Looking Out: Taking 'work from home' to the extreme
“Home,” says Irene. “I love staying home.”
“Nothing like it,” says Freddy. “Except maybe travelling.”
“Travelling is good,” says Irene. “But the best part of taking a trip is coming back home.”
“My uncle Amos,” says Glen.
“Your uncle? What about your uncle Amos?” says Freddy.
“He never left his home once in 20 years,” says Glen.
“Why not?” says Irene. “Was he sick or something?”
“No,” says Glen. “Amos was in good health.”
“If he was healthy, why in the world did he stay in his house for two decades?” says Irene.
“Amos liked his house, even though it had a lot of stairs. It was hard to leave,” says Glen. “He did go out in his yard a lot.”
“How could he afford to hunker down for so long?” says Freddy.
“He had a full-time job,” says Glen. “In fact, he went to work every day. He worked long, long hours, too.”
“He went to work but didn’t leave his home? I don’t understand,” says Irene.
“Amos was a lighthouse keeper on a tiny, rocky island near Newfoundland,” says Glen.
“Oh,” says Irene.
“So?” says Freddy. “Didn’t he ever take a vacation?”
“Nope,” says Glen. “He could never get his boat motor started after the first month. Besides that, the only beach big enough to land a boat got washed away in a nor’easter. That storm lifted his boat and set it up on a rock ledge 15 feet above the ocean.”
“How did he get groceries and stuff?” asks Irene.
“Helicopter,” says Glen. “They’d lower a basket full of food, water, fuel and books. There was no place big enough to land it. He had a garden, too, but nothing much would grow out there. It gave him something to do, even if all he got was rutabagas.”
“Why did he leave?” asks Irene. “After 20 years, I mean.”
“He went to his daughter’s wedding in Halifax.”
“His daughter! Where did she come from?” asks Freddy.
“Amos was married to Aunt Louise. Little Bonnie was born about three years into the lighthouse job,” says Glen.
“Home schooled?” asks Irene.
“Yes. Louise was a teacher before and after she moved to the island,” says Glen.
“How in the world did little Bonnie ever find a husband?” asks Freddy.
“Oh, Louise and Bonnie left the lighthouse after 15 years. They went up to the helicopter in the basket, and never came back.”
“I guess I can understand a divorce in that situation,” says Irene.
“Divorced? No. They were happily married,” says Glen. “They were together until they died. In Halifax. After Amos retired.”
“Good grief!” says Freddy. “So you’re telling us that Amos left the lighthouse for Bonnie’s wedding and never went back?”
“Heck no. He went back for two more years after the wedding. He had to harvest his rutabagas.”
“For goodness sake, will you please tell us how, when and why he left for good?” says Irene.
“Sure. He had a dental appointment in Halifax. His first in 22 years. It turned out he had a cracked tooth. The dentist told him he had to come back for a crown in a week. Amos hated that helicopter basket so much, he never went back to the lighthouse,” says Glen.
“Did he ever get another job?” asks Freddy.
“Of course. Quality control inspector in a flashlight factory.”
Jim Whitehouse lives in Albion.
This article originally appeared on The Daily Telegram: Jim Whitehouse: Taking 'work from home' to the extreme
