Ian Read online

  “Sam, the kids are gonna just love it. Let me get the lunch dishes cleared away and then I’ll come out and help you.”

  Leona brought the dog with her into the backyard and working together she and Sam quickly assembled something that looked like an agility course. They were about to get the dog leash and try it out when they heard Jack ask, “What are you doing?”

  Leona jumped, “I didn’t hear the two of you. Dad and I are building an agility course for Vinny.”

  Molly asked, “What’s that.”

  “The dog runs through the course and does each of the challenges and the fastest dog wins. I’m going to look for classes for the two of you with Vinny, but before I do that, do you want to go see one?”

  Jack said, “I think so, because I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

  During dinner, Leona told her children, “I’ll look into seeing if there are any agility competitions taking place this weekend and we’ll go watch.”

  After the kids went to bed. Sam poured his wife a glass of wine and then said, “I sure as hell hope that you find a contest for the kids to watch.”

  “I’ll take a look after they leave for school tomorrow.”

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  On Wednesday morning, Ian made sure that he was up before Bob came. He was tempted to go out and get coffees, but figured that Bob would bring some with him.

  Bob knocked on the door and then entered the apartment with two coffees.

  Together, they moved the furniture to places more fitting than the middle of the floor. Bob asked, “What do you think?”

  “I think it looks great. I will order a mattress after you leave. Are you working tonight?”

  “I am, so I’m gonna go home and take a nap.”

  “Then, I’ll see you when I come in for dinner.”

  Ian ordered a mattress for delivery on Thursday, so he figured that he had the afternoon free, so he decided that he would go get the bus pass that Bob told him about. He walked to MTA office on Lexington Street and purchased a seven day pass for twenty-two dollars. The salesperson also gave him a bus route map, so he was set. Looking at his route map, he went to the Walter’s Art Museum on Charles Street first.

  He wandered through looking at a variety of art work for over two hours. It was almost overwhelming since, he’d never been in a museum as large as this because Stonehaven did not have even a small museum for that matter. His mother would have been just as amazed as him, if she saw it.

  He was hungry and needed to sit. He asked the person at the information desk where he could have some lunch. She told him, “I would recommend Sacha’s. It’s right across the street.”

  He thanked her and left the museum. He walked across the street to Sacha’s. He entered the restaurant and looked for the bar since he was alone. He sat at the bar and ordered a draft beer and the Asian Chicken Salad. While sitting at the bar, he was able to watch the other patrons as they laughed and talked. He couldn’t hear what they were saying, but he could watch the expression on their faces. In Stonehaven, he and his friends would frequent Trouper’s Bar, but that was nothing compared to this. As he paid for his lunch and asked the bar tender if he knew which bus to catch to go to Ft. McHenry. He said, “I’m sorry, but I just don’t know if an MTA bus even goes there.”

  “Thanks, I will figure it out. “ He tried to use the map from the MTA and couldn’t figure out what he was supposed to do.

  A bus pulled to the curb, so he boarded it and asked the driver which bus he needed to take to get to Ft. McHenry.

  “Well son. The fastest way to get there is to walk down to the intersection of Baltimore and Charles Streets and then catch the southbound bus to Ft. McHenry.”

  “Thank you, I appreciate the help.”

  Ian walked to the designated intersection and waited for a half-hour for a southbound bus. Before boarding it, he asked the driver, “Does this bus go to Ft. McHenry?”

  “Yes sir, it sure does.” Ian showed him his pass as he boarded.

  The bus stopped and Ian stepped off. He had learned a bit about Fort McHenry in his history class; however, standing here on it sent shivers through his body. The ground that he stood on was where the war of 1812 was fought at Fort McHenry in 1814. It was here that Francis Scott Key wrote the words to what became the United States’ National Anthem, ‘The Star Spangled Banner.’

  He toured the property and took his time to read each placard on the property. While he knew that the Patriots won the war, it was still amazing to him to stand in the fort. He wandered around for about two hours which put him well close to dinner time, but he wanted to make one more stop before he returned to his apartment. He asked a bus driver. “How do I get to the Baltimore Street Car museum from here?”

  “It’s the same route, you’ll just go north to Charles Street and Lafayette Avenue and then just walk about five minutes to the museum.”

  “Are you going that way?”

  “I sure am, you can board now because I’m leaving in about five minutes.”

  Ian boarded the bus to wait while the driver made sure that everyone who wanted to go north was on the bus.

  He watched as passengers boarded the bus, they chatted about Fort McHenry and where they would have dinner that evening. He started to dose off when the driver said, “Son this is your stop.”

  “Thank you.”

  “Just watch for the signs to the museum which is only about a five minute walk. Enjoy the museum.”

  When he reached it, Ian couldn’t believe the number of street cars. He wandered around reading the plaque on each one. He read that the name came from the fact that they actually ran on rails powered by an electric cable connected to the roof. Another plaque read that the first car was put into operation on August 10, 1885 and its final run was in November 1963.

  He was tired and hungry. He walked to the North Station and saw a sign for the Metro. He asked if his pass was good for the Metro and was told that it was. He climbed aboard and was amazed that it only took twenty-five minutes to reach his stop. He decided to go to Pickles before going home.

