Stories from the Stringam Family Ranches of Southern Alberta

From the 50s and 60s to today . . .



Wednesday, July 19, 2017

Not Forgettable


I had been living in the big city of Calgary for three whole days.
My roommate got home from work just after I did.
“Hey,” she said. “How as your day?”
“It was good,” I told her . “I . . .”
“We've been invited to a party,” she said, sorting through the day's mail.
I stared at her. “But I don't know anyone.”
“Oh, it was our Landlord,” she said. “He's always throwing parties. And we're invited.” She looked at me. “He's quite a guy,” she added. “You'll never forget him!”
“Oh. Umm . . . okay.”
“Soo . . . let's go.”
“What? Now?!”
“Sure.”
I discovered that our Landlord lived in the apartment just below us.
And that the party was already well under way when we got there.
Food. Drinks. Laughter.
Music.
And lots and lots of people.
Lots.
We edged our way in.
“How did you get invited to this?” I shouted into her ear.
“He was out on the balcony having a smoke when I got home,” she said.
“Oh.”
“Come on. He wants to meet you.”
We worked our way through the crowded room.
As she edged me past yet another knot of happily engaged people, I happened to glance up at the wall closest to us.
Covering most of it, was the RCMP crest.
“Huh. Look at that!” I shouted. “The RCMP crest!”
My roommate nodded. “Yeah!” she shouted back. “Our Landlord used to be in the RCMP!”
“Cool!” I studied it as we made our slow way past. It must have been about four feet square.
Bright and shining in the dim room.
“Wow!” I shouted “If every officer wore one of those, it'd be like wearing a bullet-proof shield!”
And it was at that precise moment that the entire room happened to be drawing its collective breath in its collective conversations.
And the current song ended.
My comment rang out over the quiet room as though it had been shouted.
Which it had.
It was also at that exact time that my roommate stopped in front of a man in a wheelchair.
Obviously a quadriplegic.
“Umm . . . this is our Landlord,” she said. She leaned toward him. “This is my new roommate!”
The man was drinking a beer through a straw.
He nodded and smiled at his newest permanently-crimson-faced tenant. “Wish I'd had one of those 'bullet-proof shields',” he said.
“Ummm . . . yeah,” I managed.
“Would have come in quite handy.”
“Yeah,” I said again.
My roommate and I moved on.
“Wow! Look at the time!” I said. “We should be probably be getting back to the apartment!”
We had been there for a grand total of about five minutes.
And it was 4:00 in the afternoon.
But definitely time to head home.
After that initial awkward meeting, we were in his home many times.
Along with most of the people in the apartment building.
Always, he was cheerful and smiling.
And welcoming.
With never a word over the injury, sustained while on duty, that changed his life forever.
My roommate was right.
I never forgot him.

14 comments:

  1. Your label says it well, and I would add "to those who gave their lives or health in the process - I can never thank you enough."

    Sounds like a fine man. I'm glad you had a chance to go back and get to know him under less embarrassing circumstances :)

    ReplyDelete
  2. Stories like this make me realize that I have nothing, absolutely nothing to complain about. Thanks for sharing your experience and blessings on him.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Glad that you got over your mortification. Awed and impressed that he could remain cheerful and smiling.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. It was totally beyond what I could do in the same circumstance. Amazing man!

      Delete
  4. What a story, and what an inspiration. What a good thing that you got over your initial embarrassment (and that he knew how to make people comfortable around him). And now, we know, too.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. He was always laughing. He had such a sense of humour! I was-and still am-in awe of him!

      Delete
  5. Your label says it well, and I would add "to those who gave their lives or health in the process - I can never thank you enough."


    โกเด้นสล็อต
    สูตรบาคาร่า
    Gclub จีคลับ



    ReplyDelete
  6. เลเซอร์หน้าใส เป็นอีกหนึ่งสิ่งใหม่ทางความสวยที่ช่วยฟื้นฟูผิวหนังที่แห้งกระด้าง บริเวณใบหน้าหมองคล้ำให้กลับมาผ่องใสมองเบิกบานใจ ผ่องใสภายในช่วงเวลาอันเร็วทันใจ นับว่าเป็นทางลัดความงดงามที่กำลังเป็นที่นิยมสูง ช่วยรับใช้ผิวให้ขาวกระจ่างขาวใส จากการลดลางเลือนริ้วรอยจุดด่างดำได้อย่างมีคุณภาพ

    เลเซอร์หน้าใส
    เลเซอร์ลดริ้วรอย
    เลเซอร์รอยสิว

    ReplyDelete

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