It seemed that all was well with the traveler‘s from Petoskey- the little village by the bay- and afar.

The previous day had found Annook, Big Mama, Annook’s family and seven other displaced Alaskans gathered together at a family styled diner in Niagara on the Lake, in Canada. All had breakfast, then some went wine tasting, some went to the falls, some went to a matinee at the Shaw Festival.

Eight attended MY FAIR LADY that evening at the Festival Theater. The musical was terrific. Annook bought a CD of the original Broadway musical production. At intermission the outside was wild with lightning and thunder. When the gang left the theater, they found the whole city was in darkness.

Annook, not feeling well and Big Mama who is not well, went back to the hotel and were given candles for their rooms. The rest took off for the light show at Niagara falls – hoping there still was a light show at the falls.

Alas, the adventurers found no light display at Niagara Falls. They came back to the hotel to find Big Mama had jammed her hotel door open (why, not known) and Annook with hundreds of blown tissues surrounding her, fast asleep.

The original four packed up the car the next morning and headed East for Windsor and the tunnel to Detroit. The gang sang MY FAIR LADY most of the way across Canada. The car pulled into the customs line at the border. This was when everyone looked at each other and hoped they were not going to be forced to leave the soon to be 87 year old Big Mama by the wayside in Canada.

Clear signage at the border crossing said you needed a Passport or a Passport card. Nowhere did it say you could get through with a driver’s license and a birth certificate. All they had was a driver’s license and a birth certificate for Big Mama. The car inched forward.

The events of the past 5 days proved this could go either way and still keep to theme with the vacation.

“Could you all take off your sunglasses?”

“Yes, sir.”

“Yes, sir.”

Yes, sir.”

“What did he say?”

“Nothing, Big Mama.”

“What?”

The man took a good look at all the documents and then a good long look at each of them.

BEAT BEAT BEAT

“What’s going on?”

“Shush, Grandma.”

BEAT BEAT BEAT

“You’re clear.”

“Hooray!”

“Big Mama, you’re not a Canadian!”

“Hooray!”

“Ok…I didn’t know I had a choice?”

“You don’t. It’s OK Grandma. We’re going to Detroit!”

The four had rooms reserved at the Detroit Marriott Hotel in Romulus. Annook had come down with a nasty cold bug – she blamed this condition on her lovely husband who could not touch an air conditioner without blasting the FREEZE button.

“Hey. That‘s not fair.”

“Boys. Gotta hit full blow.”

“Hey. I’m Alaskan. It’s hot here.”

“You’re killing me.”

The changes in temperatures the past two weeks were killing Annook. Compounded with mister press-a-freeze, Annook had come down with a mighty head cold.

The four trucked up their suitcases and gear to the two rooms. Annook headed for bed, Bunny headed for tanning and swimming, the husband was in organization mode, and Big Mama was parked in her room with a movie on the TV.

Annook fell asleep immediately. She awoke to her mother’s voice in the hall.

“Now let me tell all of you I am a teacher. I am paid to be responsible for you. Everyone must check out with me. Everyone will cooperate with my rules. I’ll be sitting in the lobby.”

Annook overheard her mother having this conversation with her daughter and her husband. Annook was just trying to get a nap, but Big Mama was upset and was outside taking names. Her husband came into the room.

“Annook, I’m sorry to disturb you, but your mother and your daughter are upset.”
“It’s OK. I can do this.”

Annook crawled out of bed, blew her nose again, and stepped outside the door to the hallway.

“Oh, Annook – there you are. I cannot tolerate what is going on here. We must have order or there will be big trouble.”

“Mom, she doesn’t know who I am.”

“Come on, Big Mama. Let’s go to your room.”

“I’m serious, Annook.”

“I know.”

“Mom – she doesn’t know who I am. She doesn’t know me – Bunny.”
“I know. Come on Big Mama. Bunny, you can go out and get some sun. You too, husband. I’ll take care of this.”

“Are you sure?”

