Living with the Lama (1964)

CHAPTER ELEVEN

“Feef!” Miss Ku came running up the stairs in a great state of agitation. “Feef,” she exclaimed as she reached the top and came into the room, “The Old Man's gone off his head!” She muttered to herself glumly as she dashed into the kitchen to get some food. The Guv had gone off his head? I could not understand what she meant, I knew that he had taken Miss Ku for a drive to Riverside. Now, after being out for rather more than an hour, Miss Ku said he had gone off his head! I jumped up to the window sill and thought about it. In the River a ship hooted the signal which the Guv had told us meant “I am turning to port.”

There was the soft patter of small feet, and Miss Ku jumped lightly up to sit beside me. “He's got a rock in his head the size of the Hill of Howth, she said as she carefully washed herself. “But Miss Ku,” I expostulated, “What has happened? HOW has the Guv gone off his head?” “Ow!” she replied, “we were driving along so peacefully and suddenly the Old Man got a Bee in his Bonnet. He stopped the car and looked at the engine. ‘Don't like the sound of it,’ he said, ‘I know that something is going to happen.’ Ma was sitting there like a Stuffed Duck, saying nothing. He got in the car again and as we drove off he said, ‘We will take Ku home and then go on to the garage and see what other cars they have.’ So here am I, dumped in like a load of garbage while they go gallivanting off in my car!” She sat grumpily on the far edge of the sill, muttering to herself.

“Gee! Oh Golly!” Miss Ku jumped up and danced on the window sill in a frenzy of excitement. I, being blind, had no choice but to keep calm, for I did not know the cause of the excitement. “My!” she squealed, her voice becoming higher and higher, “It's real cute, real smart, a smashing automobile! White and pink.” I sat still, waiting for her to calm down and tell me what was happening. Just then I heard a car door shut and seconds later the Guv and Ma came up the stairs, “New car, eh?” asked Buttercup. “Good!” I thought, “now I shall get the story.” “Yes, another car, a Mercury,” said the Guv. “Only one owner, and a low mileage. A really good car. I think the camshaft is going to give trouble on the other. This one is on trial for the day, want to come out?” Miss Ku jumped to her feet and rushed to the door so that she at least would not be forgotten.

“Coming for a ride in the new car, Feef?” asked the Guv, rubbing my chin. “No thank you,” I replied, “I will stay here with Ma and keep house.” He told me I was an old stick-in-the-mud and then went on down the stairs. Miss Ku and Buttercup were already sitting in the car. I heard them start off, then Ma and I got the tea ready for when they returned.

Brrr. Brrr. Brrr. said the telephone. Ma hurried to answer it, because telephones do not like to be kept waiting. “Oh! Hello, Mrs. Durr,” said Ma. She listened for a time—I could hear the faint sounds from the telephone, not loud enough for me to comprehend, though. “He is out trying a different car. I'll tell him when he comes back,” said Ma. She and Mrs. Durr talked for a time, then Ma went back to her work. Soon we heard the Guv, Buttercup and Miss Ku coming up the back stairs after putting away the car. “Mrs. Durr phoned,” said Ma. “Just a friendly call, but she has had some trouble, someone has let her down with the premises she was going to take.”

We all liked Mrs. Durr. After working hard for another firm she was going to set up her own book shop which was to be called “Bookland”, of Dorwin Plaza, Windsor. “She is in quite a state,” said Ma, “she has nowhere to store the books and things until she can move into the new shop at Dorwin.” The Guv got on with his tea, saying nothing until he had finished, then, “How long would she want the place?” he asked. “A month, not more,” said Ma. “Tell her to come round and see us. She can store all her things in the downstairs apartment for a month. We pay rent on it, the landlady can say nothing so long as no selling is done there.” Ma went to the telephone and dialed the number . . .

