About Borrowed Time

Borrowed Time
by
Dr. Leyrose

Just across the street from the hospital entrance was a small watch
repair shop. Kelly had seen it several times when she went with her
father to visit aunt Mable. She didn't pay it much mind except to
notice it was there. Funny, she thought to herself, as many times as
she had been there with her Father, she didn't remember seeing the shop
before. But that could have been because she just wasn't looking
before. Or maybe it just wasn't there before. Anyway, right now Kelly
didn't have time to think about it. She was going to see Aunt Mable
again and that was more important athan anything right now.
Aunt Mable was her favorite Aunt. She didn't know why. Maybe it was
because Kelly had always lived close by Aunt Mable and got to see her
almost every day. Or maybe it was because she cooked potatoes just the
way Kelly liked them. Oh, and there were Aunt Mable's home made
biscuits, and her pies, and her homemade cakes. And oh, there was just
so much she liked about Aunt Mable. Aunt Mable could tend the garden,
feed the chickens, milk the cow, and feed the horses and the get
breakfast ready for the whole family. And that was just what she did
when she was resting. She was tough and Kelly wanted to be just like
her. There was so much she wanted to learn from her. Why Aunt Mable had
already taught her how to sew, quilt, and make candles. Soon she was
going to show her how to make biscuits and the secret to her wonderful
spreads she sold to bring in a few dollars. And if she was real lucky
Aunt Mable was going to show her how to make fudge candy. Aunt Mable
made the best fudge candy in the world, or at least in Kelly's
world.
Today, as Kelly walked down the hallway to the waiting area outside
Aunt Mable's room, she could tell something was different. All the
people working there were acting a little funny. She couldn't put her
finger on it, but they were definitely acting almost like strangers.
One thing, they didn't smile as much, and another thing, they wanted to
talk to her father behind closed doors and stuff. It was kinda like the
time she had pneumonia and the doctors wouldn't talk about her except
behind those doors. If this was something like that, if it was about
Aunt Mable, she was going to see if she could listen in. When she got
the chance, when everybody got busy doing things, she eased over by the
door. Lucky for her it was cracked just a little. Very quietly she
leaned closer and listened. Finally, after straining real hard she
heard the doctor tell her father something about borrowed time. Then,
listening even closer, almost opening the door by accident, she got so
close she heard lots of things, lots of doctor talk and words she
hadn't heard before. She didn't understand most of it, but she did
understand that her Aunt was real sick. Before she could hear any more,
the doctor moved over close to the door and reached out to open it.
Quickly, Kelly scrambled back to her chair. And trying to look
innocent, she just looked up at the ceiling and started counting the
dimples in the tile. Luckily her father just came over, sat down, and
told her that Aunt Mable was not feeling very good today and that they
would have to make the visit short, so she could get some rest. Kelly
wanted to go in first so she would have the chance to ask her aunt
about the stuff she heard. There was another thing about Aunt Mable
that she liked. It didn't matter what she said or asked her, Aunt Mable
was always there to listen and help Kelly understand things. They
talked about everything. It wasn't that she didn't want to talk to her
father or mother about things, it was just that Aunt Mable was easier
to talk to sometimes, for some reason.
"Aunt Mable," she began, "Are you felling any better today? I heard
the doctor tell Daddy that you needed more rest." Then before Aunt
Mable could answer, Kelly asked the question burning inside her. "Aunt
Mable, what does borrowed time mean?" Her Aunt, with a huge smile,
reached out to Kelly and taking her in her arms, gave her a great big
hug. Then, adjusting Kelly's hair slightly, she carefully began to talk
with Kelly. " Oh, my little Kelly, you make me laugh all the time. I
wish sometimes I could see the world through your eyes. I know it must
be a fascinating place. Oh well, hearing you talk about it is close
enough for me. Well, then, let's see. Here's the way it is. I'm not
getting much better right now, so the doctors are going to make sure I
get a little more rest. I'm sure tomorrow I'll be feeling a lot better.
And borrowed time, well that's just a way of saying that I need more
time to get better. The more time I have the better I'll feel. Now give
me another big hug and send that father of yours in here. I'll see you
later now." As Kelly left the room to get her father, tears of joy and
sadness filled her Aunt's eyes. It was difficult holding up in front of
Kelly, especially when she asked tough questions. Mable loved Kelly
more than anything, and it was really getting to her knowing that Kelly
didn't understand what was happening. Somehow she had to find a way to
explain things to Kelly. She was hoping Kelly's father would help a
little in that department.
