An assignment for my class in Creative Writing

I saw her, the witch who spread those ugly rumours about me when I was young.  I could almost see her with a black tall, pointed hat on her as she poked among the tinned peas looking for, I don’t know what!

We had gone to school together back in Egypt.  She always was putting her long nose into other people’s business even back then.  Unfortunately for me, she and her husband had moved to Canada shortly after we did and settled into downtown Hamilton, just like us.

How could I avoid speaking to her in this small grocery store which sold halal meat and Middle Eastern products?

What could I do to avoid her?  Sometimes I wish I had adopted the habit of wearing niqab, at least she would not be sure who I was as long as I kept my distance and my mouth closed.. She was now arguing with the shop owner, telling him his prices were too high and she could get better prices elsewhere.

I could hear him reply quietly, as her voice rose higher and higher.

“Sister, please keep your voice down.  If you have a problem with the quality of my products or the meat, please share them privately with me.”

I could see a look of patience come onto his face.  Obviously this was not the first time he had had to deal with her.  Too bad that his store was the only halal store on James North.  It was his bad luck that she had moved to this area.

Her husband came up to her, putting his hand on her shoulder as he tried to calm her down.

“Ayesha, please……   Don’t make a fuss.”

“Ahmad, let me deal with this!  I know what I am doing.”

Both men looked at each other with sympathy as the witch kept on about the prices.

“Sister, I invite you to go elsewhere if you find my prices too high.  There are halal shops on the Mountain.”

“Why should I have to go all the way up there.  You are only about a block from where we live.

Turning abruptly, she bumped against a display of couscous and bulgur which tumbled down and sent her sprawling onto the ground.  

 

Sputtering she tore into the shopkeeper telling him that she would sue him.   I felt sorry for him as he tried to help her up. Being a hefty person, it took both her husband and the shop keeper to get her onto her feet.

I was in the back of the store near the meat counter when I saw all this, saw the mess she had created and the bag of couscous which had sprung up drifting like snow onto her fallen form.  

I tried not to laugh, but I felt vindicated that her own actions had caused this.She deserved the humiliation and in a small way, it helped me to feel better about the horrible rumour which had almost cost me my reputation back home.

Justice will prevail although it may take time.

Day one of the loss of Boots

Today was a very difficult day.  I looked for him on his two favourite spots, thought I heard him meowing, waited for him to follow me into the kitchen, but alas, that will never happen again.

When I am upset, I clean everything within an inch of its life.

I did not go to singing this afternoon nor will I go to the writing group tomorrow.  Just too sad to be around people.

My friend Rosemary needed some help with her i-pad so I went downstairs and brought some of Boots' cat food for her cat Allie Cat.  Just as I was leaving, I pointed out where I had left the bag of cat food and she asked me why I was giving it to her cat and as I was leaving, I told her Boots was dead and then closed the door and left as fast as I could.

I cannot talk about it yet in person.  Seventeen years is a long time to have had the company of such a good cat, one who was loving and acted almost like a dog in so many ways.

Time will help heal but in the meantime I will not go among people very much.

My friend Mohammad wanted to take me out for coffee but I did not want to go anywhere.  It was nice of him to try and get me out of the house.

My son called just to make sure I was all right and of course, Boots and him go back 17 years as well so it is hard on him.  My daughter and her husband Bill, also feel very bad about his death as they loved him as well.

Boots was a much loved cat not only by me and my family but friends of ours as well.

May he rest in peace.

Thanks for dropping by.

My heart is breaking

My twenty year old cat, Boots, who has lived with us for 17 years, had to be put to sleep early this evening at Beattie Animal Hospital on the mountain.

We adopted him from the pound when he was 3 years old.

They were really great at that hospital.  I stayed with him, as did my son, until he passed away which was very, very quickly - he just fell asleep with no pain.

He is now the last of all my dear animals who have lived with me over a long period of time.

I somehow don't think, at my age, I will undertake the care of another animal.  If I did, it would be a senior cat but even then I have my doubts.

Left - Boots, Right  Tiger   (both deceased now)

Boots - the inquisitive one.

He loved to do that

Boots, and in fact, all the animals that have lived with me over the past fifty or sixty years were loved and cared for.

Tiger died about two years ago at another branch of the same hospital and tonight, Boots died peacefully.

Thank you for dropping by.  Cherish your pets, your family and your friends, one never knows how long they will be with you.

RE-ARRANGING THE SITTING ROOM

Oh my, what possessed me to start even?  Was it because of the plant droppings which littered the area behind the sofa?  I had to water the poor things in any event and I think they were most grateful to have a good amount of water.   Was it because I began to feel claustrophobic?  I clean every day but certainly do not do a deep cleaning.  Today was the day.  What a day to start though.  No sleep last night, up more than half the night!  Once one starts  in one corner, it leads to another corner, and so on and so on........

As some of you know, I am in the process of downsizing which has been going on for a very long time. 

I took a big bag over to the Salvation Army thrift store yesterday.  That was good.  Have given away some very nice clothing which is still in tip top shape and which I hope will bless other people.

Trying another arrangement for the furniture which I hope will work.  I'll take pictures later on when it is finished and post them.

I get bored with things the same all the time.  I have friends who never change anything around, no matter how many years it has been the same.

Poor old Mr. Boots doesn't know where to sit right now.  I have taken over two of his sitting place but he will get them back once everything is done.