“There's Ruth!” called Miss Ku. “Ku!” said the Guv, “You are not a Canadian, calling everyone by their first name, she is Mrs. Durr.” “Phooey!” said Miss Ku, “She is RUTH to me and the little Gentleman Siamese Kitten she has is Chuli, not Mr. Durr.” Mrs. Durr came up the stairs at the front and we all said hello and then we all went down the backstairs to see the lower apartment. The Guv carried me on his shoulder because he thought there would be too many feet for me to avoid, as I could not see them. “Well there you are, Mrs. Durr,” said the Guv, “You can store your things here and work here all day if you like. You CANNOT sell from here, and you cannot pay us any rent. Then the landlady or Windsor City Council are powerless to object. There are no shops here as you know.” Mrs. Durr seemed to be very pleased. She played with me, and I gave my second best purr, we always keep our very best purrs for The Family. I knew that Mr. Chuli Durr would be able to explain that to her when he became older. Then he was a small kitten indeed, with his face and tail still white. Now, at this time of writing, I understand that he is indeed a most magnificent specimen of Tom-hood. Miss Ku recently received a photograph from him and she described him gustily and in some detail.

The next morning loads and loads of books were carried in to the downstairs apartment. For most of the morning men seemed to be arriving with great boxes, and grunting mightily as they struggled to manhandle those cases in through the doors. Soon after lunch I heard more men come, “Telephone men,” said Miss Ku. “She has to have a telephone, doesn't she? ANY dope would know that!” There came the noise of hammering, and shortly after, the telephone bell rang as it was tested. “I'm going down to see everything is all right,” said Miss Ku. “Wait a minute, Ku,” said the Guv, “let the men finish and then we will all go down to see Mrs. Durr.” It seemed to me that the best thing for me to do would be to have some food as I did not know how long we should be. I wandered off to the kitchen and was fortunate enough to discover Ma just putting down a fresh supply. I gave her a push with my head and rubbed against her legs by way of thanks. What a pity, I thought, that she does not yet speak Cat like the Guv does.

Not long after the Guv opened the kitchen door leading to the back stairs. Miss Ku rushed headlong down—I could easily manage the stairs now, knowing each one and being well aware that there would be no obstacles. The Guv was VERY firm about that; he was fanatically particular to see that all my ‘routes’ were kept clear and that the furniture was always in the same place. I suppose that as the Guv had once been blind for just over a year he knew of my problems better than anyone else.

We rushed down the stairs and skidded to a halt outside Mrs. Durr's door. She opened it and welcomed us in. I waited at the door for the Guv as I did not know of the obstacles. He picked me up and carried me in, placing me beside a big case so that I could sniff all the news. Some were rude messages left by dogs, other smells showed that the bottom of the box had rested on damp ground. On one book I read a message from Mr./Miss Stubby Durr. He/She was very pleased at having Master Chuli Durr to look after, Miss Ku sighed a sigh of happy memories “Old Stubby, a very pleasant fellow or fellowess,” she remarked, “Sad to say, something got mixed when the sexes were handed out, poor old Stubby had both. MOST embarrassing! I called at the Durr House one evening and could hardly keep my eyes off—no, I mean, I didn't know where to look.” “Yes, yes, Miss Ku,” I said, “But I understand He/She has the sweetest of natures, and Mr. Chuli Durr will be well looked after.”

Miss Ku went out a lot in the Mercury car, seeing all the local scenery, and going on to Leamington and places like that. I loved her to come back and tell me all about it, tell me of all the things I could no longer see for myself. One afternoon, when she returned, she was beaming with pleasure. Nudging me, she said, “Come under the bed, Feef, I'll tell you all about it.” I rose and followed her under the bed. Together we sat down, close to each other. Miss Ku started to wash, and as she washed she talked. “Well, Feef, we started out and we went all along the fast highway. We passed a lot of fruit and vegetable stands, where people were selling the stuff they had grown. Buttercup went ‘Ooh!’ and ‘Ah!’ at each one. But the Guv didn't stop. We drove on and on and then some more. We drove towards the lake and then we passed a factory where they made Fifty Seven Varieties of food! Think of that, Feef, think how YOU would like to be let loose in there!” I did think about it, and the more I thought about it the more sure I was that nothing—nothing at all—could be better than my present home. Fifty Seven Varieties of food perhaps, but here I also had ONE variety of love, the best. The mere thought of it made me purr. “Then we went and had a look at the lake,” said Miss Ku, “and we saw that the water was just as wet as that at Windsor, so we turned for Home. At the fruit stands Buttercup went ‘Ah!’ and ‘Ooh!’ so the Guv stopped and she got out and bought some of those smelly things that go splash when they are bitten. She beamed all the way home and every so often touched the fruit smelly things and thought how she was going to get into them. Then we turned into Walkerville and picked up the mail and here we are.”

