Around the World in 88 Years -E Book - Arthur Burt

kept the door locked between our quarters and she had to goaround to our door to communicate with us, which she did often.Very soon, we struck up a friendship with her. Mrs. Moon waspartially deaf and needed help from time to time. Of course, Iwas going to be the good neighbor. Our relationship began overa clock. She said to me, “You know, Mister, I can’t wind up myclock because my fingers have rheumatism.”I, big hearted Arthur, replied, “I’ll wind it up for you. You bringyour clock around, and I’ll wind it up for you.” So we werelaunched. Every night she would shuffle around to our door tohave her clock wound up. I was delighted to do it, but therecame one night when I had to be out. “I’m afraid I won’t be intonight to wind your clock.”“Oh, but Mister, you have to be in. You see, Mister, it has to bewound up at just the same time every night because of the spring.You must stop in to wind my clock up.”That was my first difficulty with her as big-hearted Arthur tried tomeet her needs. From that point, we graduated from clock-windingto cups of tea in the morning, and then to a bun or cake withthe cup of tea, yesterday’s grace becoming today’s right. She wouldcome around for her bun and her cup of tea and would almostdemand what once she had gratefully said “thank you” for.Her next problem was that her fire “puffed.” I learned that meantit puffed out smoke. “It is probably because your sticks aren’t dry.Would you like me to get you some bundles of sticks from town?”I offered.“Thank you, Mister. You are so kind to me,” she replied.Now added to clock-winding, cups of tea and buns, we havefetching bundles of sticks. Each morning she was knocking at thedoor for her cup of tea, even if it woke up the children. While welived in that house, we almost always had a baby to care for, pluschildren to get ready for school, but this old lady had nothing todo all day long except see to herself.I would protest, “Look, we have to see to the family and to theneeds of the children.”87