Monday, October 6, 2008

Post Cigarettes

I can't remember (someone asked if I kept a Diary. Unfortunately, no.) how long I stayed in NYC after this. I worked daily and I went to Berlitz weekly. And I was very lonesome. There were still handsome interns at the hospital. But they were outside my limits. I remember one weekend being invited to a friend in Conn. Betty Lowe was as husbandless as I was, but she lived in the house of her parents and she had given birth to a little boy since I had last seen her. I thought she was the luckiest person in the world. True, she missed her husband, but she was so insulated in a blanket of love. And the baby was healthy and hours of entertainment for her. It was a lovely week end for me.

After a month or so, on a dreary rainy day I got a call from Ruth ben Aery in Warm Springs. Her cousin had been killed in a battle in Africa. Later in the day I got a call from Betty Lowe saying her husband had been seriously wounded in a battle in Africa. It depressed me so much that I called S's mother and asked if I was still welcome to live in their house for the duration. She convinced me that they would all welcome me. Please hurry.

I got out of my sublease, I got reservation on a train west, and I told Dr. Hansson that I had to leave again. He understood my pain and wished me luck.

I was on a train within a week. I had a little roomette and I spent the first 24 hours crying by myself. The porter was worried about me. So the next day I wiped my tears and entered into the life onboard the train. For breakfast I met a wonderful man. His name was Robinson. He was the president of the ROBINSON REMINDER CO. We spent a lot of time together. We had an unspoken agreement. If he listened to my raving about S for fifteen minutes then I would listen to him talking about his two sons who were both in the Naval Air Wing. It made the trip seem to fly. When the train arrived in Oakland California I was met by S's stepfather. He was as impressed by Mr Robinson as I was and he invited us for lunch. Mr R said he and his wife would invite me to come to New Hampshire next time the leaves turned color. When the time came I had to decline.

After lunch Mr S sent me down the peninsula in a cab. I arrived at the S house at 3.30 p.m. and at four I had a job. S's Aunt C had arranged for me to work at the County Hospital in San Mateo.

And so began a new era.

7 comments:

Anonymous said...

Looking forward to hearing about the new era!

Anonymous said...

It is so important to be with those who understand your pain, isn't it.

Haphazardkat said...

I've been lax in commenting but have been faithfully reading your blog :) You write so well I felt your pain as you traveled to your S's family all those years ago.

Kat
Vancouver, WA

Jamie Welsh Watson said...

Wow, this is so exciting and what an important thing for you to have done. I am also looking forward to the new era. (Only partly because I live in San Mateo county).

Cin said...

Don't tell me. You've forgotten what ROBINSON REMINDER CO. did or was or...whatever.

Bonnie's blog said...

Hey - looks like Robinson Reminders were a kind of memo book - you just need to Google and all will be revealed!

Susan said...

Hello...I just came across your blog researching my family. My grandfather was the last president of Robinson Reminders in Westfield, MA. Perhaps it was his father, Howard you met? Either way, both were great people.