Speaking of Mr. Boots, I think he will not be with me much longer.  He is 20 years old and his back legs are not holding up him well any more.  He doesn't seem to be in any pain though which is good.  I hope he just falls asleep one day and doesn't wake up.  Usually cats try and hide when they are dying but there is no indication of Mr. Boots doing that, so hopefully he will last a little longer.

I may have to stop now as tiredness is overtaking me.   The sitting room is beginning to shape up.  Still have tons of paperwork to go through but that will take a very long time.  I do a little each day and only keep essential papers for records.

Thanks for dropping by.  Hopefully in a few days time the sitting room will be in order, except for the paperwork which will take ages more.

  

I am mystified

The strangest thing happened to me today.  I still do not understand what happened.


All of a sudden, I became so cold that I started to shake from head to toe, could not stop.  I thought the best thing would be to get into bed with warm blankets and rest.

After two hours, I felt well enough to get up again and I was no longer shaking nor cold.

A friend of mine, who is a nurse, told me that there are a lot of bad viruses going around right now.

I wonder if that was what it was?


Hope it won't come back!

Thanks for dropping by.

HOPE THIS MAKES YOU LAUGH

My assignment for the writing class, due next Friday. I have had a really dry spell with my writing for quite some time and I am taking this class in order to try and get back into writing.  So far it is working and I am really enjoying the class. It was to be on any subject you would like to write on. This is what I chose and I hope it will give you a chuckle.  As another point of interest, I also have joined a singing group which meets near my home and is in the afternoon.  Two of my passions, writing and singing.

FRUSTRATION!

I am ready to throw a perfectly good book out the open window as I press and push down on the strip of velcro which is defeating me up to this very moment.

Oh yes, it is easy to peel off the back and press the sticky side to one side of the book.  I succeeded in that but only after a few battles using my nails, my perseverance and my stubbornness.  

“Rats, there goes my nail, the darn stuff is sticking to me like a leech trying to take blood.”

I’ll try to afix another long strip to my book on the opposite side.  I don’t want much, just to keep it closed so nothing will fall out!  That should be easy, right?”

Confidently I peel off the back of the next strip and press down.  It says to wait 24 hours to make it stick but I am curious, will it work?

“Drat, what’s this?  How can it work?  Do the fuzzy surfaces cling to each other like two lovers, on a flimsy raft in the Indian Ocean?”

My book, unlike the raft, is wide and sturdy. It has a three ring dictionary in it, and many looseleaf papers just waiting to be of use. It is a book I use for every course I have taken and is an old, old friend.  If I throw it out, it will be like throwing a piece of myself out.  Would I toss myself out into the trash bin, just because I am not as useful as before? My brains still work, at least some of the time, and my loyal book has years of life still in it.  We cannot give up.

“ Will the book’s wish to be of serve be foiled by a piece of velcro? No, I cannot allow that.  I will try again now that some time has passed and I am calmer.  It is hard to imagine how two strips of material can drive me to distraction and the thought of exterminating it becomes foremost in my mind.”

I edge towards the inoffensive book, ready to pounce on the velcro.  I press it together, it seems to mock me with it’s white fuzzy face.  I can almost hear it laughing at me and daring me to find another way.

“Shall I get my glue gun and zap it with that?  I knew there was a reason why I bought it months and months ago.  Was it bought just for this purpose - to hot glue it down so it could never escape again?  Am I capable of inflicting this on it?  Will I feel pity towards this inanimate object? No, not the way I feel right now!”  

“I cannot handle this rejection,I am off to the mall to buy some groceries.  Perhaps I will come up with another solution once I clear my head.”

It’s obvious that velcro and I have no future together!  

An hour later I return, walker basket full of apples, grapes, cabbage, bread and eggs not to mention some yummy donuts to have as a special treat.

A donut later, or shall I be more truthful, two donuts later, I decide to try once again with the velcro.

Bang, my frustration level has increased again.  I am ready to give up but I have thought of another way to overcome this situation which I know will work.

I shall pick a pretty colour and crochet a line so that I can tie up the book - it will be secure and safe.  I dig into the odd wool bag where I keep scraps of wool.  I see one that will suit.  Green,with blue, with purple. It should go fine as the book is purple.

My fingers move rapidly with my crochet hook as I listen to classical music on the radio and think my own thoughts.  Finally, it is finished.

I wrap it securely around the book and tie a knot.  A job well done, a book made secure and my blood pressure lowered to an acceptable level even to the doctor.

Moral of the story - don’t give up, just find another way to do it.

In spite of no sleep last night

I had a wonderful time at the writing group at the Library.  It is a 10 week course with an Instructor from Mohawk College.  His name is Jeff Griffiths.

It is two hours in length with a short coffee break in the middle which the library provides.  The library also provided a pen and a lovely notebook.  How spoiled we are.

It is a mixed group of men and women and two of the ladies from my singing group are also taking the course in writing.  I also met a lady who was with me at St. Joe's Convalescent Care in the summer and early fall.  I hope it will reawaken my interest in writing.

Hamilton may be a big city, but in some ways it is a small place.  It is amazing how one bumps into people.

I also enjoyed the music class yesterday late afternoon.  After that, I went to the club for a short while but stayed only for half an hour, if that.

I will try and sleep now as I am not functioning as well as I should be.

Have a good day and thanks for dropping by.