Page 105 of Together in Harmony
I was only keeping the job on pride and principle, which is dumb.
My job right now is staying safe and sane, surrounded by my men.
Eating cakes that Asa has been making obsessively. Trying to help Hugo with his crosswords, and failing. Writing poems, and watching movies with Lennox.
A couple of days later, I get a phone call from the man who I met at the gala. The arts critic for The Times, Ralph.
“Are you quite well now?” he asked me. “I’ve been so concerned since I saw you collapse.”
“I’m good now, thank you for asking.”
I am confused as to why Ralph is calling me.
“You might wonder as to why I’m calling,” Ralph says, reading my mind. “A friend of mine is putting together an anthology of new poetry works, and asked if I had seen anything new and interesting. I showed him your blog. He would love to talk to you about having a couple of poems in the anthology. Would it be alright if I gave him your contact details?”
Whoa! What?
When I managed to get any words out, I let Ralph know that hecouldpass on my details. “That's…er…amazing!”
“No promises that it will go anywhere, obviously. But he did seem rather keen on your work.”
I can’t wait to tell the guys.
Lennox puts his head around the door.
“Vibe check on the Matrix trilogy or John Wick?”
I hold up one finger, he makes a zipping motion with his finger across his mouth and whispers “Oops, sorry.”
I finish up my conversation with Ralph and then turn excitedly to Lennox. “A publisher is interested in my poems! I might be in an anthology!”
“Whoa! Amazing! Of course you are, my beautiful genius! What’s an anthology?”
Good things. I am absolutely immersed in good things. It really doesn’t matter what the press are saying.
“FREAKY FRENZY!Police drop possession charges against Frenzy Towers. That girl can get herself out ofanytrouble it seems! Follow us and like for more updates!”
Lennox has decided we will have a movie and pizza all-day marathon.
I’m not against escaping from reality forever if need be.
“While you guys figure out what we are watching, I’m going to go down to the cabin. Sheila is asking if I’ve shut it up properly for the season.”
“What does that mean?” asks Lennox.
Asa wanders into the room and answers for me. “Shut off the hot water heater. Close the fireplace damper and seal the box to prevent critters from entering. Drain the pipes in the plumbing, stuff like that.”
Lennox and I look at him.
Sometimes I forget he is such a practical farm boy. “Oh! I was just going to take all the food out of the fridge and throw it away,” I say, then, “Asa?”
“Yes, sweetheart?”
“You want to shut up a cabin with me?”
“I’d be delighted!”
“I want to open your cabin,” says Lennox, not particularly helpfully. At this point Hugo walks in.
