I think we all feel very lucky today and it is all because of you. We also thank Lily for letting us come and enjoy this beautiful sanctuary.” Everybody clapped, and Henry had no choice but to oblige. They had a good meal; and after that, they talked about the good times that Henry and Lily used to have here.
Dominic excused himself from the table, and Sasha, as well as Nicole, joined him outside. Sam and Henry continued to discuss the cottage and the needed updates. Trevor was busy with Serge, and it was hard to tell who was having more fun. In the meantime, Barb, Susanne, and Olivia finished cleaning the place after the meal and ended up playing cards.
After a while, they all went down to the dock and observed the lake, as well as the view.
“We should be getting back. I understand Dominic has to work tomorrow,” Sam pointed out.
“Oh, Mom; do we have to go tonight?” Sasha was pleading. “I don’t ever want to go home again.”
“I’m afraid we all have to go. The cottage is not ready to host people overnight right now even if we wanted to stay. Nobody has been here for quite some time, so the place needs a complete overhaul. Perhaps Henry will let us come back again, and then we can all clean it properly.”
“Which brings me to the second suggestion I had earlier,” Henry interrupted. “I would like to invite all of you to come back as soon as you can. I had a great time today, but without you, it simply wouldn’t be the same. So, do we have a deal?”
“YESSS!” was all he could hear . . .
“In that case, I am willing to go home as well. We will come back again.”
Henry had another sleepless night. For one thing, he was overtired; on top of that, he was pumped up with sheer excitement. He had a talk with Lily, and all was well. Serge was exhausted from the fresh air and he was snuggled by his master’s feet. Animals sense plenty more than we give them credit for.
The next day, Dominic told the Millers all about the cottage. Not that he had a choice — Anna totally bombarded him with all kinds of questions. He, too, was tired but happy. He had needed a good break for a long time and finally got it. If only things like that would last!
However, one must wake up and take stock of things. He wanted to further his education after high school, but his only sources of money were the government and his job. Susanne was worried that since Dominic was now working, Larry would want a part of his earnings; but Dominic knew better. His dreams — although only dreams so far — were unique, and he had faith that someday, somehow, he would be able to realize them. In the meantime, he would work hard and make sure that his mother and his sister would be all right.
George Miller, seeing him worried at times, told him: “Don’t you worry about us. Your job is secure for as long as you wish to work here. Everyone needs some time off once in a while, and going to the cottage seems to be what the doctor ordered for you.” George happily told him that with a wink of an eye. That brought Dominic to tears, which he was trying to hide but was unable to.
“Hey, you — what did George do to you that brought you to tears? Did he beat up on you?” Anna Miller teased. They all laughed . . . then they went their own ways, doing what had to be done.
Dominic could not wait until the next excursion up north. As to Sasha, life was beautiful and she had plenty to tell her peers at school about her excursion to the cottage. She also talked about it at home, much to her mother’s disgust. The more Sasha chatted, the angrier Susanne became. Any and every situation in their lives somehow threatened Susanne. She trusted no one and wanted no changes in their lives. She was unable to unscramble new and exciting situations out of fear.
Back at the Prestons’ home, things were different. Sam and his brother-in-law had just launched a contract with a prominent firm and they were eager to start and to prove themselves. Sam was already talking about making a lot of money and maybe they could someday buy a cottage for themselves. Barb was a bit taken with the news and wanted to know what had brought that on.
Trevor, on the other hand, was upset. “But Daddy, I don’t want to go to another cottage. I want to go back to Henry’s cottage.” The boy was anxious. He never wanted that weekend to end and he was going back there, no matter what. “Can’t we go back there?” He was in tears but didn’t want to show it. His mother reassured him, saying that his father would have to work hard for a very long time before he could afford to buy a cottage. So they would all be going back to Henry’s cottage for a long time yet. That put him in a much better mood.
The following morning, when Nicole knew that Dominic was likely going to walk Serge, she hurried over to their house to see if he was ready to go. Susanne answered the door and told her that Dominic had to go to the store regarding an urgent unloading, because the trucks that were supposed to arrive on Monday were actually there one day early. So Nicole thanked her and decided to go and walk Serge herself. Then, suddenly Sasha came running down the stairs and wanted to go along. Susanne was beside herself. She didn’t mind Sasha’s going but she could never do things like that on spur of the moment.
“I know, Mom. I drive you crazy but I love you and I will be back in no time just to annoy you some more.” Sasha laughed and so did Nicole; then they disappeared at once, before her mother could protest. They soon arrived at Henry’s place.
“Why, I can’t believe my eyes. What brings the two of you here today? I don’t mean to sound overly curious, but where is Dominic? Is he all right? Now, don’t get me wrong; it’s not like he has to come every Sunday, but he usually does.”
“Oh, nothing is wrong, Mr. Dobbs,” Nicole was quick to say.