That evening whe they got home Kelly's father and mother sat down to
talk about Kelly, her Aunt, and what they expected over the next couple
of weeks. As they talked Kelly sat in her room thinking. She knew thet
her Aunt was sick and needed time to get better. The more she thought
about it the more she began to put together a plan. First thing she
decided to do was go searching through stuff in the attic. If she could
find what she was looking for the rest of her plan would be easy. She
searched through box after box, old crates, and plastic tubs full of
everything. Once and a while she would find something she hadn't seen
in a long time. Occasionally she would stop to play with this or that
and, have an all around good time as she searched. Actually, she began
to have so much fun that she almost forgot the reason she was searching
in the first place. Then, searching through an old valice, she came
across what she needed. Carefully she inspected it, wiped it off, and
shook it a little. It looked like all the parts were there, so all she
had to do was clean it up real good. Then, tomorrow she could put her
plan into action. She was so excited she could hardly sleep that night.
When she did finally drift off to sleep, she began to dream.
Standing in her Aunt's kitchen she was stirring something in a big
pot. As she stirred, her Aunt sat at the table coaching her along. In
the pot was the mixture of cocoa, sugar, milk, shortening, vanilla,
salt, and Aunt Mable's secret ingredient. Oh it was wonderful, she was
finally learning to make Aunt Mable's fudge. Of all the things Aunt
Mable had taught her, making fudge topped the list. Many times she had
watched as her Aunt turned all the things into the best fudge in the
world, but this time she was making it. There she stood, in a chair,
stirring and stirring. Once and a while her Aunt would step over, look
in the pot, and tell her that it was looking great. Even as Kelly's
arms began to tire from the stirring she refused to stop or let her
Aunt know. Soon, her Aunt stepped over and told her that time was
almost up. She told her to drop a bit in the glass of water, and if it
stayed together, and that if it passed the test, it was time. After
they poured the concoction into a pan, Kelly looked at it like it was
all the gold in the world. As she looked, her Aunt told her that it was
finished, it was over, and now Kelly would be making the fudge from now
on. She told Kelly how proud she was of her and that now Kelly
possessed the secret family recipe for fudge. It was a bitter sweet
moment for Kelly as she continued to look at the wonder of confection
she had created. While Kelly proudly stood by her pan of fudge, her
Aunt turned and walked into the living room.
The next day, Kelly jumped out of bed, ran down stairs, and hurriedly
poured a bowl of cereal as she thought about the things she had to do.
She thought about the doctor's words and all the secret conversations
going on. She thought about how strange the people at the hospital were
acting. And she thought about how she was going to make her plan work.
After she ate she asked her mother if it was ok for her to go to the
library. There were a couple of books she wanted to check out and she
wanted to sit and read for a while. He mother thought it was a
wonderful idea, and decided to drop Kelly off at the Library. While
Kelly was there, her mother would run a few errands. Besides, her
mother knew that once Kelly got started in the Library she could
entertain herself for hours. And, she also knew that Kelly would be
safe there. It wasn't like the city where they once lived. This quiet,
peaceful little town, was a great place for children to grow up.
Everyone knew everyone and there was seldom any kind of problem in the
area. It was nice to have a place for Kelly to go that her mom didn't
have to worry about. And, she knew that Kelly would wait patiently for
her if she finished looking before she ran all of her errands. Shortly
Kelly's mom dropped her off at the library and started taking care of
the list she brought along.
Kelly walked into the library, stopped, and waited until her mom was
out of sight. Then, with her lucky find from the attic, she headed to
the little shop. The shop was only four buildings from the library and
kelly was almost there when a gentleman stopped her and asked for
directions. At first she didn't want to talk to him, but he seemed like
such a nice man that she agreed to try to help him. As he knelt down,
Kelly walked right up to him and asked what she could do to help. The
man began to explain that he was looking for an old friend that lived
somewhere in town. Well Kelly knew every street and almost everyone
that lived there. So once she heard the name, she immediately began to
tell the stranger how to get there. But before she could finish he told
her that it would probably be simpler if she could show him the way. He
said that it would only take a minute and he would reward her kindness.
