September 4.........I have a moment to catch my breath. There is, after all, something to continue to write about.
When I opened the door for the children ....... he was standing there with a huge grin on his dear face and that blessed dog jumping up and whining to beat the band !!!!! I just cannot begin to describe how I felt !! Joy; of course,..... disbelief; probably how Rennie felt when Badger found me at the beginning of the journey ...... relief; now my life could go on again.
For awhile we were a tangel with everyone kissing and hugging and being jumped on by Badger, but gradually we got sorted out and Rennie remembered that Ranger was still tied to the front porch. What a sight he was with loaded packs of all sizes. We got the poor beast unloaded and into the safety of the back yard. By this time it was early morning ..... who could sleep and who wanted to !! Then to top it all off the phone rang and it was Mr. Jamieson saying that he thought Nell was going crazy. She was trying to jump the fences and screaming, and he couldn't catch her to put her inside, so we were off again. I just had the presence of mind to tell him to put the rest of the horses in as we were bringing a very large dog with us and not to worry.
We rode double for the farm with Badger running along side and when we got to the lane we could hear Nell calling and just got off before Ranger went flying to meet her. He leaped that fence with Badger right behind him and the three of them were in a frenzy of greetings of their own,racing around and nipping and touching noses. Mr Jamieson was there with his mouth hanging open and I couldn't help laughing at his expression. Introductions all around and a jumble of explanations with promises to fill him in later and requests for lodging for Ranger. He said he couldn't very well refuse under the circumstances, since Nell would have been unmanageable without Ranger, but he didn't seem at all upset and I knew he was dying to finally hear the whole story. He said that he had known for a long time that I had not just gone on a summer holiday and hoped that I would have a good tale to tell.
September 5.........Where to start filling in the blanks ......... we finally pieced together the things that have happened since I got thrown back into my time. When Rennie found I had disappeared he was frantic and like I had done, dragged Ranger up and down the river looking for the window, but also like me, found nothing. Josephina tried to tell him that I had not left under my own wishes and that it had all been foretold, but that was faint comfort, and he made up his mind to find me again..... also foretold. First though, the band had to recover from the hurricane before they could travel. To everyone's joy, Polly had been found, and though badly injured, she would recover and Jemmie also was found miraculously, up in a tree, with only scratches and cuts . After his rescue, he delighted in telling everyone about his experience. The news was not good about Jake. His body was found near the remains of his wagon, which had been blown,or lifted by the winds quite a distance away, and they buried him there in the wreckage of the woods.
The band finally went on to Toronto and their winter quarters, and though Rennie wanted to start his search immediately, he had some legalities to take care of in Toronto and some things there to collect. The first thing he did, was to sign his home over to Polly, and the wagon and horse over to Jemmie. He had some siversmithing tools to collect and things to pack and then the journey back to the one window he knew for certain was the closest. The one in the fairgrounds. Like I had done, he fixed his mind on me and just went for it. He also ran into the wall and thought he would not make it, but he had a firm grip on Badger's collar and the dog pulled him through and between then they managed to get Ranger through. He was a little confused at the beginning, but with it being Hallowe'en, and all the strange folk about he did not appear too much out of the ordinary. Badger saved the day with his nose again and after casting about for a scent, set off with the two following behind and they actually did end up in my yard. I suppose the fact that I continued to walk to work helped the dog find me. Rennie said the candle in the window was a dead give away anyway and they knew they were home then.
September 6......... I cannot begin to tell how wonderful life is now that Rennie is here, and here to stay. We have hardly had time for any long distance planning yet, but we know we must find a place in the country, so Badger can run and the horses can come back home again. I showed the pictures to Rennie and wondered if he would be terribly homesick, but he says his world is here and that made me awfully happy.
It is going to take Rennie some time to become accustommed to the way of life now. He is amazed at so many things and it causes me to take second looks at things I had always taken for granted. The freedom to live where ever you wish is one of the things. With this town being a University town, there is all manner of odd dress around and Rennie's clothing is not even out of place, though we did go shopping for jeans. I remember wondering long ago what he would look like in proper jeans and it's not bad. Not bad at all!!!
