“Hello, you two,” I said, welcoming them.
“Hello, you two,” I said, welcoming them.
“Susan, we came to wish you a safe and fantastic trip,” Fin said. He bowed his tall skinny frame before me in my kitchen. He does that a lot. The tails of his long tailored black suit draped down to his knees.
“Well, thank you. Coffee, tea, or tap water?” I asked them.
“Tea would be fine,” Fin replied, removing his wool gloves.
“Tea is good,” Cal answered, helping me by reaching for the ceramic cups on the cupboard shelf.
Of the two men, I appreciate that he’s always considerate. I like that nuance in a man. I noticed he was wearing the yellow sweatshirt with the brown diamond designs I gave him for Christmas.
Many times I have allowed the two eccentric scientists have access to my garage to plan their next experiments–with restrictions. I brought over the hot kettle I had left simmering on the stovetop and filled up my cups I had made at pottery class. The men picked up two of the cups and tea bags out of my packet basket on the counter before they sat down at my table. I turned off the stove burner just in case I would forget.
“Jack’s barn is not an option?” I asked as I followed them to the table and took a position in my chair.
“Well, he didn’t want us to disturb his animals. So what do you say?” Fin asked, dipping his tea bag into his cup. Cal did the same.
“I’m sorry, guys, but I’d rather you didn’t while I’m gone. Say, have you asked the new owner of the rebuilt Ahlberg building if they have a space you could rent? I heard they were leasing offices,” I suggested, hoping to divert their minds off my garage.
I knew Fin and Cal had found a way to earn money on the internet, so I knew they could afford the payments. The two men looked at each other and back again at me. I scooped some sugar from the small table bowl into my cup with the spoon beside me and began stirring the hot liquid.
“I will check that out. What do they plan to do over there?” Cal asked.
“I heard they want to rebuild and remodel the burned sections and put in a mercantile antique store. I can hardly wait to see what they will have to sell,” I said, taking a sip of my tea.
Then my front doorbell rang.
“Sit tight guys, I’ll see who it is,” I said and rose out of my chair.
When I opened the front door, I saw René. I forgot she was coming over this afternoon.
“Come in, Fin and Cal are here just having tea. You want to join us?” I asked.
“I’d love to but I have a doctor appointment in an hour. If I can get there early, they might let me see him before my scheduled time,” she said, wiping her booted feet on the outdoor doormat.
“Well, come in and warm up a bit and I’ll show you where Mickie’s food is.”
René and her husband bought the pottery shop after the former owner ended up in jailed for murdering his wife and another woman. She stomped the snow off her boots and again wiped her feet on my carpet catcher before following me into the kitchen. I had floor tile installed straight from my front door to the kitchen just for this purpose.
“Hello Fin, Cal,” she said to my table guests as she walked into the kitchen. They waved and returned a hello back.
“Over here in the cupboard under my coffee pot I have dry kibble. Just feed him once a day. On Sunday, I give him a special meal of canned food that I have here on the shelf. He’ll love you for it. Now, he has a doggy door in the back door and can come and go as he pleases, but it wouldn’t hurt to check up on him now and then to make sure he is going outside,” I explained.
“Don’t you worry about him. I have had dogs and cats in my home, so I know how they need looking after,” she said, reaching down to pet his wiggling body.
“Well, if for some reason you can’t, just call Fin here. Here’s his number and, oh, here are my keys to the house and the garage. I told Fin he couldn’t use the garage. Right Fin?” I asked, turning toward him.
“Yes, that is correct,” he replied, sipping more of his tea.
“Now, don’t you worry and have a great time in Hawaii,” she assured me as she pocketed my keys. “Well, I’d better go. Oh, I almost forgot. Don’t wear a blouse with rhinestones. The security at the airport got me one year. She made such a fuss until I took my cardigan off to show her,” she said
“I’ll remember that.”
Funny, how when you take a trip, everyone has a tip for you. But I didn’t know about the rhinestones. I walked her back to the front door.
“I’m glad you are doing this for me. I’ll bring you something special from Hawaii,” I said as she stepped outside.
“Oh, you don’t have to, but I’d love the recipe for your cinnamon rolls. They were so good at the pottery sale.”
“It’s a deal, thanks,” I replied and waved as she navigated my cleared sidewalk toward her car.
I noticed the shoveled sidewalk since last night.
“Now who did that?” I wondered to myself.
I walked back to my kitchen and caught the two scientists standing in the kitchen area. Fin had left his cup on the table but Cal reached over to pick up our empty cups and placed them in my sink. He even rinsed them out.
“Saaaay, did either
