MAKING HISTORY

The first season home game of the Habs – I was installed with Mommy and my glass of wine in front of the living room TV, watching the opening ceremonies when my phone rang. I usually shut the darned thing off during games, and anyone who knows me will time their calls accordingly, but...

It was my neighbour, the beautiful Louka’s daddy, who has helped me out so often that I couldn’t NOT answer. He needed to fax some papers – it would take a minute – would I mind? Of course not! The first period was just starting when he arrived, the deed was done and he left – it took all of 5 minutes. I was back on the couch with Mommy when I heard his voice calling from the kitchen moments later.

“What did you forget?” I yelled back, not moving, expecting to see him come around the corner from the hallway. But he didn’t. Odd.

Mommy had run to the kitchen to investigate, so I decided to do the same. I found my neighbour stretched out on the floor – what??!!!

I knelt beside him, saying his name – he opened his eyes, groaning, hanging onto his arm. He was trying not to faint from the pain as he told me that he had slipped on my outside stairs, whammed his head good against the stone wall, and he was sure his arm was broken.

A flurry of activity followed; ice wrapped in a towel to put around his arm, checking the side of his head which was already swelling, telling him he’d have to get up because there was no way I’d be able to carry him downstairs....
Finally we were in his truck, the beautiful Louka licking my face as I attempted to negotiate this huge vehicle from my driveway, and we got to the village hospital. True to its reputation, he was told to take a number and sit down...it was number 79 and the waiting room occupants informed us some had been waiting there since noon. Back into the truck and off to the hospital in Ontario, where service does exist even if it takes much longer to get there. The man is tough. I suspected he was concentrating on dealing with the pain, but I kept talking to him, making him answer me...I was worried about concussion.

It took a few hours, but they gave him pain killers, x-rays, and a cast, in that order, and we drove back to the bush. He came up for a bowl of soup and sandwich before going home; neither of us had eaten. He apologized again for my missed hockey game.

"It's okay. My son was texting me the information during the hospital wait and I can get the highlights on the internet. The first time ever the Habs have started out with five wins in a row!"

"Hmmm," he frowned. “First time in my life I ever broke a bone!"

"So!" I laughed. "Tonight you both made history!!"

And we SMILED.

Luv from the Bush in Quebec.