  Bob was working, so he put a draft beer on the bar in front of him and laid a menu next to the glass. “You look tired; what did you do today?”

  “Since the mattress is being delivered tomorrow, I obtained a bus pass and played tourist and went sightseeing.”

  Ian took a draught of his beer while Bob asked him, “Is that right? Where did you go?”

  “I started with the Walter’s Museum of Art. I really enjoyed it.”

  “It’s really nice. Where did you go next?”

  “I went to Fort McHenry and learned a lot of history that I didn’t know about. Did you know that Francis Scott Key was not being held captive that he was actually in negotiations with the British on a sloop?”

  “No, I didn’t know that. Did you go somewhere else?”

  “Yes, I went to the Baltimore Streetcar Museum where I learned that the first streetcar in Baltimore was put in service on August 10, 1885 and made its final run in November 1963.”

  “Ian, you did all that in one day?”

  “Yes I did Bob, and now I am hungry and tired.”

  “You should be. Your beer and dinner are on the house tonight.”

  “You cannot do that.”

  “Yes I can and that’s the end of that.”

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  After the kids went to bed. Leona and Sam met in the kitchen. Sam handed his wife a glass of wine and then grabbed a beer for him. When he sat, he saw that little twinkle in her eyes that told him that she was excited about something and was busting at the seams to tell him. “Sam, while the kids were at school today, I went online and found that there is a dog agility contest at 2:00 Sunday afternoon at Perry Hall Middle School what do you think about taking the kids to watch it?”

  “I think that they’ll really have a good time.”

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  Ian woke early Thursday morning. He ran to the convenience store to grab a cup of coffee, hopi
ng that his mattress would be delivered earlier than he was told. That apparently was not to be. He ended up reading news about his homeland on the internet and playing computer games. By lunch time he was starving so he went to the Café on the Square and ordered take out. When he finished his lunch, he lay on the floor and took a nap. He woke when he heard someone knocking on the door. He got up from the floor and opened the door.

  “Is Mr. Macgill available?”

  “I’m Ian Macgill.”

  “Then I need you to sign this receipt and I’ll go get your mattress.”

  “Do you need me to help?”

  “No, I have a buddy in the truck.”

  Ian heard them get off the elevator and opened his door and held it open until they were in his apt. “Do you want us to lay it on the bed?”

  “That would be marvelous if you could do that.”

  The delivery guys put his mattress on the bed and left before he could even thank them. He put his sheets on the mattress and left to have dinner at Pickles.

  He walked directly to the bar where Bob asked him, “Take any sightseeing excursions today?”

  “Unfortunately I did not. I had to wait for my mattress delivery.”

  “That’s a bummer, but it happens. Do you have plans for tomorrow?”

  “I am thinking about just walking around the University and getting familiar with the layout.”

  “I’m off during the day, so I’d like to walk with you.” He grabbed a piece of paper and wrote his number on it. “Take this and give me a call if you want company.”

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  Ian called Bob early Friday morning and asked, “Are you still interested in walking to the campus with me?”

  “I sure am. Why don’t we meet at the Café on the Square and get some breakfast first?”

  “That sounds great.”

  During breakfast Ian said, “I am getting bored. I am not used to having nothing to do.”

  Bob chuckled and then said, “Do you want to work or would you prefer to volunteer?”

  “I am not sure.”

  “Well, I can offer you a part-time job at Pickles and I’m sure that you can volunteer at the University of Maryland Medical Center.”

  “I think that both are really good ideas. If I can work part time at the restaurant that leaves me with plenty of time to volunteer. When can I start at Pickles?”

  “If you’re available, you can start tomorrow.”

  Ian paid the breakfast tab and they left the café to see the campus up close.

  They reached the school where Ian said, “It looks to me that a large school is packed into a small space.”

  Bob chuckled and then said, “It sure does look like that, but it won’t take long for you to get familiar with it.”

  Together they wandered in and out and around buildings until lunchtime. Bob recommended the Hipp Café on Baltimore Street.

  Ian said, “I really like the property and I hope that I do well since the citizens of Stonehaven are paying for my education.”

  “Are you serious?”

  “Yes, old Doc Balderston is not going to last much longer and there are very few family doctors in the area.”

  “That’s just incredible. I don’t think that I’ve ever heard of a whole town putting up the tuition.”

  “I am sure that you have not, but I am also sure that in your cities there are many doctors.”

  “You’re right about that, because other than the rural areas, there is a large physician population. I’m thinking that you’re a pretty important person in Stonehaven.”

  “I never thought of it that way. I just knew that I wanted to get my medical license before Doc Balderston died so that he can mentor me.”

  Bob had never met anyone like Ian. Most of the folks that he knew wouldn’t even consider their family, much less the community they lived in.

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  Leona went grocery shopping after Molly and Jack left for school. It was probably still warm enough for Sam to grill some steaks and burgers, she went to the grocery store to find that the local corn on the cob had seen better days. She grabbed all the ingredients to prepare twice-baked potatoes. Last were the fixings for a salad along with the hamburger rolls.

