RUMORS ABOUND

The rumors have begun and they are moving fast. Both Gail and I have been asked about “the meeting” from Thursday. It was a private meeting and neither of us will discuss it. That hasn’t stopped talk — or information flow.

Admittedly Gail and I have gotten together to exchange notes. We have a meeting with the bosses on Monday. We will explain why we have no intention of returning and plan to discourage Chas from going again. It was a nasty experience.

Today we learned from where the information flow was pouring — Olivia herself. She has already pulled several people aside to tell them about the meeting. Some never even knew there were a meeting, let alone one trying to help two people reconcile. But the more we hear the move we doubt it can ever be repaired. It does not appear Olivia will be happy until Chas is evicted. I do have one suggestion for her. If she does not want word of her gossip getting back to Gail or, don’t talk to people in our building. She has one convert here — Maria, but I doubt that other than herself, Maria and Sylvia there are open ears.

She tried to draw in my favorite cook this morning and the cook would not hear it. She said is had no bearing on here life and walked away. I wish everyone would do that, but this is too good to pass up. And since the new gossip about his language and comments to women is the kind of hot stuff that will make the rounds — it will get around — fast.

I have had only one experience with a very small community. When my parents retired to Hardy, NB, a town of about 160 on the Kansas-Nebraska border, it was the kind of place where everyone knew everyone else. On my first visit to them I took a morning walk to check out the two blocks of “downtown.” It was step back in time. The sidewalks were boards. Most buildings were boarded up. There was still a restaurant with three old dudes picking their teeth with straw. There was a small convenience type store, some food, some hardware, and some variety store goods. All of it was smaller than a typical 7-11. They had no Slurpees, but you could get bottled pop from an old trunk type dispenser. A friend taught me (as a child mind you) how to drink a pop out of one of those without removing the bottle. An opener and a straw would do the trick. Did I say I did that? Mistake. I heard one could do that. There was a store that appeared to having sewing goods. I never went in there.

The point (FINALLY) was that the handful of people I met on the streets of Hardy all called me by name. Remember, I had never been there. This community has the same feeling. By the way, there was also a bank that from the outside that appeared to be right out of Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid. I loved that movie.