Not what we were used to now - Liverpool, NS

595

17 October 2012

R. Linda:

"I call em' as I see 'em'," Tonya said. Yes, she does. SIGH

After being soaked to the skin without a coffee shop (no Dunks in Nova Scotia that I saw), we travelled on, being uncomfortably wet. I turned the heater on to help, but it didn't really. Our clothing was saturated and it was heavy stuff, so it wasn't drying. We drove in silence mostly, depressed, chilled, feeling hungry, and all our energy seemed expended in trying to keep warm. The rain was heavy, the drive slow, lulling Tonya into a light nap; by 5:40 p.m. we made Liverpool and our inn for the night.

Since we could not get a room at Cooper's Inn in Shelburne, the next place that had an opening was Lane's Privateer. It is on the harbour (I think, it was hard to see through the fog but I thought there were fishing vessels across the street) in a busier place than Shelburne. From the outside, it looked quaint enough in the rain, but I knew it looked more like a motor inn, but Tonya said anyplace when you are cold, wet and hungry looks quaint in the rain as long as there is a light on. Oi, the woman was in for a jolt she was!

Sign outside, notice the street light and high wires. We were in a populated area. Sort of

Outside Lane's

Tonya had curled herself into a ball with the vents flowing warmth on her. "You go in, get us set up and when the room is ready THEN I'll get out," she said sleepily not aware of her surroundings only that we had arrived. So in I went and as soon as I stepped in I knew, yes I did, this would not meet with Ms. Ton's approval. No, she was now used to castles and beautiful inns. This was like a car motel and I just KNEW. With extreme reluctance, it was that I checked us in. I slowly put me credit card in me wallet, even slower to place me wallet in me jacket pocket. Even slower was it that I turned and even slower took those steps to the car to go carry her in. I DIDN'T WANT TO DO IT!

I did the next best thing: DELAYED THE INEVITABLE. I came out and held a finger up in wait as she glanced up with sleep-filled eyes. I'd get the bags up first and come back for her. Yesss, let her bask in the cosy ball she made of herself in our cosy motor, because I had an inkling that our room was not as cosy as the car seat she was curled up in. 

I did somehow get the idea I'd make light of this and it would be OK. Yup, I hoped for the best as I got our things out of the boot and took them upstairs to our room. When I got to the top of the stairs, the smell of the food from the kitchen was overpowering. Not necessarily a bad thing, but do you want the place you are going to kick back and sleep in smelling like the kitchen? I don't think so. I heaved a sigh and opened the door to our room. I stood there in the gloom looking in and ran a hand inside for a light. With extreme reluctance, I switched it on knowing I wasn't going to like what I could already see in the dim light from the hall and I didn't!

I stepped in pulling the bags behind me. I let go and covered me face. Oh yeah, this was not the usual. It was just so worn and used-looking. What the whole place needs is a facelift. A little paper and paint, new bedding, pictures on the wall, less magazines to take your focus off the surroundings, etc., Here, see for yourself:

Tired, bland-looking room

The smell was not only the kitchen but cleaning fluid. It was rather strong, and I thought to go downstairs and ask for another room, but experience has taught me that another room could be the same if not worse than what I had. So very slowly I took meself down to fetch the wife. 

I tapped on the car window and she smiled and uncurled herself. And I thought to meself that this is the last smile I will see from now until we leave. Worse, knowing what I did, I realised we had dinner reservations here. Shoot me now someone!

She got out pulling her scarf and jacket behind her and as she closed the car door asked me, "Is it nice?"

I didn't have the heart nor the balls to tell her NO IT IS DECIDEDLY NOT WHAT YOU LIKE. AS A MATTER OF FACTUALS, IT IS ON THE OPPOSITE SPECTRUM OF WHAT YOU LIKE!

We had no choice. It was getting late, I had no clue who had a vacancy and where. Besides, we were both beyond tired and as far as eateries go, that was the same. No clue where to go. I didn't trust me iPhone either because some of the places like THE ONE WE WERE CURRENTLY AT was given a cheery clean review! 

So Tonya steps in and she says through her teeth to me, "Oh-h-h, this is nice." What was missing was the word 'not'. I gestured her up the creaky decrepit staircase and she was in the lead going very slowly and looking up at the landing like she expected something to jump out at her at the top. When she made the top she let out a huge sigh. Not a good sign. Then as I joined her on the landing she looked at me through slits that were where her eyes normally were and I almost wished something had jumped out and got her because I knew the topping on this was going to be THE room. I did indeed think of racing down the stairs, getting in the motor and driving off forever. But I didn't, I was to see this through I was, as hard as it was already and going to get far worse.

She pointed to the end of the hallway in silent question if the room was at the end. I nodded. She nodded and sucked in her breath already primed for what she was going to see. Me mind raced with jokes but none seemed very funny, so I said nothing just leaned in front of her, opened the door and waited for the ranting to begin with me fingers in me ears, me eyes squeezed shut. 

Nothing. No sound. I could hear her moving forward and inside. I took me fingers out of me ears and opened me eyes. She stood in the middle of the room and sarcastically said as she turned toward to me, "THIS is nice."

"Can ye say it like ya mean it Ton?" I said to her closing the door behind me.

"OH, I didn't sound sincere? OK let me be sincere," and she walked up to me and looked in me face and said, "THIS IS DIFFERENT. I DON'T LIKE IT."

"But I already knew that." I quipped back at her, as I moved away and looked for the telly remote. I realise that me and the telly are the way I handle rants. I turn it on and zone out. But she found it first and held it up asking me if "THIS what you are looking for?"