Kelly thought about it for a minute then agreed to show him the
address. Since it was only a couple of blocks behind the street they
were on, Kelly told the man it would be easier if they just walked.
Kelly knew the area well, there weren't many people living back there,
and there was little in the way of buildings. Actually, between them
and the residence they were looking for, there was the remnants of a
park. People stopped using it for some reason, but Kelly didn't know
why. Most people lived on the other side of town even, only a few of
the older people lived on this side. As they walked Kelly told the man
about the old park and what she thought must have happened. But the man
seemed more interested in what her father did. So Kelly began to tell
about how her father got elected Mayor and how he inherited a lot of
stuff from someone in the town. Then Kelly started telling the man
about her Aunt and all the things she knew about her illness. She told
the man about how much she loved her Aunt and that she was going to
help her today. The man listened very closely to everything Kelly had
to say. He wanted to know everything. He was especially interested in
the plan Kelly had come up with. Actually, he even told Kelly that he
was sure her plan would work. Shortly they stood in front of the house.
At first it looked like the house was empty. But as they walked up to
the door Kelly could hear the TV playing. She didn't know who lived
there, but she was sure it had to be a older person. The grass needed
to be cut, and the floweres were almost covered up by weeds. The
windows were dirty and it really looked like the whole place had been
neglected. Before the man knocked on the door, he asked Kelly if he
could hold the special item she got from the attic. Without a thought,
Kelly reached into her bag, pulled it out, and handed it to the man.
Thoughtfully, he held it for a moment, closed his eyes, and then gave
it back to her. Then he asked her what she would like in exchange for
her kindness. Kelly thought very carefully for a moment then said, " If
my Aunt were here, she would tell you to do a good deed for someone
else. So, that is what I want too. Just help somebody else sometime."
The man, an old man with white hair and a glowing face, knelt down once
again close to Kelly. Then he reached out, took her by the hand, and
said, "You can be sure that I will do that very thing. You make sure to
complete your plan. And, oh, what is your Aunt's name?" Kelly looked
into his warm gentle eyes and told him more about her and her Aunt,
then she told him her Aunt's name. Lastly, she asked him if he was
going to be in town very long. Kelly had suddenly grown fond of him and
wanted to talk with him again. With a kind generous smile he patted her
hand and told her, "It was a pleasure meeting you and talking about
things with you. I'm sorry, but I won't be staying long. I have many
places to go and many people to talk with. But I will remember you
Kelly and one day we will talk again." Then with a little wink, he sent
Kelly on to attend to her task she had set for herself. As she walked
away she looked back briefly to wave, but the man was already
gone.
Knowing that she had spent much of her time helping the old man, she
hurried back to the shop. As soon as she entered, the lady behind the
counter asked if she could help. Kelly walked right up to the counter
and presented an old pocket watch to the lady. The outside was worn and
the inscriptions could barely be seen. The initials U.S.G. could barely
be seen. It was smaller than most watches made now and actually, as the
lady looked it over, it appeared to be a brand she had never seen.
Carefully, the lady took the watch, inspected it, and asked Kelly what
she would like her to do. Kelly looked up at her from the edge of the
counter and began to explain what she wanted. "I want to make it work
again so I can take it to my Aunt. I heard the doctor tell my Daddy
that she was on borrowed time and that she needed more time. I decided
to make sure Aunt Mable gets more time and doesn't have to borrow any
from anybody. I thought that since nobody used this old watch anymore
that my Aunt could use it. Then she will have all the time she needs.
So, can you make it work?" The lady stepped back slightly from the
counter, clenching the watch tightly, and said " Let me take this to
the back. The man that fixes watches will have to look at it. I'll be
right back." Quickly the lady disappeared into the room behind the
couneter. Kelly could hear someone talking, but couldn't hear what was
being said. Then as suddenly as the lady left, she came back through
the doorway. But along with her a man walked through the door also.
With the watch in his hand he leaned over the counter and asked Kelly,
"Where did you say you got this watch from?" Kelly replied, "I got it
from the attic in our house. It was wrapped in an old oily rag and
stuffed in a old suitcase. I guess it must have been there when we
moved into the house. I know it's old, but you got to fix it. I need it
real bad." The man looked at her curiously for a minute and then began
to explain why he had asked. "The watch here is very old, as a matter
of fact it was made around the late 1860's. But aside from that, if
it's not a fake, there were only a few of these watches ever made. A
Railroad Company ordered 20 of these watches from a special watchmaker.