“You cats should button up your ears,” said the Guv, “Mrs. Durr is having her things moved out tomorrow, she now has the place finished at Dorwin Plaza.” “OW!” yelled Miss Ku, “Will you take me to see it?” “Sure,” said the Guv, “and Feef as well if she likes.” We wandered down the stairs and knocked at the door. Mrs. Durr opened it and very civilly invited us in. We looked in all the rooms and sniffed round all the boxes of books which had been packed up ready for transfer to the new shop. “What did she unpack them for, Miss Ku?” I asked. “Why, you silly Old Woman Cat,” said Miss Ku, “she had to look at them so she could check off her invoices and do something about a catalogue. ANY sensible cat would have known that. Anyhow, I watched her doing it.” I went across to Mrs. Durr and rubbed against her to show her that I was sorry she had to work so hard. Then the Guv and Ma came down and we all went out into the garden to smell the roses.

The Guv and Ma were deep in discussion, some days later. “Costs in this country are so fantastically high that I shall HAVE to get a job.” said the Guv. “You are not fit to,” replied Ma. “No, but we have to live all the same. I will go to the Employment Exchange and see what they say. After all, I can write, I have been in Radio, and there are a whole lot of things I can do.” He went out to get the car. Ma called after him, “Ku wants to go to Walkerville with us to get the mail.” Soon after the Guv drove round to the front door and Ma went out carrying Miss Ku. She got in the car and off they went. Around about lunch time they returned looking glum.

“Come under the bed, Feef,” whispered Miss Ku, “I will tell you what happened.” I rose to my feet and walked to our Conference Place beneath the bed. When we were properly settled, Miss Ku said, “After we had been for the mail we drove down to the Employment Office. The Guv got out and went in. Ma and I sat together in the car. Much later the Guv came out looking really fed up with everything. He got in his car, started it, and drove off without saying a word. We drove to that place beneath the Ambassador Bridge—you know, Feef—where we took you. He stopped the car and said, ‘I wish we could get out of this country!’ ‘What happened?’ asked Ma. ‘I went in,’ said the Guv, ‘and a clerk at the counter sniggered and made goat noises as he fingered an imaginary beard. I went up to another clerk and told him I wanted work. The man laughed and said I would get only labouring work, the same as any other ******** D.P.’ ‘D.P.?’ asked Ma, ‘What's that?’ ‘Displaced Person,’ replied the Guv, ‘these Canadians think they are God's Gift to the world, they think that anyone from another part of the world is an ex-convict or something. Well, the man told me that I would not even get a labouring job unless I shaved off my beard. Another clerk came over and said, ‘We don't want no beatniks here, we give our jobs to Canadians.’ ”

Miss Ku stopped and sighed with the greatest sympathy. “The Guv wears a beard because he cannot shave, his jawbones have been smashed by the Japanese kicking him when a prisoner. I wish we could get out of Canada, or at least out of Ontario,” Miss Ku added. I felt more sorry than I could say. I knew what it was to be persecuted for no valid reason. I got up, walked over to the Guv and told him of my sympathy. Miss Ku called after me, “Don't say anything to Buttercup about it, we don't want to disillusion her about Canada—Oh! I forgot, she does not understand Cat!” The rest of the day the Guv was very quiet and had little to say to anyone. When we went to bed that night I sat by his head and purred to him until at last he fell asleep.

