Blast from the past..

I am sitting on the couch watching television, the phone rings... I answer the phone and an old woman says hello dear, I reply back with a second greeting.

"Who is this? Dear."

"Jamie" my quick response, thinking this must be one of my mom's church lady friends.

"Jamie Lynn?"

My mother and a very short list of people call me Jamie Lynn and most of those people reside in Cape Breton and I recognize that this lady has a Caper accent.

"Do you remember a man you used to call Truman Rooster when you were a child, dear?"

Truman Rooster was friends with my Dad, perhaps even a mentor to him. His real name wasn't Rooster, but in Cape Breton tradition everyone has a nickname. When I was a small child my father brought me a toy rooster on a string and it was christened Truman. When Truman came to visit I went and grabbed my Rooster and brought it out and called him Truman and ever after the name stuck.

"Of course I remember Truman Rooster, how are you Rhodena?"

"Well I was looking through my photo albums this morning dear and I came across your picture, when you were 7 and I started to cry."

Jamie's heart was breaking, this lovely old lady had made me cookies, and cooked the most delicious meals, she was kind, sweet and patient. Rhodena and Truman lived in Gabarus and we used to love to go visit them, tearing around their house inside and out, paying on the swing playing with he sand and rocks, smelling the fresh salty air off the ocean. Listening to my dad and Truman reminisced about fishing as mom and Rhodena talked about cooking of gardening or who knows what else.

"Then I realized you would be almost 20 now"

"Actually I'm 23"

"Well I'm 83 now"

"Wow"

We had a awesome chat, I feel rather nostalgic now, catching up on the last few years, filling her in on all the news with my family, hearing about her life. I asked her if it would be acceptable if I call on her when I visit Cape Breton in August, she insisted I should.

I can't wait.