When Rennie got around to unpacking all the things he had brought I was amazed to see that he had brought my "just in case" hamper with him. I am glad of that, since the things he made me were very special. There inside were letters from all my students, with promises from Rosie and Hannah to continue teaching the little ones and to learn as much as they could in the short time they would be able to go to regular school. Hannah is doing well with her lace making and has some new customers. Jemmie is still making his baskets, and making quite a name for himself with his experiments in weaving the materials he chooses. He had replaced the original hamper I took with me with one of his own and I was very impressed with his workmanship. If there was only some way to get messages to them........
October 5.......Some time has passed since I wrote last. We have been very busy moving and getting Rennie settled in his new jobs. We have bought a home in the country, where we have lots of room for the horses and Badger, who is much happier now that he is out of the city. There is a little woodlot and a river and we are not so far out that it is a nuisance travelling back and forth to work. There is lots to keep Rennie busy for the house was not in the best of shape, but the price and location were right and we couldn't pass it up.
Besides the renovations, Rennie has been busy catching up on history!! He has discovered the benefits of the computer and with that and trips to the library archives, he is becoming familiar with all the things that have happened in the world since his own time. We wonder, sometimes, which of the many events would have been the danger that Josephina warned of. Rennie has discovered the names of some of his friends in the files of the First War, and wonders if his would have been there as well if he had stayed. How strange to think that he might have died then. Then shortly after that, there was an outbreak of a terrible flu that killed thousands of people in Ontario in 1918. Perhaps that is the danger that Josephina saw.
October 15.....We have been to Toronto to see if there is any place for Rennie to sell his silver creations. He has already found a place at home, but felt that he should also go to the big cities, and I agreed with him. By the strangest of things, we found the same shop that he had dealt with then, only run,now, by the gentleman's grandson. When Rennie showed him the things he had brought, the man got quite excited and said that they reminded him of items that his Grandfather had sold in the store when he had been a child, and that he had not seen their equal in many years. He went tearing off and returned with an old ledger that had detailed descriptions of items with the name Randolph George next to them as the designer and creator. Rennie started to tell about them,and I only just managed to kick his ankle in time to keep him from telling the man who he was. Instead, we said that Rennie was the grandson of Randolph and named after him as well. There was no question after that of going farther in search of an outlet for Rennie's things, as the gentleman signed him to a contract on the spot for anything he could make apart from the things he already was committed to at home. All in all, a very profitable day, as the pricing can be much higher there.
November 20......Life has settled into a very interesting pattern. I am still working, though we are making plans for an early retirement, and that is certainly fine with me. I try not to resent the time I have to spend away from home and Rennie. Every moment is a treasure, with new things for us to talk about and discover. One of the things we have been doing on the weekends, is to travel the routes that the Gypsy band used to travel to see the changes over time. Rennie has taken to driving like a duck to water, though for him, it is only a method of getting from one place to another in a hurry. He would rather travel on Ranger, since car travel means missing so much of what is going on around. He still gathers ideas for his creations from what is happening in nature and for sure you cannot see those things from a car.
We have become good friends with Mr. and Mrs. Jamieson and we have told them the whole story. They knew there was more than I had told them when I brought Nell back, but were content to wait til I was ready to talk. Rennie has met my friends from work and everyone loves him. Who wouldn't!!! We have not told them everything. Some of it is just too personal and hard to believe unless they have experienced the windows.
Rennie is busy with his craft and selling many things both here and in Toronto. He has made some wonderful little frames for my cross-stitch things and they sell well too. That way we can work together on projects, and that pleases us both. I am learning to do petit point for jewelry and pendants that Rennie designs. Hard on the eyes but really beautiful. I cannot believe my luck these days. It's almost too good to be true and feels as though I am living a dream.