After breakfast of the following morning, the Guv called Miss Ku and said, “Hey, Ku, we are going to Dorwin Plaza to see Mrs. Durr's new shop. Coming?” “Ho-ly! Yessir, Guv!” said Miss Ku in some excitement. “How about you, Feef?” the Guv asked me. “Not for me, Guv, thank you,’ I replied, “I will help Buttercup look after the place.” While the Guv, Ma and Miss Ku visited Mrs. Durr's shop, Buttercup took an extra bath and I sat on the Guv’s bed and thought and thought.

“Whoops!” yelled Miss Ku as she dashed up the stairs. “Say, Feef, she's got a very good place—I can't stay I must have a bite to eat first.” She dashed through the room, scattering the rugs, and into the kitchen. I leisurely jumped off the bed and picked a careful way out to her, ‘careful’ as I did not want to trip over one of the displaced rugs. “Yep! She sure has got a nice place!” said Miss Ku between mouthfuls, “She has Cards for all Occasions, Greetings Cards for when you enter prison, Commiseration Cards for when you are dope enough to enter Canada, and Sorrow Cards for when you get married. The Works, Everything. She has loads of the Guv's books, “The Third Eye”, and “Doctor from Lhasa”. YOU should go, Feef, it’s just up Dougal, cross the railroad tracks, and all the shops on the right is or are Dorwin Plaza. The Guv will take you anytime. French books, too, Feef!” I smiled to myself, and the Guv chuckled behind me, “How can my Feef read when she is blind?” he asked. Miss Ku. “Ow!” she exclaimed in contrition, “I forgot the Old Biddy couldn't see!”

The Guv became ill. Very ill. We thought he was going to die, but somehow he managed to cling to life. One night as I was watching over him—the others had long since gone to bed—a Man from the Other Side of Death came and stood beside us. I was used to these Visitors, all cats are, but this was a very special Visitor indeed. The blind, as I have already told you, are not blind when it comes to things of the astral. The astral form of the Guv left the world body and smiled across at the Visitor. The Guv, in the astral, was wearing the robe and vestments of a high Abbot of the Lamastic Order. I purred fit to burst when the Visitor bent over me and tickled my chin and said, “What a very beautiful Friend you have here, Lobsang.” The Guv trailed astral fingers idly through my fur, sending ecstatic shivers of delight through me, and replied, “Yes, she is one of the most loyal People upon the Earth.” They discussed things and I shut my perceptions to telepathic thought, for one should NEVER steal the thoughts of others but only listen when so bidden. I did hear, though, “As we showed you in the crystal, we want you to write another book, to be called “The Rampa Story”.” The Guv looked sad, and the Visitor resumed, “What does it matter if people of the Earth do not believe? Perhaps they have not the capacity. Perhaps your books, in stimulating thought, will help them attain to such capacity. Even their own Christian Bible writes to the effect that unless they become as a little child, BELIEVING . . . !” The astral body of the Guv, in the shimmering golden Robes of the High Order, sighed, and said, “as you wish, having gone so far and suffered so much, it would be a pity to give up now.”

Miss Ku pattered in. I saw her astral form jump straight out of her body with the shock of seeing the Shining Figures. “Chee!” she exclaimed, “do I ever feel a creep stealing in like this; will one bow be enough?” The Guv and the Visitor turned to her and laughed. “You are welcome anywhere, Lady Ku'ei,” said the Visitor. “And so is my Old Granny Cat Feef!” said the Guv, putting his arms around me. The Guv was more fond of me, probably because he and I had suffered much through Life's hard blows. We, the Guv and I, had the strongest possible bonds between us. I liked it that way!

