November 2, 2017. Madison, Mississippi. The Odd Night.

Everything seemed fine, until I called her on the phone.  All my communications had been by letter, and all arrangements were in place.  Ken and I , along with David and Andrew had driven from Vancouver to Calgary, stopping on the way to hike and enjoying the parks.   Ruth Cromarty was a Buckley family friend.  I was named after her and I called her Aunt Ruth.  When I told her in my note that we were going to be in Calgary, she assured me that we must stay with her, so I agreed.

The day was getting on and I called to tell her that we would stop at a motel and see her tomorrow but that did not suit her.    She urged me to keep on coming and that she had everything ready for us.  Something in her voice made me uncomfortable but we kept on coming in the dark.   My only option was to irritate a family friend which on retrospect I should have done.

We four arrived at !0:00 in the pitch dark.  Our plan was to stay two nights.  When we arrived, Aunt Ruth came to the door wearing a night shirt and a dirty dressing gown.  All her life she was a prim and proper school teacher.  We walked in to smell no food cooking.  We had not eaten.    Immediately I knew that Aunt Ruth was senile.  She was able to write to me by checking her address book but it was obvious that she was not functioning.  I asked if there was anything the boys could eat and she assured me that I should help myself and she told me that the fridge was full.  Well it was full, but it was full of cakes.  In order to entertain the boys, she had bought four cakes.  I scrounged around for peanut butter and jam and that was what we ate.

Ken and I discussed leaving but it seemed easier to stay the night although the boys who were 8 and 7 were fearful of staying with this mad old lady.   When I asked where we should stay, she sent me to take the boys downstairs where there was a single bed made up for them.  Now they were young but they were big,  but they managed.  Ken and I stayed in old Mr. and Mrs. Cromarty's bedroom which held a 3/4 bed with the same old mattress.

First thing in the morning, we left.  By now I knew that Aunt Ruth was not in her right mind.  But we four spent the oddest night of our life in Calgary.