Sunday, November 7
I woke slightly panicked. The day was overcast and the
air smelled damp. I felt sure the skies would open and
deluge us with rain before we even started getting boxes
out to the car.
Don was very sleepy, so I got out of bed without rousting
him and started carrying things out to the curb. I got out all
the boxes except the two full of books before he was dressed.
I also got the bookcase and the dresser out, but the desk and
the filing cabinets were too much for me alone, and I didn't
think Don was strong enough to help me with them (though he had been
when he moved in).
Sure enough, it did rain, but thankfully it was only a brief
shower - more like a heavy mist. I had thrown a blanket over
the stuff on the curb so most of the boxes and furniture did
not get wet.
Two of Kent and Jessica's friends showed up around 11:00 am:
René and his girlfriend. René and Kent
were great helps with the desk and the filing cabinets,
and Jessica and Rene's girlfriend helped me with the geometry
of optimum van-packing. To everyone's surprise, I got all the
boxes and furniture in. I was very pleased with myself, and
joined the others who had retired to the Fiske-Bailey's
livingroom for bagels, orange joice, and chat.
Jessica asked me several questions about my weekend at the
monastery. Unfortunately, her questions came one on top of the
other so I never really got to answer any of them fully.
I did mention I had put a brief summary on the website, then
to reinforce the point, I took a picture of René and his
girlfriend and told them it would be up there soon.
We expected Davis to arrive around noon, and when he hadn't,
Don went to call him. Kent, René, and I waited out on
the street. Suddenly, René picked up one of the dogs
and dropped it in the middle of the juniper bushes. It's such
a short-legged dog that it was stranded in mid-air, its feet
unable to reach the ground. René thought this very funny.
Kent just smiled wearily and plucked the dog from the bushes
and set it down on the sidewalk, where it walked away
seemingly unperturbed.
(René and his girlfriend left for lunch shortly after
that. I learned later from Kent that the dog in the bushes
trick eventually led to the two of them breaking up. "He's
just a big kid," Kent said, "but she thought it was cruel
of him.")
While Don was downstairs calling, Davis showed up. Of course,
he hadn't known that I would start the day a whole hour and a
half before schedule and all the work of loading the van would
be done when he arrived. However, he graciously agreed to drive
with us down to Mountain View and help us unload the van into
the storage container.
On the way down, I noticed the rain clouds hovering over the
Santa Cruz mountains. "Shit," I said, "it looks like it's
pouring back home."
Indeed it was. Davis had noticed the same clouds and come to the
same conclusion, but he was undaunted. We unloaded the van and
loaded the storage compartment relatively quickly while Don
made us hot cups of tea. We needed them. By the time we were
done, we were drenched.
We sat down to tea and some of the datenut bread I'd brought
from the monastery. The rain increased in intensity, and I soon
saw the storm drain overflowing in the street outside my house.
Like I have so many times before, I went out in the pouring
rain and began raking debris and leaves out of the mouth of
the drain. It took me nearly half an hour, but the drain was
finally cleared and the gutters draining happily into it. This
time, very little of my yard was inundated, though Don's work
of mulching the border hedge was nearly washed away.
I was even more soaked than before, and went directly from
the back door into the shower. It cleaned me off and warmed me.
My absence gave Don and Davis time to visit alone. I
am very fond of Davis and I know Don is, too. I'm glad they
had the chance to talk.
Davis soon had to leave.
He took one of the brochures for the Silicon Valley Gay Men's
Chorus holiday concert with him. Though he will be in India
and unable to attend, he said
he knew of some people who might want to come.
I embraced him as we said good-bye, and thanked him
for being such a good friend. It is a shame his travels make
it impossible for him to join us for Thanksgiving.
Don and I started back for Oakland shortly after Davis left.
We ate at Crepevine in the Rockridge area, then retired to
his apartment for one last sleep-over. I felt a note of sadness.
This apartment had been a symbol of Don's independence, breaking
free from the squalor of Bolinas and getting on with his life
as a professional. It was a milestone in his recovery. Now,
it seemed merely like a failed experiment in hope.
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René and Friend
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Monday, November 8
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Tuesday, November 9
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Wednesday, November 10
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Thursday, November 11
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Friday, November 12
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Saturday, November 13
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