“You mean Henry, don’t you?”
“Yes, Henry. Nothing is wrong. Dominic had to go and help the Millers in an emergency unloading today, so we decided to take his place — if you don’t mind? We will take good care of Serge.”
Henry chuckled and let the three of them go on their walk, thinking, the dog will take care of them for sure. He was happy. Serge was a bit bewildered at first but was content to be with these young people, who always chatted happily while enjoying the fresh air. He did his best to impress them by barking at them and racing here and there.
The girls decided to pass by the store and see how the unloading was going. That way, they were able to let Dominic know that they had taken his place with Serge, and everybody was happy. These children were very loyal to Henry. After all, they had known him first as Santa, then as Mr. Dobbs, and lately as Henry, one of the nicest human beings they ever knew. They were proud to be his friends.
The same applied to Henry. He was no longer lonely. He was convinced that everything happens for a reason.
CHAPTER EIGHT
Sam and his brother-in-law managed to get quite good connections. Two of those companies sent them over the border to the United States. This was exciting for them, and at the same time scary. The rules sometimes varied, but the boys managed just fine overall. Unfortunately, those trips usually took longer than the local ones. John was a bachelor and was not in any serious commitment, but Sam was a married man and there was never a dull moment at the Prestons’ house. Consequently, Sam was a
t times anxious to get back to Hamilton. He missed his family.
“No offence, John, but I prefer to spend the night at home in my own bed rather than bunking with you. You know what I mean?”
“Yes, yes; I know what you mean! Just go to sleep and think happy thoughts about Barb and the kids.”
Meanwhile, the kids were anxiously waiting for Sam to get back, so they could all go to the cottage on the weekend. Even Susanne secretly wanted to go. Barb was busy enough with having to look after her clients as well as her family, so the time went by quickly for her. Her business was picking up greatly, which made her feel good, and would help if the boys didn’t do well on their initial runs. Somebody had to feed the family. She was also preparing for a change: she might just move her business out of her home.
She needed more files and decided to go and get them the stationers’ across the road at the plaza. There she happened to see Henry.
“Hi, Henry — how nice to see you. You are just the person I want to ask for advice. I have this bright idea of expanding my office but I must admit I am a little scared about doing it.”
“And you think I might be of some assistance? Are you sure you are talking to the right Henry?”
“Yes, I am quite sure. You know that Sam and John have started their own new business, and I have talked them into my doing their books. Now, I realize there won’t be a lot at first, but in time they might do quite well. What do you think?” Then she suddenly stopped and realized, that he must have thought her to be crazy. She apologized.
“Barb, I don’t quite know exactly where I fit into this picture. I’m sure they will do fine.” Henry felt a bit awkward but he liked her enough to try and go along with this conversation.
“Oh, I am sorry, Henry; I have scrambled the whole thing because I am so excited. I will get to the point. You see, there is a vacant office above the barber shop across the street, and I want it badly. I have always wanted to have my own office — but not in my living room. The problem is: if I wait too long, someone else is going to grab it, and I will miss the opportunity. But if the boys don’t make it and I can no longer afford it, I could be making a big mistake. I just want a neutral opinion from someone who will be honest about it. I am sorry for being so impulsive that you don’t even get a chance to say anything.”
“And you think that I am that person?”
“Yes, Henry, I know you are. I am afraid to bother Sam about it because he will surely think it premature. So can you at least give me a hint?” Then she looked him straight in the eye kind of sheepishly and grinned.
“If you never take a risk, you never learn. That is my opinion and you never asked me anything!” (That same plaza just happened to be Henry’s latest investment; but he was not about to tell anyone.)
“Fair enough!” Barb thanked him and proceeded to go and get the files. She bought quite a lot. Then she went home and called the property manager of the plaza and asked him about the office. He told her that the place needs updating and it would take about three months. Then if she is still interested he could give her a call to let her know it was ready. This suited her more than she could hope for. That night she slept well.
“Mommy, Mommy, Daddy is home!” Trevor could be heard outside, before leaving for school. He missed his father very much whenever he was away.
“Hey, you!” John came up to Trevor and mussed his hair as usual. “How is the man of the house?”
“Everything is all right, Uncle John.” The boy was proud to be in charge while the men were away. “Are you coming with us to the cottage?”
“When are you going back there?”
“As soon as we can; only I don’t know when that will be. Are you and Dad going back to the US? Soon?”
“We don’t know that yet. We go when they ask us to take the loads there, or when we need to pick up a load.
“What are you going to be when you grow up? Have you given it much thought yet?” John asked. He enjoyed talking with the little guy.
“When I grow up, I am going to buy Henry’s cottage, so that I can spend a lot of time there. Dad told me that I can help him and Henry fix up the cottage when we go back there. Then everything will last for a long time. Dad likes it a lot. He says he is going to buy us one as well, but I just want to go to Henry’s.”