December 23.......The most wonderful, magical thing has happened !!! We went to Toronto to deliver the last of the things Rennie made to the shop for the last minute Christmas sales. We have developed a habit of checking out one or two antiques and second-hand shops before we come home. There is no telling what you will find, and I am always on the lookout for bits of old lace and Rennie looks for old silver jewelry. We had gone down a small street looking for a shop that someone had mentioned,but when we found it, there was that awful yellow stuff over the windows that is supposed to keep things inside from fading. We had decided not to bother , when something in the window caught Rennie's eye and he tore inside.
Upon following him, I found him talking to an elderly gentleman and pointing to a small box at the back of the window. The man was saying that it was of no particular value other than the design was nice, but Rennie insisted and when he was handed the box, he in turn handed it to me. My knees just about gave out when I saw the three silver bracelets inside. They were very tarnished, but I could make out the design of flowers and birds. The last time I saw those bracelets, Josephina was wearing them. Trying to appear nonchalant, we asked if there was anything else with them but "No" they were a single item and had been in the store for ages. We looked around a bit,found nothing more of any interest and then Rennie called me and we left.
Just as we were getting to the car, I thought I heard someone calling and turning around found an older lady hurrying to catch up to us.I had noticed her in the shop when we were poking around and she had given me a shy smile, but hadn't spoken. Now she asked if my name was Blossom and said that she thought she had heard Rennie call me that. I explained that it was the name Rennie called me, though it was not my real name, and she said that she didn't think that mattered, but that there was something back at the shop for me. She had obviously left in a hurry and had forgotten her coat, so Rennie put his about her and we went back to the shop again.
Upon returning, she introduced herself as Milly Elgars, and beckonned us to follow her down a flight of stairs to a basement jammed with every kind of thing imaginable. Muttering to herself, she set about searching under and around, while I looked about in amazement. There were boxes and crates of all sizes, not to mention furniture and nick-nacks of all descriptions. Some of the things were really nice and I wondered why they were not up in the show room. Meanwhile, Milly searched and called to Rennie to help her move some of the larger pieces, and presently gave a small cry, and emerged from beneath a big table dragging a wicker crate. Though Rennie offered to carry it for her she would have none of it and lugging it along she led us back up the stairs and through the shop to what was obviously their living room at the back.
Setting the crate on a small table,she stood in front of it, dusted herself off and smiled at us, and not for the first time I wondered if we had met someplace, as she looked familiar. Just a trick of the light I thought,for I am sure that we had not met. Then she said that she had a story to tell before we looked at the hamper. It appears that most of the stuff in the basement has been handed down from different families for a couple of generations, and much of it is sentimental and so, she had always hesitated to get rid of it, to the consternation of her husband. There was a legend that was also passed down in her family concerning the crate and she was never sure whether to believe it or not until today. When she saw the fuss Rennie made over the bracelets and heard him call my name she immediately thought of the crate and felt that she had to show it to us. The legend was, that a cousin several times removed,had met a woman from another time and had gone with her,back to her time. It was an unbelievable thing she thought, but with gypsies, you never knew. Of course, by this time,I had collapsed in a chair, and Rennie was holding the back of it for dear life and looking quite pale. The crate had been put together by the people left behind and been passed down through the generations with the legend and hope.
Now, Milly stepped aside and gestured to the crate, asking if we wanted to be alone to open it, but we urged her to stay. After all, if she was who I was beginning to think she was, then she had every right to be there as well. We appraoched the table and together examined the crate, which I was positive was made by Jemmie. I think we were both a little afraid to open it, so, with shaking hands, we lifted the lid and took out the folded paper resting on the top. This is what we read.......
TO BLOSSOM AND RENNIE WITH ALL OUR LOVE AND HOPES AND PRAYERS THAT ONE DAY THIS WILL FIND ITS WAY TO YOU."
January 10.......I must admit to not having been able to update this journal for a bit. The last days have been so full of emotion and tears of joy and sadness and meeting new friends and catching up, that the journal got left behind.