Annook wasn’t sure of anything except that her teeth itched and her nose wouldn’t stop running. Annook and Big Mama walked down the hall.
“We need to get you to a hospital.“

Annook assured her concerned Mother she didn’t need to go to the hospital.

“There’s been some confusion. Nobody told me where they were going. I am responsible for everyone. They cannot go without checking out with me. I am a teacher. I am the chaperone.”

“Mom, I need a nap. I am not well.”

“Good. Take a nap. I will be in the lobby.”

The lobby personnel had already dragged Bunny and Annook’s husband to Big Mama in the lobby three times.

Big Mama was back to 1966 when she and Annook had gone on a field trip to Chicago with Annook’s crazy teacher who had not planned the trip well. The field trip was a group of students and chaperones on a train to Chicago. As soon as the train arrived to Chicago, all hell broke loose.

There were no arrangements for the students to get to the YMCA where they were to be housed. There were no arrangements for the student’s rooms. It was chaos and the parent’s involved grabbed children they knew and held on to them tight. God help the children that had no connection to an adult on this trip.

“Mom – you need to sit down. I will take a nap right here. You cannot leave the room.”

“Fine. There has been some confusion. You take a nap.”

Big Mama sat down in the chair by the TV. Annook fell back on the bed and went out like a light. Annook came awake when she heard the slam of the bedroom door. Annook dragged her sorry ass out of bed and went into the hallway.

“Big Mama. Stop. Where are you going?”

“I will be down in the lobby. I need to supervise. We cannot have anymore problems.”

Annook dialed her husband on her cell phone.

“Honey, Mom is in 1966 on a field trip I took with her. You need to be with her in the lobby. I am sick and I have to get a nap.”

Husband came and escorted Big Mama to the lobby. Annook got her nap. The four gathered together to head out to Dave’s Famous Barbecue.

Two years prior, Annook and her husband had seen a big ad at a Tiger’s game for Dave’s Famous Barbecue. After the game, they decided to check the restaurant out. It was fabulous.

The four were seated. A real hottie guy was their server.

“He’s hot, Mom.“

They had gotten their drinks when Hot Server Guy came back and politely said.

“I’m really sorry – but for the first time in history – we are out of ribs.”

Annook thought he was pulling their leg. He wasn’t. It was Memorial Day, and apparently they had had a really big three day weekend.

So, the four dealt with pulled pork and chicken and had a good time. Big Mama had come back to the present, unaware of her time shift and her not knowing Bunny or Annook’s husband.

At 5:00am the 4 got up and got ready to get Bunny to the airport. They dropped her off and headed North to Traverse City to get “Whatzhizname”. Husband had driven forever over the past week. Because Annook was still unwell, she slept in the back and Big Mama and Husband were seated up front.

Big Mama was all talk the whole way up to Traverse City. She was thrilled to be dissing the dirt with Husband. It would seem she liked to be out for the drive, but loved to be up front part of the narrative. Husband was more than happy to banter with Big Mama. It was something “as wordsmiths” they had shared in the past.

They arrived at Cherry Hill #3 and Annook went in to get Raven. Raven was roaming the property. Raven was clean, shaved, his clothes were all clean and he was ready to go home.

Annook put Raven into the car. Raven looked at Big Mama and said –
“I thought about you all the time.”

Big Mama, not being able to hear him didn’t respond. Later Big Mama told Annook she didn’t know how Raven felt about her because he hadn’t said anything. Annook told her Raven had told her he though about her all the time.

While Big Mama was on vacation, she was concerned about “whatzisname”. But Raven, upon being reunited with Big Mama told her he thought about her all the time.

Raven, whom they have loved and mourned for and written off, seemed to be directly on track with his beloved.

Big Mama whom they thought needed a break and would get some additional support from this vacation was only somewhat happy to have reconnected with Raven.

The two – bonded again- now distrusted any family now offering rides. The two were happy side by side on their new sofa.

Big Mama caught Annook’s cold.

Copyright 2011 Annook andVic Socotra
Wwwvicsocotra.com
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