Week 8 Blog Aha!
My father has always helped me with my coat. It is not a discounted thing to help a woman with her coat. One must hold the coat by the collar patiently at waist height to allow her to slide the arms in, then gently lifting it to the shoulders, giving her just enough time to adjust clothing. You do not tug or pull up, you do not touch someone while you hold the coat. There is no need for an affectionate kiss. You are facilitating not vying for attention. This my father does deftly.
My father will bring the car up so I don't have to walk in heels and gives me the only umbrella while he pulls up his coat collar and walks nonchalant in the rain, hands in his pockets.
My father holds every door for me no matter he is nearer to eighty than to seventy and has recent and urgent heart surgery. He walks around a car to open the door for me, waits for me to bring my legs neatly in and then accompanies the door shut, never letting it slam. This makes me feel privileged and safe. When I have had to deal with someone who lacked consideration for me, it immediately stood out. I remembered my father helping me with my coat or holding doors and knew it was time to walk away.
Battened down shutters on the houses like faces scrunched up awaiting the impending storm. The river was full of rain, rushing in whorls under the bridges, lapping at the containment walls. Isla felt at home in the tempest. The darkness cloaked her as she cinched her shoulders up toward her ears against the cold air. The tightening of her shoulders made her feel safe. Sunny days that brought a carefree feeling with the desire to walk with arms swinging, the anticipation of looking toward the view of the distant landscape of mountains worried her. Isla knew that intoxication would end, and a storm would come, threatening to fill up the river. The river would escape its banks as it had in ’66, surging into houses and carrying away live as debris. That is why the houses stood with their faces scrunched up right now. The wind blew a strand of red hair loose from the scarf she used to gather her long hair back.