We ended up spending the night with Milly and her husband Roland. My thoughts that Milly looked familiar were confirmed when she went back through her forebears to Jemmie. After a brief look through the hamper, we decided to leave it til the morning when we might be less emotional, and just get the stories out of the way first. We told the tale from our end and then Milly filled us in on the things that had happened after we came back. Following the First War and the flu epidemic shortly after, the gypsy band slowly dissipated. With families moving away or members dying,those that were left,travelled no more and ended up setting up shops in the Yorkville and Kensington Market areas. An era and lifestyle lost.......what a priviledge I had had to be able to experience that for the short time that I was with them.
The children grew up.....those that escaped the epidemic.....married, and continued the legends and passing along the hamper that Milly had passed, in turn, to us. Jemmie married and had several children; Rosie became leader after Josephina died, and continued for many years as councellor and healer to the Roma. She did return to my town many years later with her father, Rennie's brother, and met again the photographer who had taken the pictures that originally led me to Rennie. Hannah became well known for her lace until machines took over and her craft was made obsolete. Two of the younger children became teachers, to my joy, and carried on the joy and benefits of learning that I had tried to instill in them. Curiously, the lawyer that had helped us during our bit in Kingstown, moved to Toronto and contacted the Roma there. He ended up marrying into the band, and his sons became lawyers as well. How strange are the twists of fate !!
So....as it turns out, Rennie does have family of his own in this time. Since Polly was a cousin, he and Milly are very distant relatives. It gives us another reason to visit Toronto more often and to stay over when we do go there. I am so very happy for him. He never complained about missing his people, but I am sure he must have ,as the band at the time were a very closely knit group, who relied on each other for all their daily needs. The distance between family members, now, has been a source of puzzlement for him and I cannot explain it to either of our satisfactions, other than to say that the customs have changed so much in almost a century.
January 30.......I have left off writing about the contents of the hamper for so long. We have gone over it many times, wondering and reading the little notes and just being so grateful for the whole thing. At the beginning, it was just too emotional a thing to put down in words,but we are slowly working out way through the feelings that all the things in it create in us.
When we opened the hamper at Milly's,the first thing we saw was the note,of course, and that was as far as we got for some time. Jemmie had done a fine job on the hamper and after all these years, it was strong and sturdy still. Of course, the thing had obviously been handed down with care, and had come to us finally in original condition. I couldn't help wondering whether anyone, over the years, had unpacked it to see what had been sent; but came to the conclusion that if they had, then everything had been replaced in the same way as it had been packed. Under the note, were all kinds of smaller containers, woven or pinned somehow, and all made of cedar pieces or very thin strips. We realized very quickly that a lot of thought had gone into the packing of this hamper in order for it to keep the contents safe for many years. We spent a few minutes deciding whether to take everything out, or open the containers as we came to them and decided upon the latter, in case we found we could not do the whole thing at once.
The first little boxes held all sorts of laces with notes from the girls. There were doilies and lengths of lace, all very beautiful. Hannah even included a ledger page from the year 1921, showing how she had been doing with her accounts, and I was thrilled to see how successful she had become. One box held a beautiful teacup and saucer and I recognized it as the one Josephina had served me tea from the night she first told my fortune. The note here, sent her love to us both, though especially for Rennie, and the admonition to always follow our hearts and instincts. Next came a larger box, containing four little journals, written by the younger children, complete with drawings. I smiled when I saw the drawing of the little bantams under their umbrella. There were a whole lot more than the original few,so I knew that they had gone forth and multiplied. There were some boxes, next, with wooden carvings from some of the men, and we realized that the whole camp must have been involved with this project.I think it is a measure of the esteme that they felt for Rennie, that they had all come together to contribute to this gift and put their trust in fate like this.
The next container was quite flat and inside, we found a large panel made up of all different squares.It was rather like a quilt, though much too fine to be used on a bed and I could see Rennie thought the same, for he was busy measuring it for a frame, so we could hang it up. Someone different had done each of the squares, and there was a wonderful combination of tatting,crochet, knitting, and embroidery, and each was signed by the person who had made it. This was indeed unique and every one of the ladies and girls in the camp had contributed a piece to the whole. Not a few tears were shed over this gift.