In the morning Ma and Buttercup came into the room to see how the Guv was. “Well, you poor souls,” he exclaimed, “I am going to write a fresh book.” His remarks were met by groans. Ma and Buttercup went off to see Mrs. Durr and buy some paper, and other supplies. The Guv stayed in bed and I sat by him and looked after him. He was not well enough to write, but the book just HAD to be written. He started on it that day and sat in bed typewriter a-clatter. “Twelve words to each line, twenty-five lines to each page, that is three hundred words to each page, and we will have about six thousand words, more or less, to the chapter,” said the Guv. “Yaas, that's right enough, I guess,” said Miss Ku. “And don't forget that a paragraph should not be much more than a hundred words,” she added, “or it will tire the customers!” She turned away with a giggle and said, “YOU ought to write a book, Feef. Keep the Wolf from the Door. Buttercup can't or the Wolves would come flocking to her door if she unfolded her lurid tale.” I smiled, Miss Ku was in high good humour, and that made me happy. The Guv reached out a hand and rubbed an ear. “Yes, you write a book, Feef, and I will type it for you,” he said. “You must get on with ‘The Rampa Story’, Guv,” I replied, “you have only typed the title so far.” He laughed and rolled Miss Ku, who was trying to get on his lap in place of the typewriter, tail over head. “Come on, Feef!” she called as she sprang to her feet, “Come and play with me, let the Old Man play clackety with the typewriter.”

Ma was talking to someone, I did not know who. “He is very ill,” she said, “his life has been too hard. I do not know how he keeps on living.” Miss Ku nudged me glumly, “Hope he doesn't croak, Feef,” she said in a whisper, “he is quite useful to have around. I remember how gentle he was when my sister died. She was not even full grown, and she took ill and died in the Guv's arms. She was the spittin' image of you, Feef, the Fat Barmaid type. The Guv loved my sister Sue. Oh sure,” she said, “you have your hooks on the Guv's heart all right. So have I, he admires my brains!” I jumped on the bed and went very close. He stopped typing to fondle me, he ALWAYS had time for us cats. “Don't die, Guv!” I said, “it would break the hearts of all of us.” I rubbed my head against his arm as I got his telepathic message. Feeling more at ease, I felt my way to the foot of the bed and curled up.

Letters, letters, letters, were there NO jobs in Canada? Did they want only labourers? The Guv applied for job after job, but it seemed, as he said, that Canadians gave jobs only to Canadians or to those who had some political or union influence. Someone said that there were many jobs in more cultured, more civilised British Columbia, so the Guv decided to go there and see at first hand what the conditions were. He carefully conserved his strength and it was also decided that Buttercup would go as well in order to look after him. So the day came, and off they went to see if Vancouver conditions were better.

There is no joy when a Loved One is away, when the minutes are reluctant to drag on to the sorrowful hours, when there is an age of waiting, wondering. The house was dead, stale, even Ma moved quietly as if in a morgue. The light had gone from my soul, I felt the dank tendrils of fear come crowding in, telling me that he would not return, that he was ill, that—ANYTHING that was fearsome and worrying. At night I crouched by his cold, empty bed after jumping up to make quite sure that it was not a nightmare. The blind live within themselves, and fears, to the blind, corrode and freeze one's soul.

Miss Ku played with forced gaiety. Ma looked after us, but her thoughts were elsewhere. There was a chill around which seeped inexorably through me. I sat on the telegram he had sent, and tried to gain comfort from it. This is a time which I must pass over quickly even in my writing. It will suffice to say that when the door opened and the Guv was back with me, I felt myself swell again with love; my ancient frame was almost ready to burst with joy, and I purred so long and loud that I almost got a sore throat.

I bumbled around, butting the Guv with my head, rubbing against everybody and everything. “Don't be such an ass, Feef,” admonished Miss Ku, “one would think you were a young girl cat just out of the litter instead of an old woman great-great-great-grandmother cat; I'm shocked at your levity!” She sat primly, with her arms folded neatly in front of her. The Guv was telling Ma all about the trip, telling us too, if we listened instead of purring our heads off. Buttercup was not well, the trip and the different food had upset her, she was lying on her bed.

“We took off from Toronto Airport and were in Vancouver in four and a half hours. Not bad, considering the distance of a few thousand miles. We flew seven miles high above the Rockies.” “What are the Rockies, Miss Ku?” I asked in a whisper. “Lumps of big stones with snow on the top,” she replied. “We found Vancouver very friendly, a nice place indeed,” continued the Guv. “But there is much unemployment there. It is as different from Ontario as Heaven is from Hell. If ever we have the opportunity, that is where we will live.”

