The Lucknow Sentinel, 1979-07-04, Page 7Lucknow Sentinel, Wednellldsy, July 4, 1979—Psge 7'
fine markets... of fine food.
Lizzie Perkins had lived a hum-dru•m sort of life with
, her mean drunken husband. Like many women in her
position, she had suffered in silence the poverty,
abuse and desperation. She was so meek and
submissive to Windy Perkin's every whim, that he
never dreamed he would return to his farm, one day to
find her gone. Companionship, no matter how frailly
bonded, is a thousand times better than loneliness.
-Windy was to find this out in a hurry and he cried into
his beer at the Redtrees Hotel.
In the days which followed Lizzie's disappearance,
his conversation was no longer that of a bragging
humourist and his comrades of the bottle began to tire
of his self pity. Windy was becoming a perfect bore -
somebody to be shunned. He knew how many friends
he had and realized the only person who had ever
showed him any Love was his wife, Lizzie. Windy soon
stopped his visits to the Redtrees Hotel. Instead, he
tried to find comfort in hard liquor. Alonely man, cut
off from a world he thought he knew, drinking alone.
on his rapidly 'deteriorating ,farm bitter and
desperate!
One night, Angus had a call from one of Windy's
neighbours. It seemed that the.neighbour had noticed
there were no lightsin Windy's barn at chore time,
and he had gone to see what was wrong. Windy was
not in the house, the stock had not been fed and the
cows, heavy with milk were lowing in the barnyard.
Angus told me about Windy's disappearance and
knowing the man's pitiful state, all kinds of horrible
things came to my mind. l had visions of Windy
hanging on alength of rope from one of the., beams in
the top of the barn!
Angus had just settled down in a chair to relieve his
aching joints when he received the call about Windy.
He had finished his chores and hated to be disturbed
in the evening :-'age was beginning hp tell. Wearily.he
began to put on his coat and hat. I felt, I just had to go
with him.'
"Are you going to look for Windy.. Perkins?" I
asked.
He gave meone of his mind. your own cotton picking
business looks!
"No, I ain't he said angrily. "He ain't worth
lookin' fer, so 'e ain't, but them cows 'as ter be
milked." He jerked his head in a contemptuous
manner. "Sometimes, I got more use fer cows than I
'ave fer men'''. He hobbled to the door on his painful
rheumatic legs and `I tried again.
''Let me come.and:help you Milk, Angus, please".
He paused with his hand on the door _knob: I knew
he was 'tired and at these time I aggravated him-
somewhat.
imsomewhat.
don't'elp yer with yer stupid little newspaper,
do I? I'm a farmer, so.I am,°and I. Sure as .'ell don't.
need any Limey smart ass to'eip me mijk a few cows.
Allgotta be milked ,by 'and anyhow. Windy never.
did .get himself a machine
I watched Angus drive away. He was a stubbornold
cuss, hard, ungrateful it seemed at times and he'd
1
tight anything or anybody. Strangely enough these
are some of the charactistics I miss today, but at that
time I felt I had been well and truely snubbed!
' It must have been three hours later when I saw the
Lights of a car coming up the driveway. I didn't go to
greet Angus - he wouldn't have appreciated it. The
door opened and his voice rang through the old frame
house.
"Don! - 'ere gimme a hand".
I went outside the house and to where the car was
standing, Angus was trying to pull a body out of the
back of the car. I feared the worst.
"Is that - is that Windy Perkins?", I asked with my
heart in my, mouth.
"Yep, it's Windy - 'erelgetnside the car and grab
'old of 'is shoulders".
"Is he - dead?", Masked nervously.
Angus just glared at .me for a moment.
"No„ 'e ain't. 'e's as drunk as a skunk, ihat't wot 'e
is. Don't stand there gapin. 'e ain't gonna bite yer -
grab 'old of 'is shoulders!
With some difficulty we carried him into the
summer kitchen.
"We'll drop 'im'right 'ere," Angus said.
"On the floor?"
"Yep, right on the cotton pickin' ,dog shelf - pigs,
they sleep on the floor, so they do, an' this 'ere Windy
- 'e's a pig, so 'e is."