  She stopped at the butchers and ordered four fine looking steaks and a pound of lean ground beef.

  She drove home to find her husband in the yard throwing the Frisbee for Vinny. She was so pleased to see that he was happy with his pup, but she need to do a few things before she went out to play. She put a dry marinade on the steaks and put them in the refrigerator. She then made her hamburgers with a packet of onion soup mix and put them into the refrigerator. She put lunch together and while she was there, made the after school snacks.

  She then went into the yard to watch her husband play in the yard.

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  Ian called the University of Maryland Medical Center and asked to speak with a volunteer coordinator. “Good morning. This is Stella in the Volunteer Coordinator office. How may I help you?”

  “Good Morning Miss Stella, My name is Ian Macgill and I will attend the School of Medicine in the spring. I would like to volunteer at the Medical Center if you can use me.”

  “Mr. Macgill, why don’t you come to my Office on Monday and we’ll find a good fit.”

  “Miss Stella, what time should I be there?”

  “Any time between 9:00 am and 4:00 pm.”

  When they disconnected the call, Ian made a note on his calendar and then went out for a walk. When he returned he called his Mother, “Mum, I haven’t called every day, but I have some exciting news to tell you.”

  He told her about his new job and that he was going to the Volunteer Center on Monday to sign up as a volunteer at the University of Maryland Medical Center.

  “Ian, everyone here has been asking how you are doing. They will be delighted when I tell them what you have accomplished so far.”

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  After the kids went to bed, Leona and Sam met in the kitchen. He handed his wife a wine and pulled out a beer for him. “Lee, are you planning to tell your parents about the agility training?”

  “Yes I am and I’m certain that my mother will think it’s a great idea.”

  “I think that she will as well.”

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  During breakfast on Saturday morning, Leona told her children that their grandparents were coming to dinner. Molly ever so excitedly shouted, “They’ll get to meet Vinny and that’s just way cool.”

  “Dad and I think so too. If the two of you have any homework, go do it now.”

  “Mom, can’t we do it on Sunday?”

  “No you can’t, because we’re going to watch a dog agility contest so that you know what it is.”

  “That’s really cool mom, are we going to bring Vinny with us so that he can watch with us?”

  Leona looked at her husband, “What do you think Dad?”

  “I think it’s a great idea and if we get there and someone says that he’s not allowed, I’ll bring him home.”

  Molly, Jack and Vinny went upstairs to do homework. Dad came upstairs to see how they were doing. Molly told him, “I’m done mine.” Jack said the same thing. Before Dad could say anything about checking it, he heard his father-in-law bellow, “Has everyone left town? If so, I’m gonna eat this cherry pie all by myself.”

  Sam told his children, “Wait here until I call you.”

  Sam went down to the kitchen and told his father-in-law, “Like hell you’re gonna eat that pie because I’m gonna get it first.”

  Nancy entered the kitchen and said, “The two of you are worse than children.” She looked around and then asked, “Where are the children?”

  Sam yelled up the steps, “Kids, your grandparents are here. Come down and say hello.”

  Leona poured her mother a glass of wine and tried to keep her focus on the wine until the children were ready. “Mom, here they are.”

  Nancy turned around to see Molly and Jack standing in the doorway
with a standard black poodle. Molly ran to her, “Grandma, what do you think? We adopted him from the rescue center. His name is Vinny and he’s a really good dog.”

  Nancy looked at her daughter, who said, “The kids wanted another dog, but they wanted it from a rescue center. We drove to the Falls Road adoption center and picked him up. He’s two years old and was trained as a service dog and when his owner was taken to a nursing home, the family took him to the ASPCA on Falls Road.”

  Nancy was shocked, “What a wonderful thing to do. Do they have many dogs that need homes?”

  Jack said, “They do and it just so sad to see their faces because they’re hoping to find a home.”

  “Grandma, come see what Dad built in the back yard.”

  Nancy followed Molly to the back yard. “Molly, what is this?”

  “It’s a gility course.”

  “Molly it’s an agility course.”

  “Grandma, it’s what Jack just said.”

  Nancy chuckled and then asked, “Okay, I understand that it’s an agility course, but what do you do with it?”

  “It’s a course where a dog must run through a number of challenges. If he misses something or knocks one of the poles down, points are deducted. The dogs are also timed.”

  “I understand what you’re saying, but why is there one in your yard?”

  “Grandma, Molly and I are going to a class to learn how to train a dog for the course. Dad built this so that we can practice at home.”

  Everyone returned to the kitchen where Leona poured her mother another wine as she said, “We’re going to an agility completion tomorrow so that the kids can watch a contest. They were very confused about the course that Sam built, so they’ll get a better idea of it after they watch dogs participate.”

  “Can Bill and I go?”

  “I don’t see why you can’t. It’s being held tomorrow at 2:00 at Perry Hall Middle School.”

  “Count us in.”

  “We will so that we all get an understanding of what we’re getting into. Sam, I think that the steaks are ready to grill. Do you want to take them out with you or wait until the grille is ready?”