We were coming to the end of the hamper and could see that what we had thought was the bottom, was in fact a larger box that fit exactly to the inside of the hamper. We almost started to pry it out and then saw that there were little handles that pulled up to allow the thing to be lifted out. It was heavier than any of the others and firmly sealed shut, unlike any of the others, that had merely been fastened together with wooden pins and ties. When we did get it out we were a little hesitant to open it, but finally got a knife and broke the sealing wax around the lid.
Upon opening that,we discovered some oiled cloth wrapping a fairly bulky object and upon unwrapping the cloth, came to the final and greatest gift of all. The old violin, that Rennie had played to me that night by the camp fire, lay there in it's polished glory, with strings and bow in separate little packs, and tucked in beside all this, the little recorder that he had made for me.It was Rennie's turn to break down, and though the violin was old, it meant the world to him. Nothing would do, but he had to sort it out right there and then, and tucking it carefully under his chin, he began to play. Once again, the sweet sounds filled the air, and by the time he had finished we were all wailing.All our favorite songs were dusted off and with me playing the recorder and Milly on her old piano, we had a wonderful concert going.Roland, not to be left out of the fun, brought out a set of wooden spoons, and kept time by thumping them on his knee.
How can you define the worth of something? The contents of the hamper were no doubt worth some money and the violin probably more than some, but to us the things were of inestimable value, worth many fortunes. The love of family and friends, passed down all those years; and not only the contents of the hamper, but the caring of the people through the generations, who had had a hand in seeing that the hamper had finally found it's home.There can be no price attached to someting like that , and we are fortunate indeed to be the recipients of such caring.
June 15.......Oh my!!!! So much time has gone by since my last entry. I put the journal away after opening that hamper and have not remembered about it in years!! I have only just "discovered" it as we are packing to move again to our retirement cottage. Yes, I finally did get to retire a few years ago and it surely is wonderful. I suppose I should just make a few "catch up" notes to end this off properly.
First of all......the animals. Nell and Ranger have had many colts over the years, and they are a constant source of amazement. They seem to have the best qualities of both parents, and are in high demand from the riding stables for quite a distance. They are a big horse, but very gentle, like Nell and with Ranger's color. They are very loyal, and we always hate to part with any of them, and so we tend to keep in close contact with the stables that buy them. Ranger and Nell are both old horses now though, and are taking it easy in the pasture for their last years. As far as Badger is concerned, we are on our third Badger. We managed some years ago to find a mate for him.....another lurcher, and they produced some lovely puppies. He was a fairly old dog by then, and shortly after that, we lost him. That was a terrible day for all of us. He had grown from a puppy with Rennie, and it is because of him that we are together. After all, he found me twice and was the most loyal of dogs. His descendants are just like him ,though, and Rennie always picks his favorite in the litter. We have no problem putting the puppies in good homes and with three other breeders, we do the best we can to keep the blood-lines true.They are a marvelous dog and still not well known in this country.
Rennie and I are still doing our various crafty things but without the urgency of the earlier years, as we can now take out time and do the things for pleasure rather than trying to make a living. We are still surrounded with music and laughter. Our families and friends come around often and life in general is so sweet. We are both in good health and enjoy each other's company so much. There is no question of living every moment to its fullest with Rennie around. We have done some travelling, but he is always so anxious to get home again, that we have just stayed here in the last years. After all, there is nothing out there better than we have at home.
Speaking of home, we are in our final move. We have bought a couple of acres just outside the boundaries of a large tract of government land. There is just room enough for Nell and Ranger and the latest litter of puppies. Rennie has hired on with the government agent as Ranger in the forest park. The irony of an old gypsy guarding against poaching is not lost on us. It is a last chance for him to be able to wander as he used to and observe the things of nature that give him so much pleasure. As for myself, I am content with a smaller home and my needle-work. Life has been wonderful !!! I can see Rennie coming up the lane now and no doubt he will be wanting his meal before the last of out things are packed up.
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