“I guess I better go and see this amazing cottage one of these days. Will you show me all around it?”
“Yes, Uncle John; you can count on me.” The boy was beside himself with happiness.
The phone rang and Sam answered it. On the line was a client and the call was urgent. “Where did you say you are? Oh, yes. Yes, I will alert my partner and we will be on our way. Did you say one or two loads?” Sam wanted to make sure that he got the massage straight.
“John, get up and meet me at the yard as soon as you can.”
“What? Sam, is that you? What is going on? You can’t be serious!”
“I mean it! Get up and get going. This is a big favour and we could use the money.”
“Sam — I am not alone and it is Sunday and . . .”
Before John could say any more, Sam lowered his voice and whispered some choice words to his brother-in-law. Soon after, John was alert and fully awake. They met at the yard, and before long they were tooting one another on the road. They got along very well and one was not on the road without the other on any job. They often whistled at some girls along the way and laughed at the replies. They had some amazing stories to tell and were annoyed when people didn’t believe them. Anyway, it did not matter — they were having a good time. This was definitely better than having to lift furniture all day long.
The following weekend, they went back up north in order to update the cottage. This time, there was more preparation, in case they stayed overnight.
While Barb was preparing the food, Susanne decided to intrude. It was not unusual for her to do so. “Are you sure you want to take bananas with you? Who is going to eat them?” she sniffed.
“Yes, Susanne; I’m sure. Now is there anything else you wish to criticize? If so, you better say it now before we leave in case I should make some changes.”
“I didn’t mean it that way. I just don’t like bananas.”
“You don’t have to eat them. The children will enjoy them, don’t worry. Now; what would your favourite food be for this occasion?” Barb wanted to see if her so-called friend was simply being annoying or meant it well.
“I always wanted to have plenty of watermelons for a picnic. Not that we went anywhere for picnics, but I wished we had.” Then she paused and reconsidered her statement. “The kids wanted to go, but Larry and I were too busy fighting instead of taking them out for some fun . . .” Pause again.
“That I believe. Parents have issues all the time, whether about money or each other, and often they don’t consider the children. It happens to the best of us. So I made up my mind the day Henry and I had that discussion about the cottage that I would be different from now on and put them first.” She gave Susanne a sheepish look.
“No, Barb; you have always put others first — including me, even when I didn’t deserve it. I wish I was more like you. Honestly!” Susanne walked away for a brief moment then added: “Sometimes I hate you for being you but I want to be like you. Sasha often tells me that I should be more like you.”
“Stop it! Help me prepare the rest of this food, will you? I think they are ready to go. Where is Trevor? Don’t tell me he is staying at home with Olivia?” She was kidding.
Nicole came back into the house and heard Trevor yelling: “Mom, Mom, Daddy!” At first, she was alert and rightfully worried; but he had only locked himself in the bathroom and then in a rush forgot how to unlock the bathroom door, which had been giving them a bit of trouble lately.
Sam said, “Yes, yes; I will fix it as soon as we get back from our excursion. Okay? Those kids are after me all the time, one way or another. This time it’s the bathroom, and next week it will be something else.”
“What, leave without you? Not a chance. There is work to be done up there,” Sam was quick to say.
“Suits me fine; I’m in good condition since I am working at the store.” Then he looked at Serge and added, “You help me in that department as well, don’t you?” And Serge looked at him as if he understood every word by putting his head down between his front paws. However, Dominic meant it as a compliment and not as a reprimand.
Henry led the cavalcade with pride and he had the Lamberts with him. That pleased Serge. He promptly snuggled up against Dominic, who was more than happy with the arrangement. Henry had invited Susanne to come and sit up front with him but she declined, claiming she would like to sit at the back with Sasha. But that didn’t matter to Henry, as long as everybody was happy. Sasha was quite chatty, and her mother reminded her a few times not to ramble so much. But no one was going to deprive her of this fun. She simply hugged her mother, saying, “As soon as we get there, I promise to disappear into the woods or into the water and get out of your hair.” But there were no guarantees when Sasha was excited.
It was hard to believe, but the place looked even nicer this time. The difference being, by now, everybody knew where everything was. Henry suggested they go fishing first, since they had arrived early enough, while the water was still; and the guys quickly disappeared. While the mothers busied themselves preparing the sleeping arrangements, the young folks went for a walk and took Serge with them. Everything went well until Olivia yelped and fell. She had misjudged stepping over a minor hole and she was unable to walk. At first they panicked, and then Dominic picked her up and carried her back to the cottage. Barb took over and soon she had her daughter propped up on a bench. She grabbed ice from one of the coolers, wrapped it in a towel, and wrapped Olivia’s leg with it. Now they would wait for the guys to return before they decided what should be done next. Luckily, Olivia didn’t complain too much.
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