Miss Ku rushed in, “I think Buttercup is dying,” she gasped, “Shall I call the Undertaker?” The Guv and Ma went in to her bedroom, but poor Buttercup was only suffering from excitement and change of food and climate. The Guv was glad to assure Miss Ku that an Undertaker was NOT required!

“Look!” said the Guv to Ma, “I saw this in Vancouver and could not resist buying it. It is exactly like Mrs. Durr. I bought it for her.” “Feef!” said Miss Ku in excitement, “he's got a small porcelain figure of a woman, she IS just like Mrs. Durr. Same colour hair, same type of face, and Mrs. Durr also wears a crinoline. Gee!” exclaimed Miss Ku, “This will sure Knock her in the Old Kent Road!” I had to laugh, Miss Ku's slang was truly international; she even knew the worst of the French ones! As we lay in bed that night, with me beside the Guv, I felt my heart bursting with happiness. No longer did the crash of shunting trains seem threatening. Now, as each railroad car bumped into the next, edging it forward, it seemed to say, “He's BACK, ha ha! He's BACK, ha ha!” I reached out and gently touched the Guv's hand with mine, and then fell asleep.

For the next few weeks the Guv was very busy with “The Rampa Story”. Special Visitors came from the world of the astral and talked long to him in the night. As the Guv tells in his books, there is no death, “death” is just the process of being reborn into another state of existence. It is all very complicated for a cat to explain. But it is so simple, so natural. How is one to explain the process of taking successive breaths, or walking? How is one to explain the process of seeing? It is as difficult to explain all that as it is to explain just how there is no death. It is as easy to explain what life is as to explain what death is not. The Guv—and cats—can always see into the astral world and speak to the people of the astral.

The time had come to think of another place in which to live. Windsor offered nothing. There was no possibility of employment, and the “Windsor scene” was dull and uninteresting. Few trees graced the area which was mainly industrial on a very small scale. The atmosphere was humid because of the great deposits of salt underlying the whole city. As Miss Ku so aptly remarked, “Golly! What a cheesed-off dump Windsor is!” We looked at maps, and read books and at last we decided to move to a place on the Niagara Peninsula. Ma put an advertisement in newspapers in the hope of obtaining a suitable house. Replies came in, and most people with houses to rent seemed to think THEIR house was built of gold bricks, judging by the rents they asked.

We told our very nice Windsor Landlady's Cousin that we were leaving, and she was flatteringly sad. Now came the time of Great Cleaning. Buttercup's hobby is playing with a roaring vacuum cleaner, and this was a glorious excuse for her to get the thing screaming all day long. The Guv was confined to bed; he had suffered from three attacks of coronary thrombosis in the past, and had suffered from T.B. (Tuberculosis, short for tubercle bacillus) and other complaints. Writing “The Rampa Story” had taken much from him. Mrs. Durr came along and said to Ma, “I will drive you and the cats any time you wish. Perhaps Sheelagh can drive Dr. Rampa.” We could always rely on Mrs. Durr for things like that; I knew that she would have the full support of Chuli.

We were going to take a furnished place and so wanted to sell our furniture which was almost new. No one wanted to buy it for cash; Canadians prefer to go to money lenders, whom they term “Finance Companies” as that, they think, makes the affair rather more reputable. Having secured money from these money lenders, the Canadian usually buys gaudy things and pays so much a week. Miss Ku once told me that she had seen an advertisement “any car for ten dollars deposit” At last, the Guv and Ma heard of a very nice young man who was getting married, so they decided to give most of the furniture as a wedding present. Ma had previously made enquiries, and found that the cost of transferring the furniture would have been quite prohibitive. We were going to take a few specially cherished things and had made arrangements with a transport firm. Miss Ku and I were very glad that our Saw Horse was going. We had an old Saw Horse which we used as a Nail File and Jumping Platform. We also had an arrangement with the Guv whereby we would not scratch the furniture so long as we had our Nail File. Visitors sometimes stare when they see the Saw Horse among the furniture, but the Guv says “Never mind what people think, my cats come first!”

