The Adventures of Nellie and Doris: The One About Nights

Recently Missy reminded me of how Nellie and the kids ate dinner with their dad. Bobby worked nights while Nellie tended to the family or worked at the store during the day. The kids had little opportunity to see their dad as they were in school while he was sleeping in the daytime.

So, Nellie would cook dinner, pack it up, and then toss the kids into the back of their camper-shelled truck. They had made a bit of a camper in the back, including a table, chairs, and a bitty sink area. Then they would drive out to Bobby's work and all together they would have dinner. Every night they drove the 10+ miles up to Swan Island in North Portland. Brilliant!

Now, I am a person who needs to write about or talk out problems and issues in order to work them out. Since I was going to school days and working nights, I had little time to chat with anyone. Nellie would often come over to the store for a visit (and sometimes give me a potty break), but the neighborhood store was often too busy to really talk. So, I would call her many nights for these chats.

Nellie was a great listener. I'd call after she had gone to bed--Nellie was a very early riser. She had to get up in time to make Bobby's breakfast and then get the kids off to school, right? Therefore, she was an early bedder. I'd usually call when I went to bed and she would answer and let me talk. She would put in an occasional "Uh Huh" so I could know she was listening. And I'd talk about that guy who fathered my sons, or the guy who broke my heart. Or the guy I was falling for. You know...issues!

Now here's the real adventure.... 

Probably everyone in the world knew that Nellie slept in the nude. I mean she wasn't secret about it, so we just figured she had cover-ups when she went into the rest of the house. She didn't flaunt it, but we *wink wink* knew. What I never realized was that the house had only one phone--on the kitchen wall. None in her bedroom. So when I called--after everyone had gone to bed--she'd come out of the bedroom into the hall, out into the living room, and sit naked on the couch while I chattered, lamented, complained. For long periods of time. 

Now I wonder if she had at least a blanket during the cold nights...

Nellie was such a great person. She never complained that I called and she had to jump out of bed to sleepily sit starkers on that couch with a phone glued to her ear. For long periods of time. 

No, she was my friend, a wonderful star. No complaints from her. 

None from me when she needed to take a nap after she got off work weekends at 3:00p--I mean there were often about 500 people living and staying at her house--as I just started my shift. So, she would come to my house when my sons were gone, visiting their father, to take a nice long nap on my water bed. 

No complaints when I would go to her house to visit after the kids headed off to school when we should have been doing housework. 

No complaints when her dog, Sunkist, would come sleep at my house (you know...those 500 people across the street) while I studied or dusted or something.

We never complained about one another because we loved one another. We were all about laughter and adventures and teasing and raising kids and bitching about family people. 

No complaints.
Always love.

and so it goes...
peace~~~