Jared and his home-made bow and invisible arrow
Our property abutts property belonging to Mr. R --- a widower who lives alone. See the pictures above to get a better idea of our property layout. JSE is standing at the edge of our backyard, close to the property line; in the background is Mr. R's home.
A few days ago, an ambulance spent several minutes on his driveway. DS claims she saw a draped figure on a stretcher being loaded onto the ambulance. The ambulance then sped away.
The kitchen blinds were soon closed; and automatic lights were used. Mr R's home took on the somber hue of one that was empty of its beloved owner. What to think? Had Mr R gone on to the next life? Come to think of it, he hasn't been seen tending his small backyard garden for ages. He's sooo old, and men have a tendency to not live as long as women. He had already beaten the odds when his wife preceded him in death years ago. He must be gone. Oh, I shall miss his Christmas cards and his ornery ways. I quickly emailed another neigbor with the sad news.
The next couple of days found me glancing at Mr. R's driveway whenever I drove past. Those late model cars I noticed must belong to his kids. Were they gathering to discuss funeral arrangements? I felt too shy to knock on the door, so I scanned a few obituary sections for more info, but no such luck.
The final straw was seeing a moving-van type of vehicle parked in front of his house. His relatives must be hauling his stuff away. So soon?? Will we see a For-Sale sign go up next? Okay, here was my chance to express my condolences. I wasn't about to knock on the door, so I picked up the phone and dialed his phone number. After introducting myself to the voice on the other end, I bluntly and hurriedly asked (I tend to do this when I'm nervous) what had happened to Mr. R.
I quickly found out that I was dead wrong (excuse the pun). The callee was none other than Mr. R himself. He had gotten ill and was hospitalized for a few days. The delivery truck was dropping off medical equipment for his use while under home health care. I let out a nervous chuckle as relief combined with extreme embarassment overtook my emotions. Whew! This was one case I felt rather glad to be mistaken.
Welcome home, Mr. R.