They were given to important people, famous people. One was even a
given to the President, Grant, if I remember correctly. Do you mind if
I look at this for a little longer?" Completely uninterested by any of
the mans comments, all Kelly wanted to know was if it would work again
and if he could fix it. Starting to lose her patience a little she
said, "I don't know about any of that stuff. I just want you to fix it
so I can give it to my Aunt Mable. If you don't want to fix it I guess
I can take it to the other store by the post office. You don't
understand how important it is for me to give the watch to her." With
Kelly staring to get a lttle upset, the jeweler assured Kelly that he
could get the watch working in just a few minutes. And since it was
important to her, he would just take a few pictures of the watch and
have it ready in just a short while. The story about her Aunt touched
the jeweler and his wife. Even as he talked with Kelly his wife slipped
in the back room again and began to make some phone calls. After taking
a few dozen pictures the jewler opened the watch, with Kelly looking
on, and made a few delicate adjustments. Then with differnet oils and
cleaning solutions he cleaned and oiled the watch. In just minutes, as
he had promised, he closed the watch back up and carefully started
winding it. At first, as he wound, the second hand remained still. The
old watch looked as though it wasn't going to work after all. But with
one more twist of the stem, it jumped into action. Then, looking at the
clock in the store, he set it for the correct time. "Ok Kelly, I set it
for 10:31. Let me wind it a few more times then it will be ready to go.
I'll let you know what I find out about it ok?" Then he placed it in a
velvet pouch and handed the watch to Kelly. Without mention of charge
for his work, mainly because he knew Kelly didn't understand, he told
her to be careful and he'd see her later. With the watch safely tucked
away, she made her way across the street to the small hospital.
The nurse tried several times to contact someone, but there was no
answer at any number. The doctor told her to keep trying until she got
someone. It was extermely important that they get in touch with someone
immediately. Mabel had taken a turn for the worse about 9:30 and it
didn't look very good. So the nurse, and the doctor, began calling
around town trying to contact Kelly's father or her mother. It was
customary at a time like this to contact as many as possible.
Feverishly that called place after place trying to at least find the
Mayor or his wife. Any other time they would be close by or even at the
hospital. The doctor began to get frustrated as his concern for Mable
grew. With each passing minute he feared it was going to be too late.
Finally at almost 10:30 they contacted Kelly's mother at the bakery
outside town. As they started to explain the circumstances, a nurse
came running down the hallway to the doctor's office. Almost out of
breath she blurted that something was happening in Mables room,
something she couldn'e explain. She grabbed the doctor and led him,
half dragging him, to Mable's room. As they entered the room the doctor
almost fainted. There, standing by her bed getting dressed, was Mable.
It wasn't possible. Just moments ago she was in the most critical of
conditions. Speechless, the doctor rushed over to her nad started
examining her. Finally, he called for nurses and machines, and on and
on. Nobody could believe it. Later, after everyone had a chance to
settle down, he asked the nurse what time the change in Mable began.
The nurse, thinking for a moment, said it was about 10.31 give or take
a few seconds.
Kelly walked right in to her Aunt's room, minutes after all the
excitement was over. Then climbing up on her Aunt's bed, she gave the
watch to her and began telling all about her morning. Just as she
finished, in stormed her mother and father. They were both too happy to
be angry with Kelly, and didn't say a word about her deceitfulness. The
doctor, trying to find answers for what happened, just told how amazing
the whole matter was. He told Kelly's parents that he had never seen a
patient recover like that before. All he could keep saying was how
amazing it was. As amazing as the doctor's story was, Kelly and her
Aunt knew something even more incredible. And they were going to keep
it between them. As Mable held the watch close to her and thanked
Kelly, she told her that is was time for her to leard how to make
fudge. Mable told Kelly that as soon as the doctor let her home she was
going to teach Kelly how to do it.
Three days later, Kelly stood in a chair stirring a pot of fudge as
her Aunt gently watched and encouraged her. With the pocket watch Kelly
had given her, she kept a close watch on the time, finally having Kelly
test the fudge for the right consistency. As she watched Kelly, her
Aunt wondered how that pocket watch, owned by President Grant, had
ended up in their attic. She was also wondered how people found out
about all her medical bills. The only thing she could figure was that
one of the nurses at the hospital had made a few calls, or someone
had.