OCT 6, 18 .. TODAY .. JUST NOW .. ONE OF MY MOST SPECIAL BOBBSEYS DIED

One of the six names that I ‘ go-by ‘ is Bobba Caps.

So, since I am Bobba, I call all of my traveling objects my Bobbseys. As in Bobba and the Bobbseys. I don’t have to date-myself but, back in the late 1930’s into the 1940’s, there was a series of children’s books called the Bobbsey Twins.

Needless to say, I do get quite attached to some of the Bobbseys that travel hither-and-yon all over the world with me.

The one who passed-on today was a very-important-to-me Bobbsey. In fact, he was very important to almost all of the other Bobbseys as well.

Back, way way  back-when, Petaluma Jerry asked me a favor. His father, Frank, had just purchased a brand-new suitcase and then passed-on. So Jerry asked me IF I would like to have his father’s brand-new suitcase.

Well, I looked at it for a split-second, realized what a fine very fine  fellow he was and took him under-my-wing.

So off we two went for many trips together. Being my major suitcase, he carried almost all of the other Traveling Bobbseys, so you can see how all of them got attached to him.

Time, and the rigors of serious international travel, catches up with all of us. And he paid dearly over the years of travel with me until he had (literally) his seams beginning-to-part. More than one foreigner (especially on the trains of India) pointed out to me that someone could (using their fingers) open the seams and steal items from within my suitcase.

Jeevan Lal in India repaired him several times but his time finally came to sit-on-the bench here at home and watch wistfully as a new suitcase began to accompany me on trips.

Once-in-awhile, from time-to-time, Patti would gently inquire, “If I was ever going to use him again.”

Now cometh the mess here in our Condo from our Master Bedroom being flooded and everything therein having to be moved.

And the mess in our bathtub.

And the futon Patti has been sleeping upon in our living room.

This morning, as I saw Patti-off to her morning ladies meeting ..

I made a solemn vow :

I will do two things while Patti is out at her meeting.

I WILL  clean up the bathtub.

I WILL  move the Futon from the living room back into our second bedroom.

So out and off went Gimme-Some Roy, to the land that knows no time, down a trail no man could conquer, to a cliff no man could climb .. *

* God Rest Your Soul .. Mister Shel Silverstein .. The Search For The Perfect High.

I tore-into (and I mean I tore-into ) the mess.

First I had to clear away space for all of the painting supplies in the bathtub (many or most of which were brand new).

Second I had to practically empty the back bedroom to get the Futon re-stashed.

So?

So where to put things. Patti was so pleased with her barren bedroom.

Above, and below, are photos that show precisely why I had to wait for Patti to be away at a meeting and out of our Condo as I attacked-the-mess.

And?

“Are you and Patti still speaking to one-another Captain?”

And, in tearing-into all of the clutter, I had to pickup and move my idle-for-years former Major Traveling Suitcase.

When I picked him up (to move him out-of-the way) he fairly quivvered thinking he was going to go on a trip with me.

THEN, when I unzipped him (little did he know I was just looking to see what he had inside of him) he then thought-that-maybe  we were going on a trip.

THEN when I began to put things inside of him, he knew for sure  we were going on a trip.

He did sort-of-wonder why I was putting the items inside of him that I was, but he did not question me.

Sad to say, I was putting items inside of him that I was going to discard in the trash including him.

Yep. I decided that the-time-had-come for us to part-ways.

“Captain do you want to end up like this?”

My mental illness aside. NO! Heck NO! I do not want to end up surrounded with clutter from items that I know I am not going to ever use again.

So, as we two walked together to the dumpster, I sure felt sad.

Well my (and I mean these words) Dearly Beloved Mister Suitcase .. 

Not one of us (beginning with me) are getting out of this life alive.

So the time has come for us to part.

I told him how much I loved him, and how much he meant to me.

And I’m sad ..

BUT, I’m not so sad that I am going to retrieve him.

However, I won’t be going back to the dumpster until he is gone. I can’t bear to think of seeing him being covered with trash and filth.

I sign off pensively .. Cap

• ← OCT 4, 18 .. OH WHAT A DAY YESTERDAY WAS ..
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