Down in the garden, Miss Ku called out loudly, “Hey! Across the Road Cat, come here!” Soon the cat came out of his back door, looked both ways for traffic, and then slipped across the road. He stood with his nose pressing against the wire fence waiting for Miss Ku to speak. “We are going away, Cat,” she said, “Going away where the water flows fast. We are going to have a house with trees. You don't have trees, Cat!” “It must be wonderful to move around as you do, Lady Ku'ei!” remarked the Across the Road Cat. “I am going in now, but I will send you a telepathogram when we get to our new house.”

The next morning the Moving Men came for the furniture which we were going to take. Things were carried down the stairs and loaded into a van which Miss Ku said was as big as a house. Soon the big doors closed with a slam, a powerful motor was started, and our belongings commenced their journey.

Now we had to sit on the floor like a lot of broody hens. I couldn't bump into anything now—there was nothing that could get in the way! “Hey! Feef, we have not said goodbye to the attic,” said Miss Ku. I jumped to my feet and rushed to join her at the upper stairs. Together we dashed up and climbed on the beams which kept the roof of the house on. Those beams were of walnut, from trees which used to be growing on the site when the Indians lived in the area. They were just BEAUTIFUL for sharpening claws; Miss Ku and I set to with a will to hone our claw edges to perfection, then we dashed through a small hole near the rising chimney where humans could not get. “Goodbye; spiders!” called Miss Ku, “now you can spin some more webs and you won't catch us!” We had a final roll in the dust beneath the floorboards—some had been left up when the electricians came—and then we rushed down the stairs again almost out of breath.

A car drew up outside. Miss Ku jumped on to the window sill and yelled, “Come on, Ruth, LATE AGAIN AS USUAL! What's wrong with you, LEAD FEET?” Mrs. Durr came up the stairs and we all said good morning. Then everyone except the Guv carried little things down the stairs and put them into the cars. The Guv was very unwell and he had a sort of bed made up in the back of our big car. Buttercup was going to drive, as the Guv was ill, and they were going to do the journey in two stages. Ma, Mrs. Durr, Miss Ku and I were going to complete the two hundred and fifty something miles in one day. Soon all was ready for us to go. “Goodbye Guv,” I called, “see you tomorrow.” “Goodbye Feef,” he replied, “Don't start worrying, everything will be all right.” “O-kay!” said Miss Ku, “Let's roll!” Mrs. Durr did something with her feet and the car moved ahead. Over the railroad bridge, up past Walkerville Post Office, all the way up, leaving Windsor Airport on our left. I knew that district, but soon we were on fresh roads and I had to depend on Miss Ku for information.

“Saint Thomas is ahead!” yelled Miss Ku. Oh! I thought, did we have a crash, are we dead? How do we come to meet Saint Thomas? “We are going to have some chow, Feef, as soon as we get clear of this joint,” Miss Ku remarked. Then it dawned on me and I blushed at my stupidity; St. Thomas was a small city. In Canada a small village is a town and a bit bigger village is a city. Still, I suppose the French also have some peculiarities if I but knew them.

We drove for hours, and at last Miss Ku said, “The signs are telling me we are nearly there—yes—there is the Fort Erie Hotel. There is water ahead of us, Feef, the other end of the lake.” “Are we there, Miss Ku?” I asked. “Good Grief no,” she replied, “we have some more miles to go.” I settled down again.

The car turned left, and sharp right. The engine slowed and stopped. Little crackling sounds came from the hot exhaust pipes. For a moment no one spoke, then Miss Ku said, “Well, here we are, Feef. Pick up your things.” Ma and Mrs. Durr got out of the car and carried Miss Ku and me into the house. We were once again at a temporary home. Now I was anxious for the Guv to arrive, but that would not be until the morrow.