Angus went to the soft water pump and filled an old
tin can full of water. He limped back to the lifeless
form of Windy Perkins and poured the water onto his
face The face gurgled a little, his eyes flickered and
the body twitched back. to .life.. •Angus waited a few
minutes then prodded. Windy with his foot,
``Git up off the, floor," he commanded.,
it seemed as if it took Windy all his time to make it
to his hands and knees. He .stayed there for a few
moments, his eyes rolling around as if he was trying to
figure outexactly where he was. Angus gave him a
kick. in the rump.
"Git up -on yet' ,feet.''
Windy tried to make an effort but slumped back.
onto the floor again I felt sorry for the poor guy and
made a move to help him.
"Just let 'im be. 'e'll get,, up, so 'e will, or I'll kick
the livin' daylight out of 'im. From 'ere on, this Windy
Perkins is gonna stand on 'is own two feet, or 'es
gonna die."
After a while Windy did in fact make it to his feet
and we helped him to a studio couch where he was
thankful to lie down again.
Angus grabbed a hold of his shirt and lifted
Windy's face toward .his.
"You'll sleep ;'ere tonight an termorrer you'll work
Like yer never did before in yer life, .We'll dc` my
chores together and then we'll go an' do yours. 'an git
this - you as much touch another drop of booze agin;
an,' yer won't 'ave ter commit suicide - I'll kill yer
miself - so I will.,'
Letters tc: the editor
•from page 6
NOT, as stated last week grammes. Private facilities
"because the home is a are I completely , ignored un-
private rest home and is not less the facility itself gets the
eligible for • government ball rolling to try to have
grants to provide the'services such volunteer service done
of such a staff member", but in the private institution.'
rather because the lower per People are people, wher.
diem rates do not generate • they reside or are cared for in
funds for this purpose, and a public or private institu-
the owners' have over- tion. Those of us in the
extended themselves at this community who have abdict-
time in. personally providing ed their responsibility and
for any existing activities ignored those in the private
costs. facilities should remember
(9) Lucknow, and the sur- that perhaps, someday; they
rounding area, needs and may be in the same position:
ought to have a vigorous, as our residents are now.
concerned, active and pro- How will they fell if the
gressive volunteer activities community, of which they,
programme in both the nurs.- were a part, promptly ignor-
ing home and the rest home. ed them, and excluded them
This should be organized and from community involvement
conducted by people in the when they became i11 and
community at large, in con- incapacitated? It is almost
sultation with the adminis- criminal to ignore, forget and
tration of the homes concern- cast aside those who have
ed. Our less fortunate resid- become a little less useful
ents deserve no less than than they once were when
this. Government institutions they have become older and
seem to receive all the atten- frailer.
tion from the community in The administration of
the area of volunteer pro- these Lucknow homes has at-_,
temped to do for these
residents what the commun-
ity should have been doing
for lo, thesemany years, but
it cannot shoulder someone.
else's obligation and respon-
sbility indefinitely, nor inits
entirety. Let Lucknow and.
surrounding area -see its
obligation and responsibility,
organize and implement a
volunteer programme for our
aging and infirm residents
second to none in the Prov-
ince to improve the quality of
life for those who have had to
withdraw from the regular
daily life of our community.
.. COME' ON LUCKNOW,
GET INVOLVED!!!
George A. Newbold.
To the Editor:
During this Spring Session
of the Ontario Legislature,
one of our history classes
visited the Parliament Build-
ings in Toronto..
Our blind students were
pleased to. meet a real live
politician -statesman in the
person of Mr. Murray Gaunt,
M.P.P. for, Huron -Bruce.
They found their discussion
with Mr. Gaunt to be quite.
interesting, informative and
educational.
It was most rewarding
indeed to have a man in
public service take time out
from his busy schedule to
welcome our students in this
way.
Thank you, Mr. Gaunt.
COUPONS
Sincerely,
k
Ed Brophy,
The W. Ross Macdonald
School for the Visually t
Handicapped,
Brantford, Ontario. •
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letter to
the editor
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