Crumbs From the Corner: Adventures in Woolgathering

Monday, July 6, 2009

May the Road Rise to Meet You, But Not Too Much



I might need to bring a parachute the next time I visit Mater.
Her little cottage was once well above road level, when traffic was scarce and the hum of an occasional car was akin to the fleeting presence of a bumble bee.
The local council repeatedly resurfaced the stretch of road over the years, plugging up potholes and repairing marks of wear and tear, the evidence of which is multiplying as more cars utilise that route.
They add a fresh layer of tarmac- and the road rises another negligible degree, and Mater's house appears to sink little by little.
I suspect that one day soon, in order to observe the road from her living room, my mother will be obliged to stick her head out of the window and crane her neck at a most curious and unsightly angle.
"Aren't you worried?" I asked of her.
"We might get flooded," she admitted warily, "if the house is in a pit. They might have to add a drainage system to fix that when the time comes."
I was, in truth, a great deal more concerned with how Mater would easily exit the property, and I told her so.
"Think about your house twenty years from now. You won't be able to get out," I insisted. "You'll be trapped in there. You'll be living in an enormous crater, high walls of stone and tarmac and mud all around you, not a scrap of sunlight to be had anywhere, cars rushing by overhead- and I'll have to float in on a parachute just to see you, and perhaps be winched out by helicopter. I suppose we could both be winched out once in a while so we could go on shopping expeditions together, but it would impair life just a bit."
"I didn't think of that," said Mater, who scribbled a note to herself to contact the local council to see what could be done about the grim future I detailed.
"I'm glad I could help," I replied; and that was all we said about it.

4 comments:

Pauline said...

the idea of the road inching up beyond Mater's cottage made me laugh out loud. The two of you sound as though you have the same sense of humor!

Beth said...

It is good to read a post about you and Mater with your devilish sense of humor still strongly intact. Tell her that I said hello!

Pappy said...

Always trying to scare poor Mater with predictions of gloom and doom. I hope she has good luck with the authorities (local politicians). I going to the tax office for a fight this afternoon. Pappy

Phyllis Hunt McGowan said...

Pauline, thanks for laughing ;) Mater and I did too.

Beth, I'll try to get more Mater stories soon :) Mater is tired a lot these days but we can always find something to smile about.

Texican, well, I had to let her know that flooding wasn't the only imminent problem! :) She really didn't think of it. I hope you got on well at the tax office and gave them a hard time if necessary! :)

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