"Listen up Tonya, I want to get out of these wet clothes. I be too tired to go looking for another room, but if you want to go, pick me up in the morning. I need to change or get a hot shower which looks iffy because I don't think there is hot water, so dry clothes and some dinner be what I am going to do. You can either join me or go. Just DO NOT forget to pick me up out of this hole tomorrow morning sharp." With that, I went to me bag, got out me clothes and started to change. I was soaked to the underwear! I tell ya, that neither of us did not end up with a bad case of chills or pneumonia was a miracle.

I did not look at her, but I heard her unzip her bag and she did the same thing because when I picked up me soggy wallet to get me money, she was dressed and waiting at the door. Without a word, we went down the rickety staircase to a hallway and were pointed in the direction of the dining room. It was crowded which made me hope that the food was at least good. 

Did we want to eat in the dining room or would we prefer the intimacy of the Bookstore? I was going for the dining room, but Tonya beat me too it, the Bookstore it was and I knew that was because she could sit there and complain without being overheard.

                                                                                    

The Bookstore, looked just like the dining room only there were books in there

I had to chuckle, this was just too stupid it was funny. I was the only one of us laughing, but still, I was enjoying the joke even if someone I was with was getting royally pissed that I was finding this a huge joke when they found it anything but funny.

Dinner? I don't remember it. I couldn't tell you what either of us had. But I do remember dessert VIVIDLY. We had the ice cream sundae. Why after being so cold? Because it was the only thing on the menu that wasn't chocolate cake or bread pudding. And we are not fans of chocolate cake and bread pudding when eaten on a constant basis. We waited and waited and Tonya wanted to know if they were milking the cow to get cream for the ice cream machine. And did I happen to know how long it took to churn? I tell ya she is the most sarcastic person I know, but I found it funny UNTIL the sundaes arrived and she took her spoon and was moving the walnuts around. She looked at me and said, "If I were you, I'd remove these," she spoon pointed at the nuts, "They are either just out of the freezer, OR they are old and rancid."

Oh boy, how to make dessert appetising. I looked at the nuts and scooped one up. It looked dull and I popped it in me cakehole. It was soft and mushy. Usually nuts are hard and crunchy. I did a mock Chef Ramsay at her, I said, "It's raw!" and pushed it away. I at least got a giggle out of her. We both took the nuts off and Tonya took a small bit of the ice cream and told me it was old too. I tasted mine and I guess it was, but I ate it anyway as she watched with horror.

"If I get ptomaine poisoning you know who to sue," I said to her as I polished it off. As I went to a room off the dining room to pay the bill, Tonya was waiting for me in the hallway when a little dark man in lumberjack clothing came in and asked her how she "was doin'" and she told him just fine (yes she lied) and he then said, "Hey why don't you come in the bar and I'll buy you a drink?" No, she said, she was awaiting her husband. "What husband? If he left you alone out here, his loss." She came looking for me instantly after that. No more waiting in the hall, she was sticking by me side. I thought she was busting me chops.

So we got back to our room very slowly. There was no particular rush and we had a conversation on the stairs about going back to Shelburne in the early morning (because as soon as we could get some shuteye, we were gone), then to Peggy's Cove if time permitted and finally back to Halifax to the Mecca of our lives the Waverley Inn. We were chomping at the bit on seeing the beloved Waverley let me tell ya. We lingered on the stairs so long that one couple who had checked in had enough time to unpack and meet us still on the stairs as they went below for dinner. 

When we got back to the room, we got ready for bed, I was watching the telly and Tonya had a magazine. She was sitting on the bed scratching. It got more and more noticeable until I started scratching too. But I couldn't see anything. And I thought because she started it, I just naturally responded in the same. I said nothing, she didn't seem to know she was doing it. I know, Chef Ramsay's Hotel Hell came flooding into me brain and I was thinking of the bodily fluids, bedbugs, and all manner of awful things that invaded me mind to imagine the worst. 

It took me a long time to fall into sleep as a result. And it took Tonya a long time to fall into any kind of a sleep BECAUSE we were directly over the bar and the live music that was supposed to wind down at 11 went on until 1. Yup. Add to that the curtains didn't close all the way so I, at least, had an amber-coloured light shining in me face for the entire night. Around 2 there were still people in the bar. You could hear the sounds of clean up and locking up for the night and then as the door downstairs closed and the screech of tyres as cars pulled away, another sound began to permeate the stillness. It was people right under our window gabbing and laughing loudly because they were filled with the drink. This went on until maybe a quarter to four in the morning. Yeah was not a good night.

Just as all sound seemed to die away the alarm downstairs went off. Oi! I heard pounding footsteps below ran toward the sound and turned it off. I tossed and turned, getting maybe an hour of sleep total.

The next morning around 7 we are up showered (the water was actually hot), packed and ready for a quick breakfast. Tonya preferred the Bookstore once again and as we were sitting there this short, dark man dressed like a lumberjack came in and took his "usual" table. The waitress came in and said, "You're here early," and he, getting rather insulted retorted, "What do you mean it's 7:30 I'm always here at this time."

I leaned over to Tonya and said, "And that's because he never went home." I recognised his voice as one that had been having a wonderful old time under our window all night. 

She looked over at him and gasped. Then she leaned toward me and said, "THAT is the man who tried to pick me up last night when you were paying the bill."

I had to laugh, he had to be 5 feet tall and we are talking Ms. Tonya at 5' 10".  

"Mutt and Jeff," I said.

"Who?"

"Never mind, before either one of our time, but in the news business was a cartoon strip that ran for years." I mused.

It was with relief we left and the strange thing that happened was on the way to Shelburne, the leaves had changed. Though it was drizzling, we could see colours! 

                                                                                       

Finally!

Gabe
Copyright © 2012 All rights reserved